No guardrail between China, US to be defined unilaterally by US

美无权单方面定义中美之间的“护栏”

Source
China Military Online
Editor
Li Jiayao
Time
2021-07-23 17:15:45

美国国务院发言人普赖斯星期三说,美国副国务卿舍曼在即将进行的中国之行中将向北京展示“负责任和健康的竞争可以是什么样的”。他还说,美国希望确保两国关系存在“护栏”,使竞争不会演变为冲突。

The US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said on Wednesday that US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman would seek to show China on hisupcoming visit to Beijing what responsible and healthy competition can look like, and the United States wanted to ensure there were “guardrails” in the relationship and that competition did not spill over into conflict.

单从字面上看,普赖斯这些话没什么问题,中国也不希望与美国的竞争升级为冲突,如果双方能够共同设定“护栏”,阻止那种人们普遍担心的升级,对中美和世界都不是坏事。

Literally, what Price said seemed perfectly fine. China doesn’t wish to see its competition with the US escalate into conflict either, and commonly established “guardrails” by the two countries to forestall the escalation, which has caused general concern, would be good news for both and the world at large.

然而经验告诉人们,华盛顿经常说一套做一套,让一些字面上挺漂亮的概念做他们霸凌行为的招牌,强行重塑那些概念的内涵。比如华盛顿经常说“规则”,但全世界都看到,美国对以联合国宪章为基础的国际关系基本准则不断进行最粗暴的践踏,他们嘴里的规则实际上对标的是美国和主要盟友利益的保护框架,是迫使其他国家最大限度维护那些利益的行为规范。

Yet we’ve learned from experience that it’s like Washington to say one thing and do another and gloss over its bullying behaviors with resounding concepts, whose connotations it has bent and distorted. For example, Washington has made “rules” its catchword, but the world has seen only too clearly how it has most grossly trampled upon the basic principles governing international relations that were based on the UN Charter. The rules it has been babbling about refer to those protecting the interests of the US and its main allies, and they are only applied to force other countries to maintain those interests to the largest extent.

中美要在两国的竞争中间设置“护栏”,必须遵循平等互利原则,呼应联合国宪章精神,决不能以实现美国单边利益为导向,由华盛顿单方面给中国设定行为边界,推动美方行为朝着中方核心利益区不断挺进。那样的“护栏”将是美国单方面的护栏,对中国则是画地为牢的铁丝网。中美建立防止冲突的护栏,必须包括以下内涵:

To set up “guardrails” in China-US competition, both sides need to observe the principle of equality and mutual benefits and answer to the spirit of the UN Charter. There is no way we would allow Washington to unilaterally mark the boundary for China to realize its own interests and keep prodding China’s core interests. In that case, the “guardrails” only serve America’s interests but are limiting barbwires for China. Truly neutral and equal guardrails to keep the China-US competition escalating into conflict must meet the following standards. 第一,美国不干涉中国内部事务,放弃对“改造中国”的着迷,克制对美国价值观对外攻击性的自恋。相互尊重,不把手伸到对方内部,这是大国之间建立安全墙的地基性原则。

First, the US should not interfere in China’s internal affairs, must give up its obsession with “reforming China”, and must stop being narcissistic about its aggressive values. Respecting each other and not posing one’s nose into each other’s internal affairs is the fundamental principle on which a security wall can be built between two major countries.

第二,美国军队不要朝着中国的核心利益压近,而需要保持必要的距离。尤其是在台海地区,美国不能给“台独”军事依靠感,鼓励他们兴风作浪,那将非常危险。在南海美国不得直接介入纷争,它如果想通过军事施压影响南海局势的走向,将意味着冲突爆发的高风险。

Second, US troops should not press down on China’s core interests and should clear away at a reasonable distance. Especially in the Taiwan Strait, the US should not serve as the military backing for “Taiwan independence” forces or encourage them to make waves – that would be very dangerous. The US should not get directly involved in any dispute or conflict in the South China Sea. Any of its attempts to navigate the South China Sea situation through military pressuring would mean a high risk of armed conflicts.

第三,美国不得将与中国竞争变成对中国发展的攻击性压制,其纠集盟友将中国排斥在世界主要供应链之外的图谋如果不断往远走,终将导致同中国的根本性冲突。那样的冲突将产生极广的牵动性,带来整个国际关系的动荡和长远不确定性,那将最终把中美塑造成你死我活的战略敌人。

Third, the US should not turn its competition with China into aggressive squeezing of China’s development. Its plot to rally with its allies to exclude China from the main global supply chains, if going any further, will eventually lead to a fundamental conflict with the country, which will cause such wide-ranging consequences and add so much instability and long-term uncertainty to the international landscape that the two countries will end up in cut-throat competition as strategic enemies.

总之,美国不能试图打击中国的体制,不得分裂中国,也不能堵住中国的发展之路,这是中美建立“护栏”的基础。美国破这三条,就是在主动攻击中国,根本就不是什么竞争,中国势必坚决还击,不惜代价。

All in all, the US should not try to attack China’s system, or split China, or block its way of development – these are the preconditions for building the “guardrails”. If Washington breaks any of the three conditions, it would be taking the initiative to attack China, and that is no competition. In that case, China will fight back, hard, at all costs.

所以说,美方需要有基本的诚实,切莫自欺欺人。比如一旦台湾当局在华盛顿的支持或实际怂恿下迈过“台独”红线,人民解放军一定会使用武力断然制止。美方如果介入,中美军事对抗的局面就将形成。

The US should be honest with itself and stop self-deception. If with Washington’s support or instigation, the Taiwan authorities crossed the red line and claimed independence, the PLA would use armed forces to stop them immediately, and if the US decided to step in, armed confrontation between the Chinese and American militaries would be inevitable.

中国根本无意与美对抗,但捍卫自己的核心利益是中国的国家本分。美国不能单方面从它的利益出发定义中美之间的“护栏”,它究竟是什么必须由中美双方共同定义,促进双方的利益。美国有着丰富的国际关系经验,希望华盛顿不在这个如何与中国竞争而不冲突的核心问题上犯糊涂。

China has no intention of confronting the US, but it will not hesitate to safeguard its core national interests. The US has no right to unilaterally define the “guardrails” between the two countries simply based on its interests. They should be jointly defined and be conducive to both sides. America has rich experience in international relations, and hopefully, Washington will not be muddle-headed on the key issue of how to compete with China without conflict.

Editor's note: This article is originally published on huanqiu.com.cn, which is the website of Overseas Edition of the People's Daily. The article is translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military Online. The information, ideas or opinions appearing in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn.

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