In the 1990s, when US President Bill Clinton’s administration was considering how to respond to China’s increasing economic might, some urged a policy of containment. Clinton rejected that advice: It would have been impossible to forge an anti-China alliance, given the enduring desire of China’s neighbors to maintain good relations with it; more important, such a policy would have guaranteed future enmity with China.
20世纪90年代，美国总统克林顿政府考虑如何应对不断增长的中国经济实力，有人敦促采取遏制政策。克林顿拒绝了这一建议：建立反中同盟是不可能的，因为中国的邻国向来有与中国搞好关系的强烈愿望；更重要的是，这一政策不啻于让中国彻底成为未来敌人。