Political differences will always divide China and US, analyst says
Other speakers at Beijing conference say incoming president Trump will complicate Sino-US relations even further
The differences in the political orders of China and the United States are “irreconcilable”, making it difficult to keep relations between the two countries on a stable track, a leading Chinese foreign affairs adviser said.
And on top of these fundamental differences, Sino-US relations under the administration of Donald Trump would be more challenging for Beijing, as Washington is expected to enhance its “encirclement” of China, according to another leading Chinese adviser speaking at an international affairs forum in Beijing yesterday.
Wang Jisi, dean of the school of international studies at Peking University, said a number of issues – including human rights, religion, Taiwan and Hong Kong – could potentially have more impact on Sino-US ties than the South China Sea disputes.
Wang, who advises Chinese policymakers on foreign affairs and recently sent a report to the government evaluating the US “pivot to Asia”, said Washington had been leading an international order with an emphasis on democratic systems, and that Beijing saw that as interference in its domestic political order.
“To us, the biggest threat posed by the US is a political one, instead of economic or military competition,” Wang said.
“We see the US as always intending to overthrow the Communist Party’s rule over China … and wanting to manipulate our domestic politics.”
Officials and think tanks are seeking to assure stable ties between China and the US ahead of Trump’s January 20 inauguration.