Not an expert, so please forgive overgeneralization.
The USA (and the West) has played the long game. Very successfully. We somehow avoided WWIII.
Nixon thru Obama, the USA engaged with China with the goal of normalization (with the West). This has been standard procedure. For whatever reason, this strategy hasn't worked. (Yet?) Further, some have concluded China is becoming less likely to normalize.
Every successfully developing country has bootstrapped itself thru some measure of theft, cheating, protectionism. Recognizing the power imbalance, some proponents of active engagement in the West have let it slide, for a period.
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I am unhappy with the stalled relationship between USA and China. While I do not support Trump's actions (tempting a trade war, weird rhetoric), I understand the impulse to do something. In truth, I do not know if there is any satisfactory path forward.
I grew up during the anti-Japanese hysteria of the Reagan years. I hated it then. I hate such rhetoric now.
Happily, it passed. I'd like cooler heads to prevail again. We'll see.
What you call normalization is submission to US values and power. No nation wants to do that. The difference is that China is powerful enough to go their own way.
As long as you call it normalization you will remain unhappy.
The USA (and the West) has played the long game. Very successfully. We somehow avoided WWIII.
Nixon thru Obama, the USA engaged with China with the goal of normalization (with the West). This has been standard procedure. For whatever reason, this strategy hasn't worked. (Yet?) Further, some have concluded China is becoming less likely to normalize.
Every successfully developing country has bootstrapped itself thru some measure of theft, cheating, protectionism. Recognizing the power imbalance, some proponents of active engagement in the West have let it slide, for a period.
--
I am unhappy with the stalled relationship between USA and China. While I do not support Trump's actions (tempting a trade war, weird rhetoric), I understand the impulse to do something. In truth, I do not know if there is any satisfactory path forward.
I grew up during the anti-Japanese hysteria of the Reagan years. I hated it then. I hate such rhetoric now.
Happily, it passed. I'd like cooler heads to prevail again. We'll see.