The U.S.-China Rivalry The US and China are the 2 greatest…

2/Probably no people have scrutinized American democracy more than China has, the world’s oldest civilization. “American exceptionalism” is under Beijing’s microscope. American democracy has catapulted the US into becoming the world’s greatest superpower in less than 200 years.

3/China, whose momentum will overtake the US in GDP by mid-century, has the same drive as Nadal (who proclaimed Federer was “the greatest player in the history [of tennis]") going against Federer at Wimbledon Final in 2008. Ever cautious, patient and wise, China respects its

4/opponent (as did Nadal) for its achievements. In order to better the US Beijing knows it must be more competitive, up its game and improve its skills. The US-China rivalry is one wherein “iron sharpens iron”. Yet whereas Beijing views American democracy thru an objective,

5/ideologically unbiased lens, the same can’t be said of US Congress, many of whom fear/think China wants to “take over the world” (to wit SoS Mike Pompeo) to “spread communism”. Having 5,000 years of culture, including Confucianism, China has the clearer and more objective view

6/of the differences b/t Chinese socialism and American democracy. Like a rival competitor seeing its #1 opponent failing, in reaction to the Capitol Hill siege Zou Yue on Zoom In (representing Beijing's pov) advises the US to learn from its mistakes and get democracy out of the

7/mire into which it's sunk and get it working again. When your competitor encourages you when you’re down to get back up, you've met an extraordinary person! Beijing obviously understands American democracy better than Washington understands Chinese socialism, if it does at all.

8/Unfortunately the US’s inability to understand Chinese socialism, Beijing’s goals on the international stage or to adopt a multilateral approach to engagement boxes Washington’s perceptions of China into a two-dimensional ideological prism that distorts reality, stokes paranoia

9/ and fixates on China through an adversarial lens. But China isn’t the “bad guy.”

An open question: Will a Biden Administration shift the US stance to multilateralism in issues like COVID-19 and Climate Change? Or even pursue multilateral diplomacy in getting to ☮️ on the

10/Korean Peninsula? Everyone agrees☮️ is better than war. The more the US and China cooperate and work together at finding solutions to global problems, the more they’ll get the chance to understand one another’s views, beliefs & ideologies. And that makes friends out of rivals.

11/https://t.co/l4nqnR5lVb

America is failing its #democracy, not the other way around. The #Capitol chaos should be a warning to us all: no one is perfect, and we must try harder. America is not a failed state. But we must realize that America only wins when it deserves and must learn where it fails. pic.twitter.com/kiB64L3J8g
— T-House (@thouse_opinions) January 10, 2021