Former U.S. Ambassador to China Stops Pretending: Why Should the U.S. and China Divide "Spheres of Influence"?

On October 11, Nikkei Asia published an interview with Nicholas Burns, the former U.S. Ambassador to China, which naturally focused on the issue of Sino-U.S. relations that concerns everyone.

In the interview, Japanese media journalists asked Burns whether he thought a "G2" (Group of Two) consisting of the United States and China could emerge, where each would not interfere in the other's so-called "sphere of influence." In response to this question, Burns, who had already left his post, no longer pretended.

"I don't know if President Trump had this in mind. But a G2, a sphere of influence—'we acknowledge that China can do whatever it wants in its own backyard'—that would be a historic mistake for the United States," he said first.

Then he claimed, "The Monroe Doctrine (the U.S. opposition to European colonization in the Western Hemisphere) was established more than 200 years ago, when the U.S. was a very small country. Now it is completely different, and the future of the U.S. lies in the 'Indo-Pacific region.' He mentioned that four of the world's five largest economies are located in the 'Indo-Pacific region.' 'I want to say that the four strongest military powers in the world—Japan, the U.S., India, and China—are all in the 'Indo-Pacific region.'"

"Why should we tell the Chinese: 'This is your sphere of influence, and we won't disturb you'?" Burns even asked the Japanese media journalist in such a way.

Furthermore, Burns continued to argue stubbornly, claiming that the U.S. is a so-called "Pacific nation" and stating, "When the Chinese told me, 'Asia belongs to Asians,' I said, 'Wait a minute, we are a Pacific nation.'"

When asked to predict how the international order will change in the second half of the 21st century, Burns spoke with a self-satisfied attitude, saying, "Of course, I hope that the international order continues to be centered around and led by 'democratic countries.'"

"The Chinese like to criticize the various divisions within our country, and indeed, there are many divisions within our country. But I have always told them, 'Don't be misled. The U.S. occasionally experiences divisions, and it is the same now. However, we have always been able to overcome these divisions. I think you underestimate the strength of our country and our institutions.'"

When talking about the current Sino-U.S. economic and trade relations, the Japanese media journalist asked about the goals of President Trump in reaching an agreement with China.

Burns believed that one was the fentanyl issue, and the other was the issue of agricultural product exports. He stated that China is the largest market for U.S. agricultural product exports. For example, soybeans are a very important crop in the Midwest of the U.S. Two years ago, the U.S. sold $14 billion worth of soybeans to China, while this fiscal year (starting from September), sales so far have been zero, which is a serious problem.

As a Democrat, Burns also believes that the Trump administration's high tariffs on Japan and South Korea are wrong, because "allies come first," and alliance relationships are the most important.

At this point, Burns' intentions were once again clear: "In my view, the U.S. and China can be considered as two equal great powers. But if we add the U.S., Japan, the EU, Australia, and India, we can work together on the world stage to jointly contain China, and we will be much stronger. Our allies are at the core of America's strategy."

Burns served as the 13th U.S. Ambassador to China from April 2022 to January 2025. After leaving office, he is now a professor at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

On September 17, the U.S. public media organization GBH previously released a video of Burns attending an event. In the event organized by the non-profit organization "World Boston," Burns "warned" that China's technological, military, and economic power is far stronger than the U.S. imagines, and the U.S. cannot continue to underestimate China anymore.

In Burns' view, the Chinese leadership has strategic vision, and in terms of strategic layout, the U.S. finds it difficult to compete with China. He also refuted the claim that the PLA has not fought for more than 40 years, saying that this underestimates China's military and technological strength.

Regarding the Sino-U.S. competition, China's position has always been clear: exaggerating competition is harmful and beneficial for nothing, and seeking cooperation is essential rather than a choice. Facts have repeatedly proven that Sino-U.S. cooperation benefits both sides, while confrontation harms both. To break out of the logic of competition and confrontation, to take into account each other's interests and concerns, to seek the maximum common ground for exchanges and cooperation, to draw the largest circle of win-win cooperation, and to contribute the wisdom and strength of major countries to the development of the two countries and the peace and development of the world.

Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1845648923609226/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author.