On June 9, 2014, Study Times, a journal of the Party School of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, published an article commenting on President Barack Obama’s recent speech at the U.S. West Point Military Academy in which he discussed the U.S. global leadership role. The article proposed some “soft” strategies in dealing with the U.S. as the world’s leader. Though “China’s national power is increasing rapidly,” “China must remain clear-headed” when facing “flattery.” In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Deng Xiaoping, the former top head of the Chinese Communist Party, said that China should “hide its capabilities and bide its time” and “never take the lead” because it would be too expensive to take the responsibility for the whole world. Today, it is still unnecessary for China to challenge the U.S.’s global leadership position. The United States already has difficulties paying for the huge cost of its international moral responsibilities.
“In this new period of time, China must keep ‘hiding its capabilities and biding its time.’” “When dealing with the United States, China may step back on issues not dealing with principle and use gentleness (or softness) to overcome its power while resolutely defending China’s core interests.” “For China’s fundamental national interests, China must oppose America’s containment, democratic evolution, and the isolation of China.” China and the U.S. can gain “mutual benefits” economically. In terms of security issues, China can fight against the U.S. without breaking the Sino-US relationship.
Source: Study Times, June 9, 2014
http://www.studytimes.cn/shtml/xxsb/20140609/5194.shtml