Can the spirit of Nixon's China visit be a model for Donald Trump?

ByWilliam Jones

February 21 marks the 53rd anniversary of the visit of then U.S. President Richard Nixon to China in 1972. The visit changed the history of the world and provided a basis for the peaceful development of the Asia-Pacific region. While the spirit of the Cold War still reigned in the U.S., Nixon understood the importance of the populous People's Republic of China in the future development of Asia and the world.

A conservative politician reared in the symbolism of the "Cold War" broke through the false shibboleths of that period to understand his responsibility before history. There are lessons here that could be learned by the incumbent American president.

The 25 percent tariff on steel and aluminum threatened by U.S. President Donald Trump, as well as the 10 percent additional tariff placed on Chinese goods, has sent something of a chill into U.S.-China relations. In addition, a number of well-known "China hawks" are now present in the Trump administration.

Nevertheless, many of the statements made by Trump with regard to his conviction that he will be able to "get along" with China and his continual praise of Chinese President Xi Jinping indicates that there may be another agenda behind the Trump policy than simply viewing China as a "rival." In fact, rather than a "rival," Trump may see China as a "competitor," with whom he may compete, or with whom he may strike a deal.

Were all the threatened tariffs to go into effect, it would have ramifications for the Chinese economy, as well as, and perhaps even more seriously for, the U.S. consumer. Some feel it could even cause a world recession. It would be extremely difficult to achieve a level of comity and understanding in dealing with strategic or other issues of importance between the two nations if cutthroat competition is initiated on the economic level.

A draconian tariff policy would also have effects far different than those intended by the president. If there is anything approaching a trade war-like situation with China, Trump's plan to "make America great" would come to naught.

Building new supply chains or attempting to become self-sufficient in manufactures would take perhaps years and at great cost to the conditions of life of Americans. The type of austerity that would be imposed on the American consumer during such a transition would no doubt have disastrous political effects for the president and the Republican Party, perhaps as early as the mid-term elections in 2027.

It is unlikely that Trump will allow things to go so far as to endanger the somewhat slim support he has in Congress as well as the still strong support he has among the people, if these policies do not help to quickly revive the U.S. economy.

Trump is also known for quickly changing course if it is in his interest. It is also possible that the president is using the threat of tariffs as a negotiating stance in order to achieve a more beneficial resolution of trade issues before they go into effect. After all, Trump's mantra is the "art of the deal."

The fact of the matter is that the revival of the U.S. economy requires more investment in U.S. infrastructure and a concerted effort on the part of the U.S. government in promoting science and technology. Neither of those are occurring at the present moment. Reviving America could be done most rapidly if the U.S. were to find a way to work with China and not against it.

China has become adept at rapid infrastructure development. Cooperation with Chinese scientists and the presence of Chinese students in U.S. academic institutions has added greatly to U.S. scientific prowess through the years. The loss of that capability under the notorious "China Initiative," the program by the U.S. Department of Justice to deter Chinese participation in American research and industry citing security concerns, and similar anti-China campaigns has had a devastating effect on both science and education in the United States.

A cynical British pundit is supposed to have once said, "Americans can always be trusted to do the right thing, once all other possibilities have been exhausted." It is hoped that a pragmatic Trump will at last "do the right thing" to revive the American economy.

William Jones, a special commentator on current affairs for CGTN, is a former Washington bureau chief for EIR News Service and a non-resident fellow of the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies, Renmin University of China.