"China's development is not alone. Many countries are emerging as powers. Time is different now. China and the US are interdependent economically, with bilateral trade volume reaching 500 billion US dollars, an 8 percent year-on-year growth. Even though China is facing some problems with neighboring countries, there's no change in China's independent foreign policy of peace."

 

　　Professor Zhu Feng with Peking University is echoing Tao's comments, saying it is important for Chinese people to have a proper attitude toward Americans.

 

　　"We are changing in Americans' eyes, especially our mentality. When they read Global Times, they feel that we are ready to challenge them. It is not easy for us to play second fiddle. We should keep our position with a right attitude."

 

　　Sino-US ties have soured recently over the Diaoyu Islands dispute with Japan.

 

　　While the US maintains that it has no position on the territorial tensions between China and Japan, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has stated the Islands are under the administrative authority of Japan, and therefore the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty applies to it.

 

　　The Chinese government has blasted Clinton's comments, saying they've been made regardless of facts.

 

　　The Chinese government is calling on the US to adopt a more responsible attitude toward the issue.

 

　　But at the same time, the Chinese government is calling for Washington and Beijing to maintain good momentum in pushing forward bilateral ties, strengthening dialogue and communication, as well as boosting trust and cooperation.

 

　　Kenneth Lieberthal, a leading China expert with the Brookings Institute, says the Obama administration should re-think of his re-balancing policy in the world.

 

　　"If you look at what's happened since that pivotal or rebalancing was announced two years ago now, we've been drawn increasingly into the security side of the equation, not so much on the economic side. It's not where we want to end up. And there is a very wide spread sentiment throughout the region that no country in the region wants to have to choose between the United States and China. That's a disaster. So I think that the President earlier on now has to rebalance his rebalancing strategy."

 

　　Lieberthal is calling on Obama to engage Beijing in a more positive fashion to increase mutual confidence.

 

　　For CRI, I am Wei Tong.