Finding policy goals shared by both the U.S. and China is not a difficult task. Both nations are seeking a peaceful and secure Asian-Pacific region which will allow for more rapid economic growth. Both seek to expand their influence and reach to bring about positive outcomes for themselves and their partners and allies. Yet the specific strategies each nation chooses to accomplish these similar goals can sometimes be polar opposites, and thus despite having a shared goal, these differing tactics can lead to conflict. The following summarizes five key issues within U.S.-China relations that arose during the previous month.

Complexities in Conflict Resolution

The U.S. and China have been in step, at least theoretically, with regards to some of the most pressing international issues. For example, both the U.S. and China were upbeat on the deal constructed to halt the development of nuclear weapons in Iran, and both countries also professed their belief that the Six Party Talks were a useful forum in bringing about a denuclearized Korean Peninsula with the U.S. calling for a North Korean return to the talks. Yet with regard to other critical situations such as the tensions in the South China Sea, the strategies used by the U.S. and China have been quite different and these diverging tactics themselves may become the source of conflict. The U.S. this month continued to bolster its alliances and stand by its partners with statements reaffirming alliances with Japan, South Korea, and Australia in addition to participating in military exercises with the Philippines. China, on the other hand, derided the U.S. for engaging in “out-dated” military alliances while expressing concern with the scale of U.S. military exercises in the region. It remains to be seen if these differing strategies will increase tensions further or if the mutual desire for peaceful conflict resolution will win the day.

Japan in the Crosshairs

Building up to Abe᾽s historic address in Washington, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter visited American military installations in Japan and spoke warmly about the alliance between the two nations stating, “we reaffirmed that the Japanese alliance continues to be important for Japan᾽s security and peace and stability of the region. And we agreed to cooperate closely to further strengthen our alliance.” The U.S. also supported the renewed Japanese goal of increasing the size and strength of its military with Secretary Carter stating, “I think the Japanese have shown that they can be good citizens in the region, and they᾽re kind of ready to do more for security in the region.” China, on the other hand, accused Japan of attempting to “whitewash” its historical crimes away with new textbooks and closely monitored the attendance of Japanese government officials to ceremonies held at the Yasukuni Shrine which honors Japanese war veterans including some designated as war criminals, a thorny issue for many Asian nations. Yet China was focused narrowly on historical issues and did not venture to comment on the possibility of a growing Japanese military, leaving one to wonder if China views a stronger Japanese military as an independent, new and rising threat or if it is just an outgrowth of the American pivot to Asia with the U.S. having a firm leash on China᾽s island neighbor.

Rising Tides

Newly released history textbooks asserting the Japanese claim to the Shenkaku Islands/Diaoyu Dao brought strong statements from the Chinese Foreign Ministry reasserting China᾽s historical claim to the disputed group of islands. China and the Philippines also sparred over the rights to the Nansha Islands in the Southeast China sea with claims by the Filipino government that Filipino fisherman were attacked with a water canon while fishing in the area, and in a separate incident the Filipino government accused a Chinese warship of flashing a powerful light at a Filipino military aircraft patrolling near the Nansha Islands. China was also faced with a statement from the 26th ASEAN summit “expressing serious concerns on the land reclamation being undertaken in the South China Sea.” The U.S. refrained from taking too strong a stance on many of these incidents and when statements were given, as in the case of the water cannon attack claim by the Filipino government, the U.S. urged “claimants to exercise restraint and to pursue diplomatic means to clarify their claims and to resolve disputes.” Given the military nature of some of these incidents, one cannot helped but be worried a more serious incident is on the horizon.

Competing Acronyms

Fast-track authority for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) was an important goal for the Obama administration in April and various government bodies devoted significant amounts of efforts towards espousing the benefits of the trade agreement. China countered with talking up its Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and a plan for a Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP). While none of the plans affects the other in theory, the race to complete these deals and boost economic growth is on the forefront of both governments᾽ minds. With regards to the AIIB, another important economic issue as of late, China deliberately stated several times that the AIIB will not exist outside the existing international financial system and that China would uphold that system given that it had benefitted from it greatly over the past several decades. Are these calming tones from the Chinese government continued overtures to the U.S. in hopes of seeing the Americans join an international financial organization established by Beijing?

Putting Out Fires Together?

Both countries urged parties in Yemen to cooperate with the U.S. calling for parties to participate in a UN led political dialogue and China applauding the Saudi-led coalition᾽s announcement that the “Decisive Storm” campaign had ended. Both parties also condemned the terrorist attacks in Kenya and provided aid to earthquake-stricken Nepal. Despite this perhaps inadvertent cooperation, the U.S. refused to allow the Chinese silencing of activists go unnoticed and called for the release of the “Beijing +20 Five.” President Obama also called out China᾽s crackdowns on freedom of expression directly during the Civil Society Forum in Panama. These remarks went widely unnoticed in China where statements by the U.S. State Department calling for dialogue between the Dalai Lama and the Chinese government were met with the normal stonewall claiming the issue was a “domestic affair.” In the end, cooperation was limited to areas of mutual interest with little progress made on other pressing humanitarian issues...(Continued)

Introducing the UCR Briefing

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