Strong hearts needed in changing world

Source:Global Times Published: 2016-6-1 0:23:01

China has witnessed more diplomatic frictions than before in the past few years, and its relations with the US seem to have flared up. Are the changes normal? Can China keep them under full control?

An article in the Financial Times in late December said that the whole world is on edge. Apart from embattled Japan and Russia, Europe has a bleak mood while the US and China also have challenges to deal with. 

The anxiety in US society has been vividly verified by Donald Trump's popularity in the presidential race. The US can no longer retain its complacency about the future given the uncertainties or even the sense of crisis, and its internal disorder is increasingly bringing the system into question.

There is anxiety also in China. Some Chinese want the country to achieve more externally, but can hardly adapt to the mounting external pressure this produces. They are not sure what is entailed when China suddenly comes under the spotlight of the international stage and gets dragged into some disputes.

In fact, China is having a good momentum in its overall diplomacy. Of its 20 direct neighbors, only the Japanese government and the administration of Benigno Aquino III in the Philippines stand against China blatantly. China's relations with Vietnam, North Korea and India are complicated, but all of them are aware of the bottom line.

The Sino-US relationship remains complicated, with more tensions due to China's rise. As the biggest variable in the international arena, China holds the most strategic initiatives and well controls the strategic risks as it is highly capable of managing foreign relations.

It's unlikely that all nations in the world are applauding China's rise, but they will gradually adjust to the changes brought by China's growing size.

We have to withstand the temporary stress from the outside world and strive to dissolve it.

Chinese society urgently needs a strong heart that matches China's current international status, which is first and foremost confidence.

We have to be confident that China is fully able to ensure national security and address any thorny issues so that we can be composed and coolheaded. Despite some tense times, China has no public foe so far, which is rarely seen.

The mission of our generation is to build China into a great power. As China continues to develop, pressure from the changing world will grow. We have to mentally adjust to the reality, stay open to the changes and then handle well the vested interests.

China is militarily and economically powerful enough to deter any force from acting against China rashly. The harsh words and deeds by the Philippines, Japan and the US won't last for long. China has done nothing wrong, and shouldn't be scared by whoever finds fault with it.

This can help us better deal with disputes between China and other countries and convey positive attitudes toward the rest of the world.



Posted in: Editorial

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