China's geopolitics can be roughly divided into two areas: the east which includes Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia and some other regions in the Pacific Rim, and the west which includes Central Asia and South Asia.

In recent years, China has put most of its focus on the east. But for now, China is trying to concentrate more on the west.

But this new move does not mean China is reorienting its diplomatic policy. It is just the new geopolitical changes that require China to make such arrangements. In fact, China is trying to strike a balance between the east and the west.

Besides the traditional purpose of economic development, security issues, especially anti-terrorism, have become the major stimulus that drives China to make this change.

US President Barack Obama, since he took office, has been lowering the significance of anti-terrorism in the US foreign policy. This has reflected in his remarks.

Former president George W. Bush's "anti-terrorist wars" have been replaced by Obama's "anti-terrorist actions." Besides, the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan in 2014 is also sending the signal to the world that Washington is drawing back in terms of anti-terrorism.

Washington shifting its focus from anti-terrorism has changed the balance of power in this area.

Pakistan's strategic position, which was mainly set to counter terrorists, has become less important to the US, while India has regained Washington's favor in counterbalancing South Asia. This means, unlike before, both China and Pakistan will face more potential competition from the US and India.

However, the US needs more cooperation from both China and Pakistan to maintain the stability of Afghanistan after its withdrawal. Washington does not want Afghanistan's new regime to be more turbulent and fragmented than before.

Obama has readjusted the US foreign policy to the "pivot to Asia," which shows that Washington can no longer support a comprehensive and global diplomacy.

US power, by and large, is in relative decline, and its power is gradually becoming unequal to its attempt to maintain hegemony.

The US has already fallen into "hegemony dependency," which makes it believe that China is growing to be a "challenger" instead of a cooperator. In the history of international relations, most "challengers," such as Germany and Japan, were countered by the US when their GDP reached 70 percent of that of the US.

Now it is China that has gained that momentum. By depending on a prospering manufacturing industry, the very foundation of supporting a country's power, China's gross industrial output value has exceeded the US by 26 percent in 2012. The US strategic shrinkage to Asia can be regarded as one of these countermeasures.

But the US is becoming increasingly powerless to contain China's rise, especially when its real economy is largely shrinking and the unstable virtual economy has become the sole pillar of economic development.

Yet China needs to make readjustments based on the new geopolitical changes.

Although anti-terrorism might be losing its core position in the geopolitics of Central and South Asia, China still needs to realize that the west is still one of the key areas where the balance of power should be maintained.

China's multilateral diplomacy demands China befriend its neighboring countries instead of creating enemies. The intensified US involvement in Asian affairs has much complicated the geopolitical situation of this region, making China more cautious about how to maintain good neighborly relations.

China has realized that a stable relationship with the US is crucial to China's geopolitical establishment.

If both countries are able to keep a relatively positive mechanism for interaction, China's geopolitical situation will remain peaceful.

In the meantime, China should insist on its bottom line when developing relationships with neighboring countries. As long as China's core interests are respected, friendships and cooperation will ensue.

China also needs to make breakthroughs and build a multi-layered diplomatic approach. Public diplomacy, involvement into global governance and providing public goods should be given more emphasis.

The article was complied by Global Times reporter Liu Zhun based on a speech by Jin Canrong, deputy director of the School of International Studies at Renmin University of China, on the First Annual Meeting of China-Pakistan Think Tanks recently held in Beijing. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn