Global Times.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will arrive in China today.
Some have labeled her latest Asia-Pacific trip as a "closing" one,
because she may step down as secretary of state even if Barack Obama is
reelected again in November's presidential elections.
The biggest "contribution" that she has brought to US diplomacy is
the "pivot" to Asia. But besides greatly raising the mutual mistrust
with China, the move hasn't yet brought pragmatic benefits to the US.
It seems that the US is trying to realize two goals, namely renewing
domestic economic vigor and checking China's rise, so as to maintain its
world hegemony, which is its ultimate strategic goal.
Checking China's rise is the wrong strategic goal for the US. This
leading power, despite all its advantages, has limited strength but
quite a few thorny tasks in its diplomacy.
Superficially, Clinton's proposal to restrain China with "smart
power" diplomacy works on the South China Sea issue. But it appears to
be merely a small trick from the perspective of the strategy of a
superpower.
As for the economic recovery back home, the Obama administration has
nothing to brag about. Clinton's rhetoric such as a "pivot to Asia" and
"Internet diplomacy" helps attract public opinion and weave illusions
for domestic voters who believe that the true crisis stems from China's
"rapid growth" and "lack of democracy."
As secretary of state, Clinton fails to present Americans with this
simple logic: In the long run, the US can only compete and cooperate
with China on an equal footing, and it will have fewer and fewer
resources to dominate and curb China.
