Relations between China and the U.S. Are Too Complex to Decouple: Nicholas Platt

Relations between China and the U.S. are too complex to decouple, and the future of relations between the two countries will be decided by the next generation, said Nicholas Platt, President Emeritus of the U.S.-based Asia Society and a former American diplomat, during an interview ahead of a two-day forum on China Studies in Shanghai.

Platt said that it is quite natural for two big countries to compete and cooperate. The current friction is about how the two countries deal with their relations in a new era.

“Their relationship over the years has become so intertwined that neither side can take actions against each other without hurting itself.” Platt thinks that both sides understand what the solution to the trade issue should be and negotiators on both sides are experts on trade. He is confident that they will come to a conclusion. “I’m confident that they can work out ways living and dealing together.”

Looking back on the history of China-U.S. relations, Platt remarked that there had been ups and downs but generally the trend is good. “And the future of relations between the two countries will be decided by the next generation.”

He highlights the cooperation between local governments and private organizations of the two countries, noting that although the relationship between the two countries is strained, bilateral relations below the national level, such as between Chinese provinces and American states and between scholars, remain quite healthy. As people from both sides have developed relationships over the years, they have come to trust each other.

“Our relationship resembles an iceberg, with the jagged edges of strategic mistrust clearly visible above the surface. But below the waterline is a big mass of private relationships maintained by tactical trust that provide stability.” 

He also believes that the Belt and Road Initiative is not for competition and it is not an origin of friction.

Platt accompanied President Nixon on the historic trip to Beijing in 1972. He was one of the first members of the U.S. Liaison Office in Beijing when the U.S. established a mission there in 1973.

He is one of the four winners of the China Studies Contribution Award presented at the forum.

The 8th World Forum on China Studies was held from September 10 to 11, 2019.

The forum is a Shanghai-based academic event jointly organized by the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences and the Information Office of Shanghai Municipality.