A noted Chinese scholar, Ni Feng, the former director of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Institute of American Studies (CASS), writing in the CASS Journal, said that China’s understanding of the crises in the United States is wholly inadequate. Chinese scholars must sharpen their focus on the internal conflicts reshaping the United States if they are to help Beijing navigate its rivalry with Washington. He noted that the conflict with the U.S. had gone far beyond simple differences on trade. Since Washington labeled China in 2017 a “strategic competitor” the field of American studies in China “had entered a new stage serving the great power game,” in a broader competition of global influence.
He said that scholars should begin a thorough study of those internal conflicts reshaping the United States. These crises include shifts in political culture, heightened racial tensions, the unsustainability of the country’s economic and fiscal model, and the widespread influence of protectionism and populism.
