美國一意孤行地遏制中國崛起，卻忽視了本身衰落_風聞

在《南華早報》痛斥美國“蠢貨”：遏華卻忽視本國衰敗刊發於2022年6月10日《南華早報》，原題為《美國一意孤行地遏制中國崛起，卻忽視了本身衰落》。現將中文譯文與原文分享

美國認為中國是一個威脅的看法與經驗證據背道而馳，深陷僵化的意識形態思維，中國學術界無法接受。要知道潛在的邪惡在哪裏，這裏給大家羅列一些事實。

中國已經四十多年沒有發生戰爭了。中國並沒有派遣驅逐艦和轟炸機巡遊佛羅里達海峽，來試驗華盛頓的容忍度。中國軍費開支甚至還不到美國的三分之一，美國在軍事上的財富支出超過了未來10個大國的總和。

中國對經濟的宏觀管理，並沒有因為資本純粹的貪婪和缺乏監管而導致金融危機。中國公民不能攜帶槍支，甚至中國當地警察都不攜帶槍支。

美國政府永無止境的對華威脅和美國政客對社會主義的無恥描述，讓中國人民感到困惑甚至憤怒。

在許多方面，美國是中國慷慨幫助和貿易的受益者。美國消費者每年在購買中國產品和大宗商品時會節省數百美元，甚至數千美元，如果這些商品是在中國製造的話。儘管越來越多的中國公司在美國建廠，美國公司仍在中國市場佔有更大份額，但中國製造的消費品流向美國的趨勢不會改變。

中國持有超過1萬億美元的美國國債，這幫助美國度過了2008年國際金融危機。十年後，美國卻對中國發動貿易戰，這隻會傷害為此支付關税的美國消費者。與美國自己的最大利益相反的是，華盛頓的那些蠢貨現在還阻止了來自中國更好的技術，為什麼？就因為它來自中國嗎？

中國沒有煽動任何對美進攻，但中國非常精確地進行反制措施。

中國人口是美國的四倍。中國的人口比南北美洲所有國家的人口加起來還要多。中國的GDP將不可避免地超過美國。但美國試圖遏制中國增長，只會讓中國人認為，美國是出於怨恨與嫉妒而阻止中國人擁有更好的生活。其實，經濟增長不是體育盛事，金字塔頂端沒有獎盃。

中國簽署的國際條約和加入的國際組織比大多數國家都多。中國很有誠意地捍衞1945年在美國領導下建立的以聯合國為中心的國際秩序。中國不是唯一一個繼續受益於二戰後國際秩序穩定的國家，而且中國認為沒有必要顛覆這一體系。

中國不會接受美國對西藏、新疆和香港方面提出自以為是的指控。維吾爾族和藏族人口的數量與機會不斷改善和擴大。香港的經濟增長速度比大多數發達國家都快。

中國人民希望美國的那些道德改革者，從內部着眼，改善自己悲痛欲絕、吸毒成性的社區。五月份，美國水牛城、烏瓦爾德斯槍擊案令人痛心。在美國，有遊客發佈了幾英里長城市路邊帳篷、“無家可歸者”視頻令人震驚。美國城市暴力的盛行，以及它在國際上犯下的暴行，已經讓中國人民驚愕。

美國，曾是中國人高度重視的國家。現在，到底發生了什麼？在很多方面，中國人一度曾把美國當作自己的導師。中國人過去想模仿美國的成功，中國人很好地學會了如何遵循那些經驗。“學生”現在已經長大了，並且是一名教師，這是不容否定的事實。

美國神話的破滅激發了中國的政治覺醒和自信。中國人更願意從3000年文化傳統中，尋找智慧和方法，為世界做出更大貢獻。

中國人有創業精神，但中國人抵制自由資本主義。我們本能地知道，必須對資本流動進行監管，其關鍵目標是促進社會平等和國家福祉的適度改善。這就是中國為何要精準扶貧和重建基礎設施、在全國掀起海嘯般改善生活浪潮的重要原因。

這就是中國和美國之間的不同發展特點。其中一個幾乎一致埋頭苦幹，以提升自己，而另一個似乎絕望地陷入了精英或畜生領導的孤獨中。

當然，中國和美國都需要發展。雙方都存在嚴重的、失當的政治正確性。現在，在兩國，説對方的好話幾乎成了禁忌。取長補短，共同進步，必將大大緩解兩國間的緊張局勢。

US is so bent on resisting China’s rise, it has ignored its own decline

• American rhetoric about the threat of China and attempts to counter its power are both bewildering and frustrating for ordinary Chinese

• A population that once looked up to the US now looks on aghast at the violence perpetuated both within and outside its borders

WANG Wen

The US’ perception that China is a threat runs contrary to empirical evidence, is mired in ossified ideological thinking and is unacceptable to Chinese academia. To see just where potential evil lies here are the facts.

