US Rebalancing Asia, Not Containing China

Accusations that the United States is attempting to contain its largest trade partner are illogical. Since Richard Nixon’s historic 1972 trip to China, US presidents have consistently “pursued a policy of facilitating China's economic modernization and integration into the international system,” writes Robert Manning for Global Times. “Indeed, no country benefited more than China from the US security role that has underpinned stability in East Asia and the globalizing economy over the past four decades.” Manning insists that China, too, could join the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership, which focuses on products of the 21st century with intellectual property protections, though a formal invitation may be warranted along with transparency on the rules. Both the United States and China could prosper by focusing on trade relations and stability rather than military development. Manning concludes that “The challenge to both the US-China relationship and more broadly to stability in East Asia is how to move from strategic distrust to strategic reassurance.” – YaleGlobal