The state visit, in particular, was very productive. The two sides reached agreement on a wide range of issues, including macroeconomic policy coordination, climate change, global health, counterterrorism, and nuclear nonproliferation. Xi and Obama also spoke candidly about the cybersecurity issues that have represented a serious point of contention between Beijing and Washington; the two leaders clarified their countries’ intentions, agreed to form a high-level joint dialogue on the subject, and committed to work together to establish an international cybersecurity code of conduct. This is a strong demonstration that the two countries can promote global cooperation on important issues.

　　 

　　当然，北京和华盛顿在例如南中国海、台湾、人权、贸易等问题上仍然存在分歧。中国对美国亚太军事同盟的意图极为关切，特别是在2009年华盛顿宣布“转向亚洲”战略之后。美国在亚洲的一些盟友为了强化自己在与中国的领土和海洋权益争议上的地位，试图通过讨好华盛顿，让美国介入它们与北京的争端。这是非常危险的，让人联想到冷战时期的“集团政治”。

　　 

　　Of course, Beijing and Washington may continue to have disagreements over the South China Sea, Taiwan, human rights, trade policy, and other matters. The intentions of the U.S. military alliances in the Asia-Pacific remain a particular source of concern for China, especially since Washington announced its “pivot” to Asia in 2011. Some U.S. allies in the region have made claims on China’s sovereign territory and infringed on Chinese maritime rights, hoping that by cozying up to Washington, they could involve the United States in their disputes with Beijing. This is a dangerous path, reminiscent of the “bloc politics” of the Cold War.

　　 

　　一些中国和其他地区的学者建议，如果美国在本地区坚持推动集团政治，中国和俄罗斯应当考虑通过结盟来应对。但中国领导层并不认可这种说法。中国不搞集团政治和结盟，而且这也不符合中国的政治文化。俄罗斯也没有这样的意愿。中俄两国应该坚持结伴不结盟的原则。中美两国应该继续谋求建立新型大国关系，让对话、合作和管控分歧成为主导。

　　 

　　Some scholars in China and elsewhere have suggested that if the United States insists on imposing bloc politics on the region, China and Russia should consider responding by forming a bloc of their own. But the Chinese leadership does not approve of such arguments. China does not pursue blocs or alliances, nor do such arrangements fit comfortably with Chinese political culture. Russia does not intend to form such a bloc, either. China and Russia should stick to the principle of partnership rather than build an alliance. As for China and the United States, they should continue pursuing a new model of major-country relations and allow dialogue, cooperation, and management of differences to prevail.

　　 

　　三角关系

　　Three Sides to Every Story

　　 

　　中俄美三国目前的相互关系如同一个不等边三角形，其中，华盛顿和莫斯科的这条边距离最长。在三国关系当中，中俄关系最为积极和稳定。中美关系一直起伏不断，俄美关系非常紧张，尤其因为俄罗斯现在正遭受美国的严厉制裁。与此同时，北京和莫斯科反对华盛顿动辄以武力和制裁方式对他国施压及其在外交政策中搞双重标准。

　　 

　　Relations among China, Russia, and the United States currently resemble a scalene triangle, in which the greatest distance between the three points lies between Moscow and Washington. Within this triangle, Chinese-Russian relations are the most positive and stable. The U.S.-Chinese relationship has frequent ups and downs, and U.S.-Russian relations have become very tense, especially because Russia now has to contend with significant U.S. sanctions. Meanwhile, both Beijing and Moscow object to Washington’s use of force against and imposition of sanctions on other countries and to the double standards the United States applies in its foreign policies.

　　 

　　美国及其盟友可能将中俄走近视为走向结盟、意图扰乱或挑战美国主导的世界秩序的证据。但从中国的角度看，中美俄三方关系不应该被视为一方联合另一方对付第三方的博弈。中俄关系的良好发展不针对美国，美国也不应该试图施加影响。同样，中国同美国开展合作也不会受到俄罗斯或莫斯科与华盛顿紧张关系的影响。中国不会构建以集团政治为基础的同盟体系，也不会成为其他国家的盟友。

　　 

　　The United States and its allies might interpret closer ties between China and Russia as evidence of a proto-alliance that intends to disrupt or challenge the U.S.-led world order. But from the Chinese perspective, the tripartite relationship should not be considered a game in which two players ally against a third. The sound development of Chinese-Russian relations is not intended to harm the United States, nor should Washington seek to influence it. Likewise, China’s cooperation with the United States will not be affected by Russia, nor by tensions between Moscow and Washington. China should neither form an alliance based on bloc politics nor allow itself to be recruited as an ally by other countries.

　　 

　　现行国际秩序是世界稳定的基石——但并非尽善尽美。2005年中俄共同发表了《关于21世纪国际秩序的联合声明》，呼吁国际体系更加公正，以公认的国际法准则为合法基础。联合声明显示，北京和莫斯科视双边关系的发展——从不信任与竞争到伙伴与合作——为国与国之间提供了一种选择模式，使他们能够管控分歧，扩大共识，支持全球秩序，减少世界陷入大国冲突与战争的风险。

　　 

　　The current international order is the cornerstone of global stability – but it is not perfect. In 2005, China and Russia issued a joint statement on “the international order in the twenty-first century,” which called for the international system to become more just, drawing its legitimacy from the principles and norms of international law. The statement made clear that Beijing and Moscow see the evolution of their relations – from mistrust and competition to partnership and cooperation – as a model for how countries can manage their differences and work together on areas of agreement in a way that supports global order and decreases the chance that the world will descend into great-power conflict and war.