Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

China does not want to see America fail

China does not want to see America fail

Since the end of World War II, the West has lived with a consensus that its brand of capitalism and democracy is not only the best for mankind, but also the best for countries at all stages of socioeconomic development, irrespective of cultural differences.

As divided as they are on almost everything else, neither U.S. President Donald Trump nor challenger Joe Biden question the notion that the American system is far superior to China's.

Next week's election then is unlikely to change America's underlying stance toward China. For all the talk of tolerance, diversity and equality, American thought in particular can be incredibly intolerant, polarized and self-righteous.

To the U.S. establishment, any alternative system of governance must be condemned and crushed. If that means outright lying, attack, embargoes and even millions of deaths, so be it.

At least this is what many Chinese think can be seen in America's record in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan and many other places.

Since the 1970s, millions of Chinese have traveled abroad and the Communist Party's censorship of the media has lost much of its effectiveness. One then has to have the humility to say that 1.4 billion Chinese are not all misinformed or wrong. After the downfall of the Soviet Union, feeling validated and emboldened by its Cold War victory, the U.S. stepped up its bullying around the world.

These days, there are widening cracks in the U.S. system of governance and the country's continued prosperity is not guaranteed. It may defeat itself.

From the Occupy Wall Street protests, to the plight of America's Black citizens and its increasingly dysfunctional political system, the country's democratic image is bleeding. It is too early to say if America's helicopter money, zero interest rates and rescue package after rescue package are going to lead the country out of the woods.

To many Chinese, the COVID-19 crisis has not only highlighted the weakness of some U.S. institutions but also American politicians' double standards.

Some U.S. politicians believe their own failure to slow the spread of the virus since February should be considered entirely acceptable despite ample notice of the dangers while the Chinese government's mishandling of the outbreak until late January was criminal.

These politicians seem to believe that Chinese officials should have known the workings of the virus all along and should have masterfully and magically put it down before it began spreading widely since, as they say, it was a "China virus."

Contrary to a common perception in the West, China is not taking pleasure in the free fall of Brand USA. Indeed, a majority of China's elite and the overall population want America to be greater.

The sorry state of America today hurts China and the class of liberal Chinese of which I count myself a member. Mainstream Chinese envy America, see it as a role model and even worship the country. My generation grew up listening to Voice of America radio every day despite the Chinese government's jamming of its signals.

Over the past four decades, China has sent millions of its young to study in the West -- not to steal intellectual property but to learn. This has been the sincerest form of flattery in my view.

China has also been source of more than $1 billion in donations to American universities since 2013, according to analysis by Bloomberg News and others. This support, the largest received from any foreign country, is an honest expression of admiration from China.

China is America's biggest trading partner. For over two decades, China has also been the biggest foreign investor in American debt and equity. Do we want our biggest trading partner to collapse? Do we invest in America hoping it will fall apart?

In my view, nationalism is mostly a product of ignorance and of bad education. Unfortunately, there is a fair bit of both in China, just like elsewhere.


Nationalism is mostly a product of ignorance and of bad education.


China also happens to be a country that has forced all its educational institutions to teach at least one foreign language since 1977. Its population has warmly embraced this.

China has admittedly been slow in opening up some parts of its economy, but by and large, the progress it has made in reform over the past four decades is nothing short of spectacular and has seen the country move closer to the Western consensus. Few observers have noticed that even the Communist Party propaganda machine has avoided boasting of "the superiority of the socialist system" for two decades.

This should be very encouraging. In my view, the vast majority of Chinese are gradually coming to the realization that Western democracy may not be such a bad thing after all. But given the costs, they reject the notion of rapid political and economic transformation along the lines of the shock therapy that followed the collapse of the Soviet bloc in 1989.

If the Western system of governance is so superior, why is the West unable to handle competition and the U.S. so desperate to destroy the current Chinese system? Why is the West sabotaging China's well-meaning investments in developing countries and elsewhere? To me, this only reflects jealousy and insecurity.

If China is not embracing Western democracy yet, it only means we are not ready. Who is to say we will not give it a try several generations down the road?

Too slow? But did not you say that patience is a virtue?

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
International Astronaut Team Launched to Space Station
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
Oil Prices Set to Surge After US Strikes Iran
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
×