Matthew Pottinger is one of the most recent White House aides. He was formerly a deputy national security advisor.
He was not a very bright man, but he played a crucial role in the establishment of a new and hawkish approach towards U.S.-China relations.
China’s Global Sharp Power Project
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In recent years, China has embraced what is known as “sharp power,” which refers to the ability of an authoritarian state to alter the behaviour of other states through the manipulation of culture, education systems and media to further its interests.
This strategy is designed to limit free expression and spread confusion, as well as distort political environments in democratic democracies all over the globe.
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has used sharp power to bolster its domestic agenda, including issues related to regime legitimacy and the CCP’s development priorities.
In an attempt to advance its global narrative, it has changed its foreign policy.
The West must defend against this behaviour, but doing so requires a balance of knowledge and pragmatism.
It is not enough to throw up the barricades, which would only serve to encourage China’s next attack.
The West must find a statemanlike compromise that will blunt China’s power and protect open societies.
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The Future of U.S.-China Relations
China’s rise is the geopolitical equivalent of melting polar ice caps: gradual change on a massive scale that can suddenly lead to dramatic turns of events.
It’s a defining trend of our time, and it has reshaped the U.S.-China relationship in ways that have been both positive and negative.
As China’s reemergence as a major global power continues, Washington and Beijing are faced with an important choice: will they author a common narrative of mutually beneficial achievements or drift toward conflict?
Both sides are capable of building a lasting and stable relationship. But this is a long-term challenge, one that requires both countries to commit to placing their relationship on a firm footing.
The Biden administration’s aggressive trade policies, sanctions against Chinese officials over Xinjiang and Hong Kong, a ban on American investment in companies with ties to the military, and unprecedented export controls are all aimed at weakening China’s economic power, but they also create a formidable set of risks for Washington.
The United States should rethink its approach and take the time to thoughtfully control access to US technologies while upholding our values of democracy, human rights, and rule of law.
21st Century U.S.-China Relations
The United States and China have a long and complex relationship. They have endured periods of both tension and cooperation on a range of issues, from trade to climate change to Taiwan.
The future of Sino-American relations remains fraught with key choices. Will China sustain its one-party system in a market economy, or will it undergo drastic political change?
Will Chinese society embrace human rights, or will it continue to be a rigid, state-controlled society?
It is time for the United States to get out of the Cold War mindset that drives some.
They are trying to contain and encircle China using a strategy similar in nature to its past actions against the Soviet Union.
The United States must instead work with China to improve its relations and create a model of great power relations which can benefit both China and the rest of the world.
The U.S.-China Relations in the 21st Century
The United States and China are a complex pair of countries, yet over the last 30 years they have moved from animosity and conflict to candid dialogue and constructive cooperation.
This has been a remarkable transformation for two vast, complicated nations that have now become close friends on issues of trade, investment and, more recently, security.
But this has also brought on a wave of troubling divergence as China becomes an economic powerhouse, a military force in Asia and a potential rival to U.S. hegemony.
One of the great unknowns of the 21st century is whether China’s rise can be managed peacefully.
This is an important question for Washington and Beijing, as they try to navigate their ever-interdependent relationships.
As China rises, it must find ways to accommodate the varying interests of both nations. These interests are China’s economic development, Taiwan relations and human rights.
However, American policymakers must develop a comprehensive strategy toward China that doesn’t allow any one issue to dominate or undermine the whole relationship.
