This is a demanding task. Indeed, if there is a Red Team it is constituted of those in China who think like the U.S. Blue Team. The two feed on each other's often extreme and inflammatory views. In recent years, while vexing the U.S. in many ways, China has startlingly acceded to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, declared a moratorium on nuclear testing and signed the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. It has said consistently that it will not use nuclear weapons first, complied significantly with the Missile Technology Control Regime and is supportive so far of an initiative to ban the production of fissile material.
China boasts unprecedented economic growth, despite untold domestic problems.
President Jiang Zemin has even subjected himself to inept interrogation by Mike Wallace on U.S. national television. The Communist Party is trying, almost wholeheartedly, to curb corruption. Beijing is boldly attempting to join the World Trade Organization. Positive aspects of the admittedly blameworthy Chinese government should not be ignored if we want China to continue to get better and if we want to get along better with China. Starting every bilateral exchange with an insult or two is clearly counterproductive.