作者/Author(s): Stephen M. Walt 

網站來源/Source: Foreign Policy 

日期/Date:06/20/2024 

關鍵字/Keywords: 外交 


摘要： 
向對手學習可以幫助自己成長，而忽視對手的成功只會讓自己停滯不前，美中關係尤其如此。美國除了將自身困境歸咎於中國，更應學習中國在改革內外政策、提升全球聲譽方面的成功。
 
  • 中國在干預外國他國行動方面非常謹慎。雖然中國與伊朗和俄羅斯有很深的淵源，但中國並沒有同意出兵保衛他們，也沒有提供致命武器幫助他們取得勝利。目前中國與俄羅斯保有貿易往來，利用能源貿易提供資金支持，甚至提供軍民兩用技術。 
  • 相比之下，美國卻不斷陷入自己外交政策的泥潭。美國沒有投資可以降低預算赤字的基礎設施，而是花費數萬億美元向戰略價值有限的國家輸出民主和提供安全保障。美國可以減少安全承諾，不把負擔轉嫁給盟友，從中獲得更多利益。 
  • 中國致力於外交，比其他國家擁有更多外交使團，其中更有不少職位啟用專業人士。中國深知外交在擴展其世界觀和推進政策利益的重要性。中國並不挑剔外交領域的往來對象，即使是與美國關係密切的國家，中國也會與其交流。 
  • 美國對敵對政府的外交承認有限，這反而削弱了美國理解或與這些國家溝通的能力。 
  • 中國還強調國家主權和不干涉內政，給予其外交夥伴自由選擇的權利。 
  • 美國致力於普世自由價值觀和促進民主，並納入其外交政策。美國要求其他國家需改變其行為或遵守美國價值觀，然後才會提供援助。大多數國家不喜歡美國把基於規則的國際秩序拿來說教，做出很多偽善和不一致的外交政策行為。
  • 總之，中國能成為美國強有力的對手，不僅是因為其潛在實力，更因為其有效限制外部承諾並避免自我損害。與其將所有責任歸咎於中國，美國應該反思其政策缺陷並效仿中國好的成就。
Summary: 
Learning from rivals could help one grow and ignoring their successes will only make one stagnate. This is especially true in the US-China relations. Apart from blaming China for its predicament, the US should peruse and emulate China's success in reforming its domestic and foreign policies that elevated its global reputation. 
  • China is cautious in foreign intervention. Although China has deep commitments with Iran and Russia, it did not agree to send troops to defend them nor provide lethal arms to help them prevail. China maintained trade with Russia to support them financially through energy trade or supply it with dual-use technologies. 
  • In contrast, the US kept on trapping itself in foreign policy quagmires. Instead of investing in basic infrastructure that could lower its budget deficit, the US spent trillions of dollars exporting democracy and extending security guarantees to countries of limited strategic value. The US could benefit more with fewer security commitments and not putting the burden on allies. 
  • China is committed to diplomacy, setting more diplomatic missions than any other nation and filing diplomatic posts with professionals. China understood the importance of diplomacy in extending its worldview and advancing its policy interests through persuasion. China is less selective in its diplomacy, even with countries aligned strongly with the US. 
  • The US limits diplomatic recognition to adversarial governments, which also impairs its ability to understand or communicate effectively with them. 
  • China also emphasizes national sovereignty and non-intervention in its foreign policy, giving freedom to its diplomatic partners to choose their paths freely. 
  • The US is committed to universal liberal values and promoting democracy, incorporating them into its foreign policy. The US compels other states to change their preferences or adhere to its values before offering assistance. Most countries disliked the US's propensity for moral posturing, hypocrisy in the "rule-based international order", and inconsistent foreign policy behavior. 
  • In the end, China emerged as a formidable rival to the US not only due to its latent potential but also by limiting its foreign commitments and avoiding any self-inflicting damages. Instead of putting all the blame on China, the US should reflect on its policy flaws and emulate China's achievements. 
 
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