The US needs to better understand China’s culture and politics, for the sake of peace
- What makes China different should be studied, not dismissed. As Asia’s rise throws up more non-Western sensibilities, talking to, rather than past, each other will be increasingly important
Sino-US relations have had their ups and downs since the normalisation of diplomatic ties in 1979 and things have been patched over with years of hard work and negotiations, where each side sought to protect or optimise their interests.
The Chinese response has been to demand that the US stop bullying China, stop its interventionist inclination to mess with the domestic politics of other countries, and to calm relations through talks by seeking areas of collaboration even in difficult times.
It is not difficult to stir up animosity about China just by highlighting the differences in the two nations’ politics.
The US has a federal system built around representing 50 states, in which these states have a lot of power. Americans are hard-wired to believe in small government, and individual freedom is paramount. There is a huge private sector supporting economic and social activities.
The Chinese governing system, by contrast, has a concentrated centre with a massive administrative apparatus. It is a unitary, one-party state with a top-down, big government system and an economy that is heavily state-led. The government plays a dominant role in Chinese society.
The US president and members of the bicameral legislature are elected by the people, while Chinese leaders are chosen through an arduous and highly competitive internal party selection process.
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Decades ago, the US built impressive infrastructure but it has not kept up with continuing investments. The major political debate is on sharing wealth and closing the widening social divide.
Western narratives about China fluctuate between the imminent collapse of its economic and political systems to China being a dark, fearsome plodder that is overtaking the world.
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The current US view is that China must be stopped and like-minded countries with liberal democratic, free-market systems should band together, otherwise the world will end up dominated by an autocratic, hegemonic, communist China, and that would lead to the collapse of the values that the West holds dear.
Yet, these narratives are not working and the two sides continue to talk past each other.
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Pragmatism, so fundamental to the Chinese attitude to solving problems, is seen as low-order stuff when juxtaposed against deeply held beliefs about the brilliance of Western civilisation when it comes to democracy and freedom. This is the “We are free. The Chinese people are oppressed” argument and it is an effective rallying slogan to justify intervention.
However, we need to be aware that sentiments are often clouded by emotionally charged differences in ideology and culture that lead to misunderstanding, miscommunication and misinterpretation.
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There is no common analytical framework that can be applied to China and the US – and for that matter, the West – that enables them to easily understand each other. Indeed, it is easy to vilify and make enemies of each other.
Moreover, China’s rise, and Asia’s overall advance, is creating a multipolar world with multiple political, economic and social systems. That trajectory will continue.
Western values have penetrated far and wide – the attractiveness of universal suffrage and individual freedoms cannot be denied. Yet, non-Western sensibilities are emerging as Asian and other cultures become more global. Understanding and respecting them are important for people to live in peace with each other.
Christine Loh, a former undersecretary for the environment, is an adjunct professor at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology