US diplomat David Stilwell says Washington must shed its myths about China to check Beijing’s growing influence
- Amid rising bilateral competition, the speech by a State Department official appears to be an effort to stake out a position in the global battle for ideas
- David Stilwell stresses the importance of reciprocity and access in China
US policy has been undercut by fundamental American misconceptions toward China that must be corrected to counter the communist state’s starkly different intentions and ideology, a senior State Department official said on Thursday.
Rising competition between Beijing and Washington has largely focused on economics and defence, but the US must step up the battle of ideas and recognise past flaws in its own logic to help put relations with China on a more even footing, said David Stilwell, assistant secretary of state for the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs.
In particular, he cited the “myth” that engagement will lead to a more open, liberal China; that the Communist Party does not have expansionary ambitions; and that communist ideology no longer matters.
“There’s broken glass on the floor from years and years of hope,” he told the Nixon Forum on US-China Relations sponsored by the Wilson Centre. “We’re not trying to cut off contact. We’re looking to increase contact.”
Stilwell said the growing US attention to reciprocity was intended to find a better balance between competition and cooperation and otherwise check China’s creeping global influence.