China, U.S. share same aspirations despite complex differences, says expert

RIO DE JANEIRO, Feb.20-- China and the United States share the same aspirations to improve the lives of their respective populations despite their ideological and cultural differences, Brazilian expert Gaio Doria has said recently.
   "A large part of the turmoil in U.S.-China relations is due to historic factors and willful ignorance designed to incite anti-China sentiment," Doria, an expert on China who holds a PhD in law from Renmin University of China, told Xinhua in a recent interview. The complex ties between China and the United States should be viewed through the lens of history, Doria added.
   The research fellow at the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development highlighted a newly-published book -- "Fake Fear: America and China Relations" -- which explores the historical links that bind the two peoples. The book was written by Chinese scholar Xin Jiyan.
   The Chinese participated in the construction of the United States and in building its identity and national culture, said Doria.
   However, as the book points out, "the hostility and isolation of the two countries during the Cold War decades hampered the Chinese people's understanding of the United States, and Americans' understanding of China, leading to stereotypes that prevail to this day," said the expert.
   He warned against rising anti-China sentiment in the 21st century, saying that the vilification of China is "sorely outdated."
   Despite ideological, political and cultural differences, Doria said, "there isn't a big difference between the Chinese dream and the American dream," as both ultimately seek to improve standards of living.
   "The only difference is that China believes the way to make the dream come true is through collective efforts and by recognizing the reality of the 21st century, which is marked by the connectivity between countries," he said.
   China's political and economic model has worked but that success is deeply discomforting some Western countries with different developing models, said Doria. "That's why Western nations such as the United States are actively demonizing China."
   He recounted former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger's visit to Beijing in November 2018, when Kissinger described cooperation between China and the United States as "essential for peace and prosperity in the world."
   The Brazilian expert said "Fake Fear" is a valuable source of reference for anyone who wants a better understanding of the developing nature of China-U.S. relations.
   The book, which was published in January in Britain, focuses on issues such as the history of diplomatic relations between China and the United States, and the need to discard the zero-sum mentality and instead focus on mutually beneficial cooperation. Xinhua.