China is returning to the center of the world stage, not only as the second largest economy but also as a leading power in science and technology. It should not be viewed as a threat, since the country has never been reluctant to share opportunities in its pursuit of a new development path driven by innovation.
The United States, however, which escalated its trade frictions with China recently by raising tariffs on imported Chinese goods again, chose to turn a blind eye to the facts. One of the excuses for its new irrational move originates from nonsensical worries over China's growing technological strength.
China's high-tech industries, such as electronic devices manufacturing and information technology are among the main targets of the tariff hikes.
The U.S. Department of Commerce recently put Huawei and its affiliates on the "Entity List" of the department's Bureau of Industry and Security, restricting the sale or transfer of American technology to Huawei.
America has also kept lobbying its Western partners to boycott China's 5G technology, citing security concerns.
All the accusations and moves were made without proper regard to the great benefits China has brought to the world with its technological achievements.
Advanced technology and products from China have gone abroad and played a key role in promoting sustainable development and improving people's livelihood in the developing countries.
The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has provided more than 1.8 billion yuan (about 268 million U.S. dollars) for construction of science and technology projects in association with the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) since 2013, benefiting many Asian and African countries.
China's research on disaster prevention and mitigation is used in the railway construction in Pakistan; China's meteorology research helps provide more precise weather forecasts for fishers in Sri Lanka; China's new rice breeding technology and the "Green Super Rice" varieties have helped many Asian and African countries to reduce hanger and increase income.
Even in fields where China is keeping pace with the world's top level or taking the lead, the country has always valued exchanges and cooperation with its international counterparts, rather than shutting its doors to other countries for fear of technology outflow.
The country's eye-catching space exploration programs in recent years may serve as a vivid example. The Chang'e-4 probe, the first human spacecraft that landed on the far side of the moon in January, carried four payloads developed by the Netherlands, Sweden, Germany and Saudi Arabia, and China shared the first batch of scientific data with these partners in April.
China will also open the Chang'e-6 mission for international payloads and invite scientists around the world to explore asteroid and comets together.
Even when being shut out of the International Space Station, which is led by the United States and operated by a 15-nation partnership, China never hesitates to open its planned space station for international cooperation. Last year, 42 cooperation proposals from 27 countries about doing science experiments on China's projected space station have been received and departments concerned are working on a plan to implement them.
China has also actively participated in the international science projects through contributing its wisdom and strength to the world's forefront of science and technology.
China supports building the Square Kilometer Array (SKA), an international project to build the world's largest radio telescope. It also plays a significant role in ITER, the world's largest nuclear fusion experiment, and works with other countries to tackle challenges in this regard.
A new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation is reshaping the global innovation landscape. China has always adopted an open and inclusive attitude toward technological cooperation, and has won trust and respect from international partners.
The United States won't benefit from impeding the pace of China's technological advancement. Instead, it shall be rewarded with many a new opportunity through exchanges and cooperation with China if it changes its cold-war mindset.
