Ru Zi Ke Jiao

[This post is for EVERYONE.]

I’ve long been a proponent of the idea that China is poised to lead the world. Back in 2003, I predicted that by 2020 (just 17 years) China would be number 1. I wasn’t just referring to economics, I was referring to leadership. Back then, my students laughed at me and said “Oh Nash, you really don’t know China.” My reply, “Oh students, you really don’t know America.” Today, everyone knows America a bit better.

Everyone knew China’s upward trajectory, but few realized that America’s trajectory was downward. I did. My students asked how I could be so sure. I answered, “If you plant apple seeds today, tomorrow [in the near future] you’re going to get apples.” And so, the intersection of these two trajectories will occur much sooner than my students could have imagined back then.

I still hold to my 2020 prediction. HOWEVER, that prediction was ALWAYS based on the next generation of Chinese – I’m talking about people like you, the students of SZZX – standing up and leading their country. [LEAD = SACRIFICE = LOVE] Unfortunately for China, far too many (most?) of my former students aren’t interested in sacrificing for a better China. They would rather flee the country and take care of themselves and their families first. That is their right, and there is nothing inherently wrong with that. But thank God that Deng Xiaoping didn’t have that attitude, because if he did, then the students today wouldn’t have that option. They wouldn’t have ANY options.

I’m reminiscing about all of this because of a recent Boston Globe article subtitled: When will China lead the world? Don’t hold your breath The article’s overarching theme is the rise of Asia, but as a practical matter, it’s about China’s rise. Below are a few excerpts. Whether you agree or disagree, it’s important to have a variety of perspectives in order to see things clearly. So don’t hesitate to go and tackle the entire article.

“As Asia throws up barriers to immigration, in the United States immigration helps ensure long-term economic vitality. Chinese and Indian immigrants accounted for almost one-quarter of all companies in Silicon Valley, according to research by AnnaLee Saxenian at the University of California-Berkeley.”

“Most important, the United States is a champion of an idea that has global appeal, and Asia is not. During the opposition protests in Iran, demonstrators look to the United States, not China or Indonesia or even India, to make a statement. In a reversal of the Iranian regime’s rhetoric, some protestors even chant “Death to China” because of Beijing’s support for the repressive government in Tehran. As long as protestors in places like Iran, or Burma or Ukraine, call out for the American president, and not China’s leader or India’s prime minister, the United States will remain the preeminent power.”

“To be the global hegemon requires military, economic, and political might, but it also means offering a vision for the world.”