Former Israeli Foreign Minister Ben Ami article: The United States must recognize China's legitimate concerns and demands

The World Press Syndicate website published an article titled "The Cold War That Doesn't Exist" by former Israeli Foreign Minister Shlomo Bin Ami on Jan. 18, saying that even if the United States did not include the new country in the so-called "democratic camp," its existing alliance system was strong, and Biden was committed to further strengthening it. For example, he is committed to reviving NATO; establishing a new defense and technology alliance with the United Kingdom and Australia; and deepening security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific Quartet Security Dialogue. This focus on the alliance is likely to be the biggest difference between Biden's China policy and that of his predecessor, Trump, who took the lead in turning to confrontation.

The article argues that the status of the United States is not unbreakable. Biden's touted "democracy summit" exposed the limits of ideology as a mobilizing tool for a global anti-China coalition. America's own "democracy" is plagued by polarization, paralysis, and discontent. Coupled with the fact that the United States has the highest number of COVID-19 deaths in the world, the "Glorious City on the Top of the Mountain" has lost its luster, to say the least.

While the United States is not ancient Rome — especially since it retains extraordinary strengths in key areas ranging from defense and diplomacy to technology and finance — it is being subject to what historian Edward Gibbon calls "the natural and inevitable influence of excessive greatness." It has failed to adapt its "democratic system" to meet the needs of its people and its responsibilities as a world power.

Ultimately, the United States is already an exhausted power and is now being challenged by a rising power. To avoid what Professor Graham Allison of Harvard University calls the "Thucydides Trap," the United States must abandon chauvinist rhetoric and replace "microphone diplomacy" with a wise and creative statesmanship. The United States must acknowledge China's legitimate concerns and demands and be prepared to negotiate accordingly.

The article concludes by saying that the United States must admit that the era of US hegemony is over. In today's multipolar world, different political cultures and institutions must learn to coexist.

Source: Reference News Network