Washington: A rising China, which has been worrying its neighbours with its aggressive behaviour on economic policies and in the disputed South ChinaSea, needs to restrain itself and behave responsibly at the world stage, US President Barack Obamahas said.
“Part of what I’ve talked to communicate to President Xi (Jinping) is that the United States arrives at its power, in part, by restraining itself,” Obama told CNN.
“You know, when we bind ourselves to a bunch of international norms and rules, it’s not because we have to, it’s because we recognise that, over the long-term, building a strong international order is in our interests. And, I think, over the long-term, it will be in China’s interests, as well,” Obama said in an interview recorded before he left for China.
“So where we see them violating international rules and norms, as we have seen in some cases in the South ChinaSea or in some of their behaviour when it comes to economic policy, we’ve been very firm. And we’ve indicated to them that there will be consequences,” Obama said.
What the US has tried to emphasise to Chinais that if it is working within international rules and international norms, then they should be partners, he asserted.
“There is no reason that Chinaand the US cannot be friendly competitors on the commercial side and important partners when it comes to dealing with the many international problems that threaten the two countries,” Obama said.
Obama noted Chinahas been run during his lifetime by a Communist party that has been “much more anti-Western” in the past.
“We went through a period over the course of 20 years, in the ’90s and on through maybe the onset of my presidency, where, because state-sponsored capitalism and an export-driven model was very successful, Chinawas less interested in making waves,” Obama said.
“But, you know, you’ve got over a billion people, one of the largest economies now in the world. And so it’s to be expected that they will want a bigger seat at the table when it comes to international affairs. And what we’ve said consistently is we welcome the peaceful rise of Chin, consistent with international norms. That’s good for everybody. An impoverished and collapsing Chinawould be dangerous for everybody,” Obama said.
PTI