Word: coed
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...working with China in a way that can protect our interests is less about direct confrontation of the sort we remember from the Cold War - when the U.S. knew it faced a very dangerous enemy - and more about what we might call co-evolution. The phrase comes from biology and describes how some species work together to become stronger over time. A textbook example is the hummingbird and certain flowers, which, scientists have found, have evolved together to serve each other's mutual needs. Think of the long beaks on the birds and the narrow funnels on the flowers...
...relation to exchange rates, nuclear proliferation, how to handle North Korea or how to ensure that the benefits of information technology flow freely. In all these areas, we will need to find new global rules that don't isolate China. Beyond that, we need to ensure that real co-evolution gives China what it wants most: stability. (See pictures of Obama's diplomacy...
...follows that any actions by China that threaten global stability have to be rebuked. The habit of trying to make China cooperate only by granting concessions has not worked. Co-evolution suggests a different approach. It acknowledges the importance of giving China a say in how the world develops but demands in exchange an absolute commitment to curtail activities that make it more dangerous. It's a case of saying to China, You're a partner in managing the global economy, but you can't then manipulate your currency to gain unfair trade advantages. Or: We'll respect your interests...
...Part of the reason co-evolution could work is that it puts China alongside the U.S. in thinking about these new rules. That won't be easy. The U.S. is used to telling the rest of the world what to do. It will require energetic diplomacy. Practically, one item on Obama's agenda this week should be starting to retire the forum we now use for engaging China - something called the Strategic and Economic Dialogue - which is sort of like an annual parent-teacher conference with China. The slow-moving dialogue drives issues at a pace largely irrelevant to what...
Chinese authorities have struggled for years to control mine disasters. Inspectors have forced the closure of small, illegal mines, but that has put more pressure on larger, more reputable operators, like the state-owned China National Coal Group, which co-owns the Wangjialing mine. And while the annual death totals have declined even as coal production increases, it will likely be years more before the annual total drops below 1,000. (See the top 10 news stories...