President Xi Jinping’s Meeting with Obama and the Prospects of Sino-US Relation

Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visits to the Caribbean (his first), Mexico, and California – where he will meet with Barack Obama – have made world news of the week. China is apparently strengthening diplomatic ties with a region the United States used to refer as 'its backyard'. This is an important indicator that the world has changed, and is still changing.  

During the Cold War, the U.S. would consider it a major threat if any Caribbean or Latin American nations developed close relations with China, and there would be serious consequences. In the 1950s and 60s, the CIA instigated coups overthrowing 11 democratically-elected governments in Central America – in light of a 'communist threat'. In 1964, Brazilian President Goulart, who visited China as vice President in 1961, was overthrown by a military coup supported by the U.S. In 1970, President Allende of Chile, a democratically-elected socialist president, was overthrown by a similar coup. At the time, the U.S. had a very powerful hand in Central and Latin American affairs. 

After the Cold War, the U.S. was too involved in Iraqi and Afghani wars to control what was going on in Latin America.  In about one decade, great changes have taken place in Latin America.  Today, 70 percent of Latin American countries and 80 percent of the population are represented by some kind of leftist. Former President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela was able to survive a U.S. backed coup in 2002 for the first time, demonstrating how much the social climate has changed in Latin America and in the world.

China’s involvement in Central and Latin American affairs is a positive development for all involved, and they should actively promote friendly relations with any country, anywhere in the world. China should always help other countries whenever it can; helping other people is helping oneself, and is good for world peace.

This being said, China should likewise be cautious about Latin America. The U.S. will not be happy with China’s expansion, and China should be prepared for their open displeasure. However, China should openly and strongly defend its rights to develop friendly relations. The U.S. has been developing very intimate relations with these countries as well.  Thus, China should keep in mind that it is developing friendly relations with other countries for their mutual benefit, not harboring any harmful intentions against any other nations.

Many diplomatic observers argue that during the coming meeting between President Xi and President Obama in California, the two leaders would discuss the new partnership between the U.S. and China based on the cooperation between the two countries over the recent Korea Crisis, and the possibility of the two nations sharing the responsibility of managing the world affairs. I am hoping that China will never forget that it is a third world country, and should never fall into the trap of joining the United States as its “deputy sheriff.” Such should be the principle of China’s diplomacy in the world.  The diplomatic objective China should endeavor to achieve  is to be the voice of justice and fairness to all in the world and be a force of peace.   More importantly,  China should coordinate its diplomatic activities with other important third world friends like India, Brazil, South Africa, Pakistan, and as well as its strategic partners like Russia.   China needs to work with as many countries as possible to defend world peace, and promote social justice in our world.