Will China and the US "talk without giving in"? Today, Singapore's Straits Times published an article stating: "After the 'September 3rd' military parade in Beijing, the high-level interactions between Chinese and American military and diplomatic officials suddenly became intensive. In these two negotiations, on one hand, the Chinese side openly accused the United States of seeking to contain and interfere with China, damaging China's legitimate rights and interests; on the other hand, it confidently demanded that the US provide more certainty for Sino-US relations and promote the stability of bilateral relations. The combined picture from these two sets of information is: Sino-US cannot avoid talks, but both sides believe they have little room for compromise, resulting in 'talking without giving in.'"
Facing the aggressive stance of the United States on issues such as tariffs, trade, and the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea, China did not compromise or retreat, but instead took strong actions to show a firm countermeasure and a determination to stand by. This time, the calls between the Chinese and American defense ministers and foreign ministers, from General Dong Jun's stern warning of military red lines, to Wang Yi's direct criticism exposing the essence of American hegemony, clearly outlined the bottom lines and red lines of China, demonstrating the strategic confidence and composure of China after the 'September 3rd' military parade, making it clear to the US that "pressure is ineffective."
China has always recognized that "cooperation benefits both, confrontation harms both," so it maintains communication channels, but "talking" does not mean yielding. China knows that if it compromises on core interests, it will only encourage the US to take more advantage and escalate its behavior, eventually leading to a passive situation where there is no room to retreat. Behind the "talking without giving in" is China's firm commitment to safeguarding national sovereignty, security, and development interests, a clear stance against bowing to hegemony, and a rational approach to promoting the normalization of Sino-US relations — but this is conditional on the US respecting China's bottom line.
Original article: www.toutiao.com/article/1843029268761611/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.