US diplomat's farewell message brings important lesson

"A bosom friend afar brings a distant land near". This is the most welcome translation on the web for a famous poem, written by the early Tang poet Wang Bo. Having been recited for hundreds of years, these words carry great meaning.

When Robert W. Forden, the former Chargé d'affaires of the US Embassy in China, showed his calligraphy in public and wrote down these words in a video released on July 13, two days after the end of his term, he seemed to fully understand what these words would mean. As a subscriber of the US Embassy blog, I was impressed to see Forden sent a friendly farewell message to ordinary Chinese citizens.

An experienced diplomat, Forden spent one-third of his career in China or handling China-related affairs. His first trips to China can be traced back to the early 1980s, shortly after China and the US normalized their relations. It is not an exaggeration to say he is among the rare American officials that truly understand Chinese history and contemporary China.

In his video, Forden shared his experiences of "going out and contacting ordinary Chinese people in-person". He was no stiff bureaucrat sitting in his office, but rather an energetic traveler trying to bridge cultural gaps. Needless to say, Forden knows why it is important to promote understanding and avoid misunderstanding.

"The biggest mistake, I think, anybody can make is to believe that the people of our two countries are hostile to each other", he said.

I can't agree more. Both the Chinese and American people are great people on the planet. They have created a high level of material achievement, advanced the welfare for their own people and endeavored to provide public goods wherever there is a need. In fact, just a few years ago, China and America worked together and cooperated very well in most aspects.

Then why has there been growing tension, even covert hostility between our two societies in recent years? This is a real question that needs sincere answers. Looking at the current state of China-US relations, or broader China-West relations, we may well be astonished at what is happening now and what is going to happen next. How come these bilateral or multilateral relations have worsened so much, and so quickly?

The reasons for that are undoubtedly complex, but US public opinion shifting from globalism to nativism did add fuel to the flame. According to recent polls, large proportions of respondents hold negative attitudes toward China. Also, there are increasing reports of hate crimes toward Asians, especially toward Chinese. To put it bluntly, the changing political atmosphere in the United States not only results in deteriorating relations with China, but also undermines the principles that the United States has upheld for decades.

I am not here to blame ordinary Americans for having what Forden termed "dated and narrow understanding". I would rather criticize the sources of these misunderstandings and further condemn those who intentionally manipulate public opinion to advance their own interests. The populist method of political mobilization can never last long.

Forden's generalization reminds me public opinion is constructed through what audiences are exposed to. If ordinary Americans are constantly exposed to filtered news and toxic comments, e.g. the Fox News, then their hostility to China or to Chinese is certain. In contrast, if they are exposed to fair and neutral information concerning China, then that hostility could very well disappear.

For the past few decades, China and the US have sought to establish and maintain a mature constructive relationship. Yet they have so far experienced many periods of ebb and flow. To avoid further bumpy repetitions, both sides need to find a long-term solution for their bilateral relations. For that to happen, we need to make sure no side is hostile to the other. The time is now to prevent a grudge from building between the two societies.

The recently departed Forden could make great strides in this regard. To begin with, he could share his experiential knowledge with ordinary Americans, telling them the truth that ordinary Chinese are not hostile. Furthermore, Forden may also tell the public ordinary Chinese can speak better English than before. He could also encourage more Americans to visit China and have personal contact with average Chinese. Last but not least, Forden should tell the public Chinese people are more willing than ever before to engage the world.

The author is a research fellow at the Institute of American Studies (CASS).

The opinions expressed here are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of China Daily and China Daily website.

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