Despite Mistrust, U.S.-China Relationship Has Made “Significant Strides”
Daniel Russel Interview on CGTN
On July 3, 2017, ASPI Senior Fellow and Diplomat in Residence Daniel Russel spoke with Yang Rui on CGTN’s show “Dialogue” about points of contention and cooperation between the United States and China.
While Russel acknowledges that the two countries have serious “misunderstandings and mistrust,” he believes that those are not the hallmarks of the relationship. In fact, he believes that U.S.-China ties are at “a moment which has never been seen in history before, in which the economic interests of the two largest countries in the world are so intertwined.” Therefore, he says that war between the U.S. and China is not inevitable.
Russel credits both governments for “establishing meaningful channels of dialogue” and argues that a similar approach must be utilized when it comes to North Korea. Both sides must prioritize dialogue and recognize where the other’s priorities lie. In the end, Russel states, “the critical thing is [that] the United States and China cannot make North Korea a test of wills between the two of us, or else Kim Jong-un will win.” (13 min., 53 sec.)