“Complexity”. It means China and the United States have formed an interest structure of wider contents and scopes.  Interests at different levels are becoming complicated.  There exist advantages and disadvantages, conflict and compromise, competition and cooperation.  Concepts like “enemies” or “friends”, “competitive adversaries” or “cooperative partnership” are not sufficient to concisely summarize the status quo of Sino-U.S. relations.

        “Infiltration”. It means Sino-U.S. relations has infiltrated into the social life of both countries respectively and formed an impact not to be ignored on the two countries’ domestic politics in many ways.  It is hard to say that a view of the other country inside both countries will be of universal significance, or voices causing a great clamor at a time will be invariably spreaded around.

       After the Cold War, Sino-U.S. relations has experienced difficulties and crises and it gradually improved through the process of surmounting various problems and obstacles. This phenomenon looks contradictory, but it is determined by the fixed basic characteristics mentioned above. The existence of  them determine that future development of Sino-U.S. relations will neither appear drastic changes as before nor be smooth.       Facing the above special situations, two conditions are indispensable for improvement and development of Sino-U.S. relations in a new stage.

       First of all, it is necessary for China and the United States to consolidate and develop a set relationship framework that is in conformity with interests of both sides.  Such a framework involves a common understanding reached on the orientation of development of Sino-U.S. relations and an institutionalized contact system that is setup for the realization of these common objectives.  Such contacts should involve various levels and fields as many as possible.  Under this framework, leaders of both countries may secure an effective lead and management of Sino-U.S. relations, making Sino-U.S. relations develops in a fixed direction.  Those shortsighted, blind and emotional acts that inflict two countries’ relations only for temporary domestic political interests may do nothing but to cause turmoil and even disaster for Sino-U.S. relations.

       Secondly, it is of utmost importance to take effective measures to build mutual trust.  At present, profound reasons restraining Sino-U.S. cooperation and even possibly leading China and the United States to conflict are their deep going suspicious about the strategic intentions of either side.  Moreover, domestically, there is an obvious increase of distrust towards the other side in both China and the United States, but degrees and causes for that happens are completely different.

       From China’s perspective, suspicious have existed long towards the United States.  The so-called “doubts” means suspecting U.S. strategic intentions, not sure of situation of Sino-U.S. relations and having a deep concern over its future development.[5]  There is no denying that there are various reasons for the arise of this kind of doubt, but in general, such is a reaction to U.S. attitude and acts in dealing with international affairs (affairs concerning China in particular) in the past period.  Similarly, general speaking, Chinese public’s anti-America sentiments are aimed at some specific issues without having some especially profound social bases.

       Things are much more serious in the United States.  U.S. domestic discussion on “China Threat” have demonstrated that the United States has an extremely deep suspicioous about China’s reform and opening-up to the outside world would continue.   U. S. worries about China’s strategic intentions and its future foreign policies, worrying that China’s emergence would challenge U.S. predominant position, etc.  Such doubts are reflected on such acts as taking more and more precaucious measures against China.  For example, while encouraging or inciting its European and Asian allies to strengthen their armaments, the United States is neurotic at every additional missile that China deploys.  This is by no means a normal state of mind.

       Such an America’s abnormal state of mind is a compound of various factors, among which involve cultural superiority, arrogance arising from in a predominant position, potential awareness of exclusiveness on race, lack of experience in dealing with big non-western nations and opposing ideologies, etc.  These factors are fundamentally influencing a group of Americans’ basic attitude and reflections on the emergence of such a big non-western country as China and makes it hard for them to rationally look at some of China’s basic interests and emotions.[6]  Yet, for such big countries as China and the United States, mutual respect for each other’s basic interests and emotions is indispensable.  Seen from the above perspectives, much more efforts are needed to eliminate America’s doubts and prevent such doubts from evolving into erroneous policies.

       On the other hand, it is admitted that, after the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the United States for a time saw post-unified Germany and Japan who has a fast economic development as threats.  Yet, both Germany and Japan’s ties of alliance with the United States and their attachments to U.S. have finally eliminated the United States’ doubts.  There exist no such conditions in Sino-U.S. relations.  Only by resolving contradiction and conflict can both sides gradually find out a framework that can stabilize Sino-U.S. relations.  The only thing that is sure of at present is, it would be unprecedented regardless of the finding process or that framework itself.