"The attitudes of the people and elites of China and the United States are playing an increasingly important role in the bilateral security relations between the two countries and are the basis of public opinion for establishing a new type of relationship between China and the United States." Luo Yuan, executive vice president and secretary general of China Strategic Culture Promotion Association, said in an interview with People's Daily.
According to Luo Yuan, the "Sino-US Safety Cognition Investigation and Research Project" aims to carry out basic research and hold seminars in think tanks of the two countries, to make quantitative and qualitative analysis of people's safety cognition of both sides, clarify and analyze these attitudes, provide reference for decision makers, and provide public support for both sides to increase trust and dispel doubts, reduce misjudgment and prevent crises.
The investigation report reached five conclusions:
First, the low strategic mutual trust between China and the United States leads to the lack of stability in bilateral relations;
Second, despite the lack of mutual trust, the elites and people of China and the United States generally regard each other's countries as competitors, while only a few of the transferred people regard each other as enemies and most of them regard each other as partners;
Third, most American elites believe that maintaining the unipolar position dominated by the United States will make the world more stable; China elites believe that the balance of power between the two countries is more conducive to stability;
Fourth, both Chinese and American elites regard strengthening bilateral relations as their primary task and attach importance to promoting economic cooperation;
Fifth, China respondents, especially government officials, believe that US arms sales to Taiwan are one of the main reasons for the tension between the two countries; American elites, especially retired military officers and business elites, are particularly worried about so-called cyber attacks and intellectual property rights from China.
The investigation report puts forward six suggestions to Chinese and American policy makers:
First, emphasize cooperation over competition. Strengthen bilateral relations on the basis of public support of the two countries; Maintain exchanges between high-level leaders to strengthen the foundation of cooperation and lay a solid foundation of mutual trust for dealing with potential crises in bilateral relations.
Second, treat extreme views correctly. Most interviewees are neither tough nor hostile to the other country. Policies should not be influenced by some extreme views common in the media.
Third, build mutual trust. Strengthening official and unofficial exchanges, participating in more meaningful strategic and interest dialogues, and abiding by the commitments of both sides are all conducive to enhancing mutual trust; It is also necessary for both sides to explain their respective policy intentions, such as the US rebalancing strategy and China's military development.
Fourth, reconcile the differences of views on the world order. The different views of Chinese and American elites on the distribution of world power may lead to tension between the two countries. Therefore, the two sides should openly discuss how to live in peace and take care of each other's interests.
Fifth, the issue of Taiwan Province Province should not be an obstacle to extensive cross-strait cooperation. The United States should fully understand China's emphasis on US arms sales to Taiwan, and China should understand the United States' long-standing attitude of adhering to the one-China policy. Both sides should attach importance to the sensitivity of the Taiwan Province issue, and should not send out false signals on the Taiwan Province issue that will affect the overall situation of Sino-US relations.
Sixth, with the development of network security rules. Mutual understanding helps to dispel the doubts of both sides, especially for business elites who have become a stable force in Sino-US relations.
China Strategic Culture Promotion Association is a national non-profit non-governmental organization composed of experts, scholars, organizations and social activists who are engaged in the research on international issues, Taiwan Province Province issues and cultural issues. Established in Beijing on 20 1 1 year1October 5. Its purpose is to promote the security and stability of the Asia-Pacific region and contribute to the peaceful development of the two sides of the Taiwan Straits by studying, disseminating and exchanging China's strategic culture.
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace is one of the earliest and most influential foundations in the United States. It was founded in 19 10 and its headquarters is in Washington. The foundation mainly studies international affairs and American foreign policy, especially immigration, nuclear non-proliferation and regional conflicts.