China learns to be more pragmatic
Wang Wu China Daily Updated: 2004-05-03 10:26
In what was called a "complete success," China and the United Stated wound up their latest session of the China-US Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade (JCCT) in Washington last week.
China made the largest concession in the talks by agreeing to suspend the execution of its WAPI wireless network standard in addition to promising harsher measures against piracy of intellectual property right products.
The US side has complained against the WAPI standard, blaming it as a technical barrier for exports of US wireless network products, which are based on a different set of codes.
China's decision to put off, "indefinitely," the exercise of the new standard is a grave concession, given the previous claim that it involves the nation's concern for information security.
Of course, the decision does not mean China has given up its concern for security, for "to suspend" is not "to give up." China's standardization authorities will definitely work out relevant measures to tighten security controls over wireless communications.
Anyhow, the cost of the concession is large. At least, it will be viewed by many people as "losing face" in international trade frictions.
Whether a disgrace or not, the concession suggests something.
First, it shows the sincerity China harbours in its hope to forge a strategically long-term and mutually beneficial relationship with the United States in trade and economic ties.
China and the United States, as each other's major trading partner, complement each other greatly in economy. Co-operation, rather than confrontation, between the two countries will be more beneficial for both sides as well as for world peace and global economic development.
Second, the concession suggests that China has become more mature in global trade games.
Different from the traditional concept that concession implies loss of face, China is learning to be more pragmatic in dealing with trade partners.
In trade and economic exchanges, disputes and friction are usual happenings. Every player needs to make concessions as well as headway. They have nothing to do with grace or disgrace. What really matters is a well-administered balance between current and future benefits.
Frankly speaking, Chinese foreign trade officials and experts are less experienced, in a market economy mechanism, than their astute counterparts from the West. Much has to be learned during economic exchanges. Making contemporary concessions in exchange for long-term benefits is such a competence.
The United States, on its part, should also give up some of its habitual concepts. Taking China as a potential threat, for instance, is such a concept. Some people in that country always like to politicize pure economic and trade issues; they seem to feel very uneasy at an economically developed China.
The Sino-US relationship is in a stable and friendly state. We do not hopefor unpredictable happenings, as there always were in the past whenever a major improvement had been achieved in the bilateral relations, especially on the issue of Taiwan.
In that sense, it is really reassuring to hear US President George W. Bush reiterate, in his meeting with Chinese Vice-Premier Wu Yi after the Washington JCCT consultation, that there is no change in the United States' "one China" policy.
So long as the United States does not stir up new trouble on the issue of Taiwan, all other issues between the two countries can be negotiated.
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