Think smarter and carry a bigger stick in Asia, China-watchers urge US President Donald Trump’s administration
- Group of analysts and former US officials call on America to turn its attention to developing the technology of the future and building international alliances to address China’s rise
- The United States should also stage military exercises in Beijing’s backyard, the researchers say
The United States must change course and compete smarter with China rather than sever ties between the world’s two biggest economies, a group of prominent American China-watchers and former US officials has warned.
The warning was contained in a report released on Tuesday by a task force led by Orville Schell of the Asia Society’s Centre on US-China Relations and former US deputy assistant secretary of state Susan Shirk, who is now with the University of California San Diego’s 21st Century China Centre.
While the 17 members of the group supported a tougher approach against Beijing, they said the present US strategy was “defective” in various aspects including the economy and security.
They also warned that “purely defensive actions” or even decoupling the two economies would threaten American interests in the long run.
“The Chinese government's recent policies and actions are increasingly at odds with the interests and values of the United States,” Shirk said in a panel discussion in New York on Wednesday. “This is not just [because of] China's growing strength, but it's the matter of the specific choices China's decision makers have made over the past decade.