Xinhua carried an article, originally from Jiefang Daily, which was written by Liu Baolai, the former Chinese Ambassador to the Middle East and Vice President of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries. The title was, “It Is Too Early to Speak Unfavorably of the U.S. Decline.” The article analyzed the strategies that the U.S. has used in adjusting in its foreign and domestic policies. It concluded that the U.S. still holds the world’s number one position and no other country can replace it.
The article summarized the strategic changes in U.S. foreign policy in the following three areas: 1) The shift in focus from anti-terrorism to the economy: the U.S. concern over the economy has replaced its concern over terrorism. One example is that the topic discussed during Obama’s recent Asia Pacific trip was not terrorism, but rather it was the economy. 2) The shift in strategy towards the East and forging the “America Pacific Century”: the U.S. withdrew from Iraq and Afghanistan while speeding up its pace in moving towards the Asia Pacific region in order to regain its dominance in the area. 3) The adjustment in Middle-East policy: the U.S. started to openly support the reforms in the Middle East with the intention of letting those countries smoothly transition towards democracy by following the U.S.’s direction.
According to the article, the U.S. government has focused domestically on reducing the rate of unemployment, on increasing investment in high tech and new weapons development in areas such as clean energy and the pharmaceutical field, and on preserving military power by maintaining the military budget despite the skyrocketing national debt it faces.
The article summarized, “It can therefore be concluded that the high status of the U.S. in the world will remain stable in the predictable future and no other country can replace it.” .
Source: Xinhua, December 14, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2011-12/14/c_122418506.htm