US needs to meet China halfway to restore respectful relations: US scholar

Although a bipartisan consensus to be tough on China prevails in the US, there are still moderate and rational scholars calling for a reset in China-US relations. Jon R. Taylor (Taylor), professor and chair of Department of Political Science and Geography, University of Texas at San Antonio, is one of them. In a written interview with Global Times (GT) reporter Yu Jincui, professor Taylor shared his views on the prospect of China-US relations before and after the US presidential election and how to reset the ties.
GT: Tensions between the US and China are escalating at a dizzying pace. What will come next? Will US President Donald Trump take more radical measures to make China-US relations into a tougher time in the following months before election?
Taylor: We know where Trump stands. He and his party have made it quite clear that China will be front and center as an issue during the fall. After three years of increasingly harsh rhetoric and actions, this should come as little surprise. Concentrating on China helps deflect criticism from American voters who are dissatisfied with Trump’s handling of the pandemic and the economy. Given what we’ve seen since 2017, China should be prepared for anything – from further calls to decouple to imposing further sanctions on Chinese imports and officials to pushing the limits of the One China Policy. Buckle-up, because it’s going to be a bumpy ride.
GT: Trump and Biden are competing with each other over who is tougher on China. How do you see the role of the “China topic” in the US election?
Taylor: China will be one of the most discussed issues during the election. If the rhetoric from the Republican convention was any indication, Trump will continue to blame China for a host of ills in the US. As for Biden, his party will also take a hard-line stand during the election in order to avoid attacks from Trump for being “soft” on China.
I would suggest to those Chinese observing the US election that they try not to take the heated rhetoric personally. It’s quite understandable if the contentiousness of American politics is particularly unsettling when one of the top campaign issues in the US happens to be your home country. Take light notice of it and pursue a wait-and-see approach with the election.
GT: There is a view that no matter if Trump or Biden get elected, it will be hard to fix China-US relations. What’s your take? How will different election results affect the future of bilateral relations?
Taylor: That’s a prudent view for China to take and expect. If Trump wins, it will probably be an easy answer about the future of China-US relations: We’ll likely see more of the same chaos and aggressiveness that has defined China-US relations during the first three years of the Trump administration.
– The Daily Mail-Globle
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