The Fractured Friendship: Mapping the Divide in US-China Relations

The transpacific relationship between the United States and China has been a powder keg of tension for years, with each side accusing the other of trying to undermine its position. As a senior visiting scholar at Harvard’s Kennedy School, I have chosen to focus on everyday Americans who have interacted with China in some way – whether as students, businesspeople, or tourists.

This phenomenon is not new; it has been happening for years, but its implications are only now beginning to sink in. The concern that what you say or do on your phone could be misconstrued and get you into trouble is a shared worry between Chinese travelers heading to the US and American officials going to China. It reflects a deep-seated distrust that has taken hold at both ends of this relationship.

The background noise of superpower rivalry makes it difficult for anyone to have a genuine conversation about where things are headed, but I believe there’s value in trying to get beyond the headlines. Americans need to understand why China is so focused on its own development – and why that focus can sometimes be misinterpreted as an attempt to challenge American dominance.

In Washington, there’s anxiety about America’s place in the world. Manufacturing jobs are being lost, and the country feels like it’s losing its superpower status. Meanwhile, in Beijing, there’s a similar worry: that a declining but still-dominant America is bent on containing China’s rise through tariffs, technology export controls, and alliances built for that purpose.

However, this isn’t a zero-sum game. The US and China don’t have to be locked in an endless cycle of competition; there are areas where they can cooperate and find shared interest. It’s just that getting beyond the rhetoric and finding those commonalities is easier said than done.

In my research, I’ll be talking to people from all walks of life – business owners, students, travelers who’ve had encounters with Chinese counterparts. By listening to their stories, I hope to get a sense of how these interactions are playing out in real-time, and what that might tell us about the broader relationship.

One thing that’s struck me so far is just how normal this seems. When I mentioned my project to friends back home, they didn’t seem surprised by the idea of traveling with a “clean phone” or using a burner. In fact, it felt almost routine – like something you do when going to a sensitive meeting or talking to a journalist.

But what does that say about our expectations around international relations? Are we so conditioned to assume that interactions between nations are inherently adversarial that we forget how much there is to gain from cooperation?

The US and China have been locked in a struggle for primacy, with each side trying to outmaneuver the other. However, as American manufacturing jobs disappear and its superpower status erodes, Beijing becomes increasingly concerned that Washington is bent on containing China’s rise through tariffs, technology export controls, and strategic alliances.

This assumes a level of sophistication and understanding around international relations that just doesn’t exist at the human level. Most people aren’t thinking about primacy or superpower status when they interact with China; they’re worried about their business, their family, their daily lives.

As I embark on this research project, it’s clear that there are no easy answers – but perhaps that’s the point. We need to stop trying to predict exactly how things will play out and start focusing on where we can find common ground.

The Biden administration’s efforts to engage with Beijing will likely be met with skepticism by some, while others will see them as a necessary step towards finding shared interests. Xi Jinping’s China must balance its ambitions with the concerns of the international community – a delicate task that requires careful diplomacy and cooperation.

Ultimately, I’m convinced that we’ll get closer to understanding the complexities of this relationship by listening to the stories of everyday Americans and finding ways to bridge the gap between us.