In terms of understanding each other, China’s long history and the relatively short American history both offer sources of study. They will help to see each other’s point of view and become appreciative of each other, instead of growing antagonistic.
As people from China and the U.S. travel to each other’s countries, communication will become better and better. We will learn to communicate in ways each other will understand and bridge the gap between our communication.
‘Either America first’ or ‘America’s back’ is merely ‘might makes right’ masquerading as a moral high ground that few believe anymore, including many Americans.
The Anchorage meeting is also a warning that both sides need to continue efforts to keep the communication going and not start a new cold war.
The reason for framing Beijing negatively in Western media is the latter’s own need of an enemy.
It is a means to an end, a tool, a useful propaganda apparatus for discrediting and demonizing countries that stand in its way of global dominance, all while failing to meet even the most basic obligations at home.
They don’t want to prove themselves wrong and they’ve already convinced ‘the court of public opinion.’ Maybe that’s enough. The same way it was enough to invade Iraq where no weapons of mass destruction have ever been found, and the same way Syria, Libya, Afghanistan, Viet Nam and many others were invaded.
The United States must come to terms with the human consequences of its actions that have inflamed anti-Asian racism in the pursuit of antagonism towards China.
The high-level talks in Alaska revealed the ongoing schism present in the China-US relationship. It also offered a rare insight into the competing narratives and markedly different foreign policy agendas of each side.
If we want to stop these attacks over the long run, we need to eliminate the harmful stereotypes that fuel the hate in the first place.
For the QUAD to live up to its claim to serve the interests of the whole regional community they will need to resolve the Quad-contradictions between the past and the future. They are not off to a good start.
It helps China, it helps the United States if the young people have personal relationships and really understand what the other culture, what the other system is like.
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