Read on Twitter
1/ I'm often asked whether a generational divide exists on China policy, with an emerging generation of experts coalescing around the need for a more confrontational posture, presumably as a corrective to the views of veteran China hands, who largely drove policy in past decades.
2/ While I largely agree that the emerging generation voices tends to be more critical of China's behavior at home and abroad, and also more concerned about China's increasing influence, I've always been reluctant to endorse sweeping generalizations of generational divides.
3/ Two smart pieces today highlight the diversity of views among rising generation of experts. Both pieces challenge the notion of a hardening consensus behind the current policy approach; both call on the community to develop better policy options than those currently on offer.
4/ The first piece by @zackcooper captures five critiques of the Trump administration's declared strategy on China, highlighting the internal incoherence that is definitional to understanding the lack of results of the current approach. https://warontherocks.com/2020/06/five-critiques-of-the-trump-administrations-china-strategy/
5/ The second piece by @jessicacweiss warns of the risks to the US of misreading developments in China. It urges greater understanding of challenges China is causing for itself. It cautions against actions that incur more costs on the US than on China. https://supchina.com/2020/06/29/no-beijing-consensus-the-u-s-risks-a-pyrrhic-victory/
6/ Neither of these pieces absolve China for downturn in US-China relations or look the other way at China's pattern of intolerable behavior at home, abroad. They do not do China any favors by demanding U.S. policy become more effective at addressing problematic Chinese behavior.
7/ Of course, neither @ZackCooper, @jessicacweiss represent the views of an emerging generation of China experts. That's the point.
China is our most difficult strategic challenge. We will all benefit by listening to the insights of a broad range of views going forward. END.
China is our most difficult strategic challenge. We will all benefit by listening to the insights of a broad range of views going forward. END.
