AIIB not a gamble between China, US

Source:Global Times Published: 2015-3-17 23:13:01

The China-initiated Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has met with US resistance since the very beginning. China would not have been so determined if it were several years ago.

The UK applied to become a founding member of the AIIB last week, followed by a few other European and Asian countries that have the same intentions. Prospects for the AIIB seem promising. Many analysts believe that the current situation proves the US lacks the ability to contain a rising China. As China has won the race around the AIIB, it has also gained some important rights for the future.

But China will not turn the issues around the AIIB into a gamble between China and the US. China will not respond to such speculation that its "One Belt, One Road" initiative is a countermeasure to the US pivot to Asia strategy. An approach that sets the US as an adversary is contrary to China's doctrine.

Both the "One Belt, One Road" initiative and the AIIB are China's grand strategies to enter the international community. The comments and interpretation of the outside world cannot all be complimentary or help promote Sino-US mutual trust. China is bound to face a dubious US.

China's development requires it to stick to the principles of independence and take measures that may be deemed "assertive" by the outside world.

Since the concept of the AIIB has been proposed, it has attracted 21 founding members. A number of countries have also showed their interest, and when the UK made an application, many more followed suit, even though the US remains at odds. 

But the AIIB has brought more positive aspects to China's diplomacy. China's endeavor does not lead to extreme tension between China and the US, but gains more cooperation and understanding from European and Asian countries.

One reason is that the AIIB fits the interests of most countries. The US tries to contain it with a geopolitical mind-set, but it lacks a strong case.

As the Chinese economy develops with a growing scale and it interacts with the world more, it is bound to take more initiatives. As long as China seeks joint development and this is not aimed at the US, the world will eventually understand it and cooperate with it.

The favorable news about the AIIB points to a promising future for the "One Belt, One Road" initiative. It is a compliment to China's diplomacy. Chinese society will gain confidence and accumulate experience about how the country can play its role in a complex international environment.

Many people are worried that China's diplomatic environment may be manipulated by the US, but the evolution of the AIIB shows that China is its own master. Perhaps the US may become a member of the AIIB one day. As China develops smoothly, this is not that impossible.

Posted in: Editorial, Commentary

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