Q: Should the US increase relations with China?
A:
The US should improve its relationship with China. If the US really values “Man is created equal”, it should support the vision of the Share Future for Mankind.
I think that Maslow's hierarchy of needs is to a person and to a country. From the bottom up, 1) the US is rich and capable to satisfy the physiological needs of its citizens.; 2) the US is the most strong country and is safe; 3) the US should embrace love and peace other than fear and war; 4) the US enjoys a lot of esteem in international politics; 5) joining China to build the Shared Future for Mankind will make the US really great again.
However, the US is trapped at the bottom of Maslow's hierarchy of needs greedy for material interest like a black hole. It is not healthy mentally for the US and its people.
When China is comfortable with the world order under the US leadership, Obama said China is eating free lunch. So China contributes more and more to the international community. Then the US regards China as increasing its influence and considers China as aggressive. The US always makes itself uncomfortable with China regardless of whether China does or does not do anything. This is a syndrome of paranoia.
China suggests that the US and China should have a relationship of no conflict, no confrontation, mutual respect, and win-win cooperation. If the US really believes in “Man is created equal”, why not embrace this suggestion and have an equal relationship with China?
If our world all embraces the relationship of no conflict, no confrontation, mutual respect, and win-win cooperation and works together for the future of mankind, we will have a peaceful and productive world order. In this world order, the US will lose nothing but climbs to the top of the pyramid of Maslow's hierarchy of needs.
We know the Thucydides Trap in history. We call it a trap because it is stupid. The vested power to wage war on emerging power is futile. War or no war, the world will continue to progress. War will not change the direction of human progress, only accelerate it. The trend will not be changed that one power is falling and another is rising. If human being is smart enough, they will be able to avoid war while letting the world progress at the same time. Human is smart. Human is smart to learn from history. If we know it's a trap in history, we should avoid the trap. To avoid the Thucydides Trap, the US should keep a trusted relationship with China. A trusted relationship between the US and China not only can avoid the Thucydides Trap, but also earns the US safety, belonging and love, esteem, and self-realization in the building of the Shared Future for Mankind. A good relationship with China, therefore, gains the US all the top four levels of the Maslow Pyramid.
Our technology and productivity are at such a level that capable enough to have all people in the world a decent life without wars and famines. All we need is a healthy world order. A healthy world order needs a good relationship between the US and China.
