Carl Zha was interviewed by David Oualaalou on 17 Feb 20241. He repeats a fundamental error of many Asian leftist in their analysis of US policy. They posit that the fundamental difference between Chinese policy and US policy is that China looks long-term and US policy is dominated by short-term policies. At one point Carl Zha suggests that quarterly earnings dominate US thinking.
This is lazy thinking and close to absurd. If we look at US historical policy we have the strategies around the building of the internet which was a multi-year and multi-administration investment. US Cold War policy was extensive and consistent. US policy against Russia since 1991 has been a consistent attack against Russia. Given the importance of ‘the hinterland’ (see Mackinder) US policy was to fracture Russia as a prelude to containing and attacking China. This need to fracture Russia became more important when the pressure to attack China rose. Putin clearly said that he was aware that Russia was not the true target but China.
But why do the standard left persuade themselves that US is short-sighted? My suspicion is that they do not want to see what it would imply if the US were looking long-term. Putin and many Russians are concluding that there is some element of race involved in the Western approach to Russia. Even Kissinger alluded to possible racism in the US approach to China, as have other US commentators.
Racism is a taboo for many leftists. For them simple economics determine everything. That used to be called vulgar Marxism. Racism as a significant factor in world development would require many Western leftists and their followers to examine themselves. I still remember couple of decades ago sitting in a conference room in Brussels as part of a presentation of senior EU officers where they asked : ‘what can be done about China?’ I asked if they were saying that our Western prosperity is dependent on 1 million Chinese dying of starvation every year? This question was met with silence. Zha, like many Asian leftists, is simply copying this western left trope.
Endnotes
1. tps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tk0Jiwr_qMo&t=1429s ht