According to reports, the US Senate has unanimously approved a bill to name the street in front of the Chinese Embassy in Washington "Liu Xiaobo Plaza." A similar bill was passed by the House of Representatives in June 2014. A White House spokesperson said senior advisers to US President Barack Obama would recommend that he veto the bill.

The bill was introduced by Senator Ted Cruz, a Republican contender for the 2016 presidential election. Sources said that Cruz ended holds on blocking Obama's nominations of two ambassadors after Democrats agreed not to oppose the plaza-naming measure.

The apparently provocative move intends to outrage and unsettle China. But this is no big deal. In addition to anger, it will enable us to learn more about the US from another perspective: the US has big problems in abiding by the rules and keeping self-respect and its Congress acts so rashly.

The US has been at its wits' end in dealing with China as it is reluctant to employ military threats or economic sanctions that may backfire. The only option for Washington seems to be petty actions that disturb China. But these can help China better understand what vile characters it will meet during its rise and face whatever awkwardness comes by dealing with them.

This latest move by Congress cannot change the fact that Liu jeopardized China's national security and was sentenced to jail. The rise of China is being confronted by external forces like the US. Whether Liu feels proud of such turbulent embraces from the West or not, he has become a tool of the West against China.

It's worth noticing that Congress, in support of Liu, has long played the harshest role in US attempts to counter China and has always guarded US national interests. The contest of national interests between China and the US is particularly prominent in the 21st century. The latest Congress move to back Liu makes more explicit the logic between Liu's deeds and the rejuvenation of China. 

US senators and a few Chinese dissidents they support may think that their behavior can throw dust in the eyes of Chinese. But they may have underestimated how discerning Chinese people can be. China needs to grow more confident. China's brilliant performance in countering the West's ill-attempted moves in marketization and informatization has defined it as a resilient and dynamic country.

China's development seems to have given lots of stress to some narrow-minded US elites and prompted their gaffes. But this is not our fault. After all, what can we do when those elites want to maintain their privilege in a changing world?