US needs new Ping- Pong Diplomacy
Former US president Richard Nixon’s opening to China was prepared through quiet diplomacy. Friendly Ping- Pong matches in 1971 prepared the American public for a dramatic change in Asia policy. In fact, Henry Kissinger’s trademark “creative diplomacy” was in full swing in that era a half century ago and was with good reason a widely hailed success.
At that time, this writer was preparing to enter graduate studies in the government and foreign affairs department of the University of Virginia. The focus was US foreign ign policy and Nixon’s foreign policy was guided by Kissinger who had a Hollywood ollywood like superstar status. The US media fully supported Nixon’s opening ning to China as well as the détente with h Russia.
At the time, I was an n undergraduate studying foreign affairs. s. Kissinger’s enthusiastic embrace of classical diplomacy and its successful essful implementation was of great t interest. I had taken courses in diplomatic matic history from the well- known historian istorian professor Norman Graebner. So Kissinger’s policy reflected insights s from the 1815 Congress of Vienna, and nd from the European Concert of major or powers made sense in its pragmatism m and realism.
During these university rsity years, I found the entire world fascinating, so decided to focus on US S foreign policy and geopolitics. Perhaps ps that was a result of looking through gh the National Geographic and Foreign Affairs magazines that came monthly into my parents’ home.
As with many Americans, my late parents were very happy to see Nixon’s opening to China. My father, a lawyer, hoped it would lead to peace and to commercial relations. My mother, who was interested in Asian art and floral design, hoped it would lead to increased people- to- people exchanges. My younger brother studied Chinese as an undergraduate while I, however, studied Russian.
Fortunately, I had the opportunity to study Chinese politics and foreign policy under Professor Shao Chuan Leng ( 1921- 2000), who was born in China but became an American citizen after graduate school in the US. He hoped for the establishment of the rule of law in China as well as for the eventual peaceful reunification of China. He was a friend of another influential Chinese- American professor with a similar background, Tang Tsou ( 1919- 1999), who taught at the University of Chicago.
Overall, back in the 1970s, the atmosphere in the US toward improved relations and peace with both China and Russia was hopeful. The key was the ability of the US to engage in creative and effective diplomacy to advance constructive engagement and areas of cooperation with China and Russia.
Fast forward 50 years. What happened?
The simple answer is the militarization of US foreign policy, the endless wars, and the entrenched Cold War mentality.
For realists, there were no surprises about the international system which, as Kissinger and other US experts correctly anticipated in the 1960s, would inevitably become multipolar.
So the question was how would US leadership manage foreign policy and national strategy
within such a changing international system.
Instead of realistically and prudently calculating US national interests and implementing a competent diplomacy to advance them, Washington chose endless war and military intervention. Thus, US foreign policy was increasingly militarized and US diplomacy was increasingly marginalized.
Since the days of former US President George W. Bush and his Iraq and Afghan wars, the neoconized Republican Party has become ever more belligerent abroad. This is a far cry from the days of the effective quiet diplomacy of Nixon and Kissinger. It is dangerous.
Donald Trump laun launched an even more belligerent phase of US foreign policy. The incompeten incompetent loudmouth Mike Pompeo denounc denounced president Nixon’s China policy.
Can the US come to its senses under Democratic Party Part leadership and President Joe Biden? Biden Can the US formulate and impleme implement a constructive engagement with China?
That remains to be seen. It is too early to tell because bec it often takes a new administration its fi first year to settle into offic office.
But at s some point the US must mak make a serious and necessary effort to stabilize relations with China.