A former Secretary of Defense spoke Thursday on the changing relations between the United States and China in years past, present and future. Harold Brown, who served as Secretary of Defense under the Carter Administration spoke about his experiences with China in 1980, his observations of the current China and his predictions of future relations between China and the United States.
“Military was behind,” Brown said of his 1980 visit to China. “Civilian life was equally behind. Bicycles were the main form of transportation.”
Brown reflected on the difference between the China of 1980 and the China of today.
“How the world has changed in 32 years,” he said.
Brown acknowledged the significant economic and technological advances the Chinese have made over the last 30 years. According to Brown, China’s Gross Domestic Product is 10 times greater today than it was in 1980. China’s international footprint and technological advances have increased as much as the GDP.
“The rise of China was not only inevitable, but the most important international development in the last 30 years,” he said.
Brown also spoke of the tensions between the U.S. and China.
“The relationship [between the U.S. and China] has moved between cordiality and non-cordiality [over the last 30 years],” he said.
Brown then addressed some issues that could impact the future relationship between the two nations. First, he spoke of the United States’ extreme debt.
“Now that’s a bleak picture,” Brown said. “But we in the United States also have a history of overcoming bleak, even desperate, situations.”
According to Brown, China’s main issue is the extreme nationalism of the Chinese.
“At times, the idea of nationalism gets out of hand,” he said.
After speaking of the past and present China, Brown moved on to speak of the future between the two countries.
“Competition between the U.S. and China is inevitable,” he said.
Brown shared his ideas for minimizing conflict.
“We need to get our act together,” he said of the U.S. “And the PRC [People’s Republic of China] needs to take more responsibility.”
Brown said he believes the Chinese will push its boundaries in Asia and more tensions could occur between the U.S. and China as China makes advances in the east.
“Getting to 2030 without a major conflict will be a great accomplishment,” he said. “Avoiding it [conflict] requires skill on both sides.”
