In Newsweek, Minxin Pei writes:
To the world at large, U.S. behavior under President George W. Bush has been an unmitigated disaster. Not so for Beijing. Its relations with Washington have seldom been better, and China has been a big beneficiary of the United States' declining influence since 9/11.
Like many people, the majority of Chinese today don't care much for the United States. Even though most Chinese continue to admire American culture and to like Americans, 57 percent of Chinese in a recent Pew poll said they viewed the country "unfavorably," for three main reasons: its arrogance, unilateralism and war in Iraq.
China's government, however, does not share this antipathy. Many Chinese leaders are quite happy with the United States these days, though not necessarily for reasons that would please Washington. Bush may want to be another Ronald Reagan. But many Chinese policymakers see him as another Richard Nixon—terrible for his own country but great for China. Washington's preoccupation with the War on Terror and its costly adventure in Iraq have given Beijing valuable strategic space. Early on, the Bush administration dubbed China a "strategic competitor" and seemed to signal that it would try to balance China's rise. But since fighting terrorism and remaking the Middle East have become the organizing principles of U.S. foreign policy, U.S.-Chinese ties have improved. In the same period, the Chinese economy has doubled in size and Beijing's global influence has grown beyond recognition.
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