May 7, 2021
Why the U.S. and China may chill
In a way the United States of America and the People’s Republic of China are mirror images, both resentful over how the other is treating them. For Americans, the Chinese haven’t learned the correct lessons of democracy with increasing prosperity and participation in international trade. For the Chinese, Washington has failed to take off the training wheels and respect them as an equal power. Neither is happy, and the result is the mounting friction we see.
For The Next Zeitgeist, Dr. Mathew Burrows, Director of the Atlantic Council’s Foresight, Strategy and Risks Initiative, and Atlantic Council Resident Fellow Julian Mueller-Kaler argue that conflict, however, is not inevitable. Together, they game out a world beyond the current trajectory that could be defined by an opposing idea: a long period of Sino-U.S. cooperation.
Image: FILE PHOTO: Chinese and U.S. flags flutter outside a company building in Shanghai, China April 14, 2021. REUTERS/Aly Song//File Photo