“A Resurgent China: Responsible Stakeholder or Robust Rival?”

Wednesday, May 10, 2006

By Henry Hyde (Chairman, the House International Relations Committee)
亨利-海德(美国众议院国际关系委员会主席)

Many in Washington have been discussing the policy implications of a "rising" China. I see this phrase as a misnomer and prefer the word "resurgent." "Rising" implies that China is emerging for the first time on the world's stage. However, an exhibit held two years ago at Chicago's Field Museum, titled "Treasures of the Forbidden City," pointed out that while our Founding Fathers were waging their struggle for independence in 1776, China was already not only the most populous but the wealthiest nation in the world.

华盛顿很多人一直在讨论如何应对“崛起”的中国。但我认为，“崛起”是用词不当，我更加倾向于“复兴”这个词。“崛起”意味着中国是第一次出现在国际舞台上。而两年前在芝加哥自然历史博物馆举办的“紫禁城珍宝”的展览告诉人们：在1776年，当美国的开国者们还在为独立而奋战时，中国已经是世界上人口最多、最富裕的国家。

From this apex of cultural, political and economic influence, China plunged rapidly into two centuries of chaos involving war, famine and revolution. Now, as this new century dawns, China has reemerged into its traditional position of influence in Asia and the world. The Chinese people, while still suffering a sense of victimization from the periods of unequal treaties, the Opium War, the Nanjing massacre, the Cultural Revolution and the Tiananmen massacre, look now to a new age.


在达到这个文化、政治和经济影响的顶峰后，中国陷入了长达两个世纪之久的混乱中。现在，随着新世纪曙光的出现，中国再一次恢复到传统的在亚洲和世界舞台上有影响的地位。尽管在中国人的意识里还留有对不平等条约、鸦片战争、南京大屠杀、文革和"六四"风波等事件的记忆，但是他们已经开始展望新的时代了。

The Summer Olympics of 2008 is their symbol of this national reemergence from a dark cocoon of decline and isolation into the light of international recognition.


北京2008年奥运会就是一个“复兴”的标志，中国已从落后和孤立中破茧而出，得到了国际认可。

Yet we can't gloss over the many issues that continue to divide us from the leadership in Beijing. You, Mr. Zoellick, are famous for having coined the phrase "responsible stakeholder" last year with regard to American hopes for this resurgent China. Many in the Congress, however, retain a healthy skepticism as to whether this is possible. Some even fear that China, instead, will emerge as a robust rival.
　　
副国务卿佐利克去年曾把中国比作“负责任的利益攸关者”，并以此来表达美国对中国的期望。但国会中许多人对中国是否能够成为这个角色怀有疑问。还有些人担心，中国会成为一个强劲的对手。
　　
Yet while China marches with increasing confidence onto the stage of the 21st century, America's attention is diverted. We have focused most of our military strength and spent much of our national treasure on the prolonged conflict with radical Islam. We all understand the implications of September 11th and what they require. My concern, however, is that in a few decades younger Americans will awaken, like a tired Richard the Lion-Hearted returning from the battle for Jerusalem, to find themselves threatened on the home front as debtors at the mercy of creditors in Beijing.
　
当中国以饱满的信心大步迈向21世纪的舞台时，美国的注意力却转移了。美国现在把力量都用在了同伊斯兰极端主义者的持久战上。我们都明白“9•11”的意义，也知道需要做什么。但我关心的是，在未来的几十年，美国的年轻人将会发现自己成为债务人，而债权人是中国。

The President mentioned in his State of the Union address that, “America is addicted to oil.” I would add that America is also addicted to the label, “Made in China.” We now have a negative savings rate for the first time since the height of the Great Depression. That was a time when, as I recall, jobless people lined up at soup kitchens. Last year, our trade deficit with China was a record – over two hundred billion dollars transferred across the Pacific to pay for our national buying binge. This level of trade imbalance does not seem sustainable year after year without ultimately impoverishing our children. Yet, according to reports, no concrete measures to address this critical trade issue came out of the recent White House meeting between President Bush and the Chinese President. Well, if there is no action soon to alleviate this trade crisis, then the U.S. Congress will have to act.

布什总统曾在国情咨文中提到美国的“石油瘾”，我认为美国还有一种“中国制造瘾”。去年，美国对华贸易逆差达到创纪录水平。这种程度的贸易不平衡是不可持续的，这将使美国的下一代孩子变得贫困。

I fear that a future American generation may awaken from its Pacific slumber to find our influence removed entirely from the Asian mainland. Then, a politically and unreformed and assertive China could be calling the shots in the most vibrant economic region of the world. I paint a bleak, but hardly implausible picture.

恐怕美国的未来一代从昏睡中惊醒时，会发现美国的影响力已完全远离了亚洲。那时，自信的中国将掌控这个世界上经济最活跃的地区。那将是一个黯淡的前景，同时也将是一幅真实的画面。