Containment bid by the neoconservatives
fails
By Wang Yusheng
BEIJING, March 26 -- The long-time
schemes by some countries to "contain China" have failed because
reality has proved they were only fantasies.
Nearly two decades after the end
of the Cold War, the mindset of that era still lingers on in some
countries. The rightwing politicians and activists have been
seeking an "Asian version of NATO" to deal with China, but their
efforts have yielded little results.
To curb China's rapid development
in recent years, those people have gambled by hedging their bets on
both sides.
In 2006, the US neoconservative
idealists proposed building a democratic alliance through the
reform of existing international institutions and the creation of
new ones, and their main target apparently being China.
Such a proposal received response
in Japan where some people wanted to design an "Arc of Freedom and
Prosperity". US-Japan-Australia security talks got underway while
the US also persuaded India to join them.
However, such efforts were doomed
to fail.
First, these plans were not in the
people's interests nor in accord with their national interests.
Asian people had been through extreme suffering during two world
wars, including two atomic bombings.
The end of the Cold War sparked hopes of peace, cooperation and
development, in opposition to the plots of neoconservatives and
right-wing politicians. The leaders of Asian countries had to think
about their own national interests, and those of their
people.
Second, such alliances were born
unhealthy while some were stillborn.
Former Australian Prime Minister
John Howard was not an enthusiast of the so-called
four-nation-alliance. Emphasizing that a rising China was both good
for Australia and the world. Howard reiterated that Australia had
no intention to contain China.
Kevin Rudd, the current Australian
prime minister who speaks fluent Mandarin, has made it clear he
will enhance friendship between Australia and China. The Australian
Foreign Ministry also said last year's four-nation strategic talks
led to concern in China, indicating Australia might have second
thoughts about the alliance.
Despite Japan being a loyal friend
of the US, the country's new Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda said Japan
will develop relations with the US and other Asian countries at the
same time, indicating he might abandon the slogan of "Arc of
Freedom and Prosperity".
South Korea, not in favor of Cold
War rhetoric, is another US ally, but wants to play a balancing
role.
The new South Korean President Lee
Myung-bak may improve bilateral relations with the US, but it is
doubtful he will join an alliance to contain China.
Third, while the "old friends"
have become loosely connected in terms of containment of China,
"new partners" will be harder to lure, not to mention India and
ASEAN (The Association of South East Asian Nations).
India and China are busying
building on their new strategic partnership of peace and
prosperity", while ASEAN is boosting trade with China. All of them
are China's friendly neighbors who support and help each
other.
Although they will need
cooperation and support from the US and Japan, they are not likely
to work as partners in an "anti-China" alliance.
While the Western media has
exaggerated India's participating in some political conferences and
military exercises with the US and Japan, and referred to it as
"containment of China", India has kept good relations with China
and Russia.
China sticks to the road of
peaceful development and the Good Neighbor and Friendship Policy.
China not only says so, but also shows it by concrete
actions
Furthermore, China's peaceful
rising has brought unprecedented opportunities to its Asian
neighbors and the world, and hence forged common
interests.
It is time those value-oriented
idealists leave their dreams behind and create a harmonious society
in the Asia-Pacific region.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-03/26/content_7861045.htm