Countries buy what they need and sell what they can at the best price they can get, regardless of whether another country has or has not written a ministerial communiqué. Rather, all relevant policies – from aid to political and security cooperation – should be related to strengthening the institutions and values to which one adheres.
此外，“现实主义”假设常常非常不靠谱。贸易协定常常得不到保障，或必须靠政治屈服维持。各国以最优价格购买需要的东西，出售可以出售的东西，不管别国有没有写部长级公告。但是，所有相关政策——从援助到政治和安全合作——都应该有利于强化其所坚持的制度和价值。