Our friend, Zhiqun Zhu, PhD, is Professor of Political Science and International Relations at Bucknell University, USA, where he chaired the International Relations Department (2017-2021), served as the inaugural director of the China Institute (2013-2017), and was MacArthur Chair in East Asian politics (2008-2014).
In this article ‘US and China cannot defeat each other: They are their own biggest enemies‘, he describes the situation our world is in. “Healthy competition between systems to see what works best to improve the lives of the people would be a more productive framework of engagement between China and the US, which each have their flaws. A little cultural humility in the process of self-exploration and self-critique will go a long way.“.
Here are my takeaways from Professor Zhu’s article:
- “Some people view the US-China competition from an ideological perspective. For example, President Joe Biden has framed the global challenges in terms of democracy versus autocracy. He hosted the first Summit for Democracy in December 2021 in Washington, DC, calling on democratic countries to combat autocracies such as Russia and China. Biden has also called Chinese leader Xi Jinping a ‘dictator‘.”
- The rivalry between the US and China extends beyond ideological differences. While these two superpowers have individual strengths and shortcomings, the essence of their competition should be their ability to effectively govern and improve the well-being of their citizens.
- Rather than simply pointing out each other’s flaws, both countries could benefit from adopting cultural humility—a willingness to self-reflect and learn from each other. Acknowledging that neither can decisively defeat the other, they should focus on their own self-improvement and seek opportunities to collaborate.
- Ultimately, both nations can benefit from acknowledging their imperfections and embracing a spirit of mutual improvement.