China has not been at war in more than four decades. It doesn’t send destroyers and bombers to cruise the Florida Straits, just to test Washington’s tolerance. China’s military spending isn’t even a third of the US, which spews more of its wealth on its military than the next 10 powers combined.

China’s managed economy wasn’t ruptured by a financial crisis, caused by sheer greed and lack of oversight. Chinese citizens don’t have to arm themselves with firearms, and China’s local constabulary don’t even carry guns.

The US government’s never-ending threats and the outrageous depiction of socialism by American politicians, leaves Chinese people feeling confused and even angry.

In many ways, the US is a beneficiary of China’s bounty and struggle. US consumers save hundreds, perhaps thousands of dollars each year buying Chinese products and commodities, then if they were made there. The flow of China-made consumer goods to the US isn’t about to change even as more Chinese companies build plants in the US, and US companies grab a greater share of the Chinese market 

China holds more than a trillion dollars in US treasury bonds, which helped it survive the 2008 international financial crisis. Still a decade later the US has the temerity to launch a trade war against China, which only hurts US consumers who are paying the tariffs. Contrary to their own best interests, blockheads in Washington have now blocked better technologies from China, why? just because it’s from China. 

China didn’t instigate any of this, but it rightfully invoked countermeasures.

China’s population is four times that of the United States. There are more people in China than all the countries of North and South America combined. It’s inevitable that China’s GDP will exceed that of the US. Trying to suppress China’s growth makes Chinese people think the US in standing in the way of a better life simply out of spite. Economic growth is not a sporting event, there are no trophies hand out at the top of the pyramid.  

China has signed more international treaties and joined more international organizations than most of countries. It passionately defends the international order centered on the UN, which was established under the leadership of the United States in 1945. China isn’t the only country that continues to benefit from the stability of the post-WWII international order, and sees no need to subvert this system.

China does not accept the holier-than-thou accusations from the US against Tibet, Xinjiang and Hong Kong. Opportunities for Uygurs and Tibets continues to improve and expand as has their population. Hong Kong’s economy is pegged to grow fast then most developed countries.

Chinese people want the moral crusaders in the US, to take a look inward at improving their own grief-stricken, drugged-out communities. In May it was Buffalo and Uvaldes. Chinese travelers in the US have posted videos of miles-long lines of roadside tents the homeless call what, their home? The current state of affair in the US is shocking to Chinese people. The prevalence of violence in US cities, and that which it has perpetrated beyond its borders, has collapsed the hearts of Chinese people. 

How did this happen in a country that Chinese people had once held in such high regard? In many ways Chinese people saw the US as their tutor. They wanted to emulate its success, and we learned very well how to follow instructions. The “student” has now grown up, and is a teacher in its own right – there could not have been any other outcome.

The shattering of the American myth has prompted a political awakening and self-confidence in China. Chinese people have turned to their 3,000-year-old culture to find wisdom and ways of making greater contributions to the world.

Chinese are entrepreneurial in spirit but we resist unfettered capitalism. We know instinctively that capital flows must be regulated and its key goal is to contribute to measured improvements in social equality and national well-being. This is how China has been able to alleviation poverty and rebuild its infrastructure, bringing a tsunami-size wave of improvements across the country.

This is the difference between how China and the US are proceeding; one has buckled down in near unanimity in order to move up, while the other appears hopelessly sinking into two solitudes led by elites or brutes.

Of course, both China and the US need to evolve. There is serious undue political correctness on both sides. It now borders on the taboo to say something good about the other. Learning from each other’s strengths and making common progress will surely go a long way in easing tensions between the two countries.

(WANG Wen is professor and executive dean of Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies, Renmin University of China)