China, he said, is mainly concerned with sovereignty and unity, while Taiwan wants security and real freedom. Using the negotiations that led to Taiwan's joining the Asian Development Bank in the late 1980s as an example, Lilley noted that it is possible to work out arrangements that satisfy all four of these concerns. As for what the United States could do to help things along, Lilley suggested that it would be best for us to do nothing. Let the hundred flowers bloom, let the hundred schools of thought contend. But at the same time, the United States should neither dismiss China's bellicose rhetoric out of hand nor overreact to it.
Subtlety works better.
Lilley also said that the United States should continue emphasizing trade and economics in its dealings with China rather than trying to change Chinese behavior overtly.