Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping said recently that the Pacific Ocean is big enough for both China and the US. This is not mere diplomatic parlance.
Now that China and the US are co-existing and developing in the Pacific region, this momentum can continue as long as both leaders remain calm. Otherwise, it will be disastrous to all.
It is important that both China and the US want to co-exist with each other. China does not have the ambition to exclude the US from anything. It is willing to have healthy competition with the US.
But the US appears not to tolerate China's rise despite its huge advantages over China.
The US seems to believe China's future is uncertain. Many Chinese may agree. Could this planet withstand a Chinese population with Western standards of living? If China stopped developing, could the country withstand it? Answers to these two questions may run into each other.
However, Chinese society understands the West's anxiety caused by China's rise and tries its best to adjust. China does not intend to undermine the West. The rise of China currently seeks to ensure basic standards of living. China is at least several generations away from legitimately challenging the US.
China cannot change US feelings. China could try to not irritate the US, but this is poor consolation.
If US economic advantages gradually dwindle, it will have no other choice but to adapt its fear for China's rise.
It is understandable the US is keen on maintaining its leadership of the world. But it should remain rational. A single country leading the world is unstable.
If the US wants to maintain this leadership, it needs to become stronger and more advanced.
For the foreseeable future, the US' advantages will be incomparable though competition is inevitable. The US always emphasizes "rules," but these are excuses to protect its leadership.
The US demands that China clearly state its intentions. Unfortunately, it is obvious China does not have a diplomatic masterplan for the next 20 years. China is not as ambitious as people believe but its promises are not believed.
Maintaining peace in the Pacific Ocean is not easy. That depends on both the China and the US. It is hard to clearly know the thoughts of the other side, but both should not assume the worst when the situation remains unclear.
How the situation in the Pacific region develops depends on both China and the US. The US is the stronger of the two countries. It is thus key for it to be more open-minded.