Historical links will ensure the Sino-US relationship endures well beyond the current China bashing
Gordon Chang says the two countries need to build further upon their peoples’ centuries-old connections and find a peaceable way forward for the global good
For the past 30 years, every candidate of whatever persuasion has loudly claimed he or she, unlike the opponent, will get “tough” with China. Bashing is what some call it.
These days, this means candidate Hillary Clinton proudly recalls championing the rights of women when, as first lady, she attended the UN Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995. She also likes to wave Donald Trump products with “made in China” labels to her audiences as evidence of the hypocrisy of his claimed support for the American worker.
For his part, Trump attacks China for ripping off Americans through currency manipulation and stealing millions of jobs from the country. He promises to get “tough” with Beijing.
Outfoxed by Hong Kong tycoons, Donald Trump has China chip on his shoulders
And we haven’t even got to the candidate debates where national security issues always get prominence. Stay tuned for the politicisation of the South China Sea dispute.