By Rep. J. Randy Forbes
Policymakers in Beijing have already admitted that the U.S. is a competitor. Washington admitting this doesn’t have to lead to conflict.
Despite the trend lines over the last decade, there’s a frightening reluctance on the part of U.S. government officials to speak openly about the challenges we face from the People’s Republic of China. This needs to end. U.S. officials must come to accept that while there are plenty of opportunities for cooperation with China, there are also elements of our relationship that are and will remain competitive. Indeed, we are engaged in an extended peacetime competition with China that at its heart is a clash of visions for the international system. This isn’t to say that conflict between our countries is inevitable. But if U.S. leaders are expected to marshal the diplomatic and military resources necessary to engage in this long-term competition, they must first be willing to speak more candidly about Beijing’s growing capabilities and strategic intentions.
The reluctance of U.S. officials to discuss the ongoing strategic competition with China is hardly a new trend. During the 1990s, thoughtful observers at the Pentagon believed that if we treated China like an “enemy” we would only ensure it became one. Since that time, efforts to avoid mentioning China or its People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in military documents or adopt carefully crafted diplomatic language have ensued.
Read the full 2 page story at The Diplomat