How can China make more friends?
In looking for friends, China should not despise the poor and curry favor with the rich. Being rich and powerful should not be the preconditions for a friendship. China is not a loner as others have said, and it should not feel self-pity seeing the many attendants fawning round the United States.
Although China does not pursue expansionism, the US is anxious about China's rise. In addition, some neighboring countries are anxious about (and jealous of) China's growing strength and it is natural that they are wary of China.
As long as the US keeps finding fault with China, other countries that want to make friends with China have to weigh up the consequences of doing so. In fact, since the US engaged in its smart power diplomacy, China's neighboring security environment has deteriorated rapidly. The US has been busy alienating China from its neighbors. Backed by the US, some countries have tried to escalate their territorial disputes with China with repeated provocations.
So, how can China make more friends? Common economic interest, common security interests and common values have always been the cornerstones of friendly state-to-state relations.
Economic diplomacy has been China's focus in recent years. China has endeavored to reduce or exempt the debts of some African countries, and it has given a lot of economic aid to some neighboring countries.
But the situations developing in Sudan and Myanmar show that China's economic diplomacy cannot get instant results in view of the West's intervention. This requires China to take political and security factors into consideration in its diplomacy. Trade and security should not deviate from each other. Mutual commitments to security are needed.
Some advocate China's acceptance of Western values, but picking up phrases from others cannot help China win friends. China should pursue ideals in line with universal human values, and win friends based on these values.
The author is a professor at the School of International Studies,
Renmin University of China.
(China Daily 02/18/2013 page9)
