T he Committee on the Present Danger, a long-defunct group that campaigned against the dangers of the Soviet Union in the 1970s and 1980s, has recently been revived with the help of Stephen K. Bannon, the president’s former chief strategist, to warn against the dangers of China. In the NY Times, Bannon says “These are two systems that are incompatible,” Mr. Bannon said of the United States and China. “One side is going to win, and one side is going to lose.”
The United States and China have been locked in difficult trade negotiations for the past two years. Mr. Trump has responded to the lack of progress by steadily ratcheting up American tariffs on Chinese goods and finding other ways to retaliate. China has responded in kind. And the two sides now appear far from any agreement that would resolve the administration’s concerns about China, including forcing American companies operating there to hand over valuable technology. Even if a deal is reached, the two sides are busy constructing broader economic barriers.
These tensions have an impact on U.S. race-relations. In Silicon valley, Steve Bannon has complained of
too many Chinese execs in Silicon Valley and
Peter Thiel has accused Google of treason. On campuses,
Chinese students and scholars have been targeted; Frank Wu’s “know your rights” speech
here ).
Confucious Institutes that teach language and culture have been closed. A
Duke professor advised students not to speak Chinese in student lounges and study areas, a statement for which she later apologized. Meanwhile,
MIT President (Rafael Reif expressed worries about the impact of these kinds of unwelcoming policies.
Frank Wu has written extensively on related issues, with other Asian-Americans sharing stories in social media and newspapers of how the heated dialogue over President Trump’s racist command to “go back” to four U.S. representatives who are U.S. citizens and racial minorities, and the ensuing rally chant “send her back”, echoes ongoing struggles with being seen as perpetual foreigners in the U.S.
MHC
