Enduring legacy of old generation of China hands

I was saddened by the recent passing of Nicholas Platt, a distinguished diplomat and one of the first China hands I met in New York after I began my assignment in the United States in late 2009.

Platt was among the pioneering group of US diplomats who established the US liaison office in Beijing in 1973.

He later became the US ambassador to Zambia, the Philippines and Pakistan. We met many times at seminars and events hosted by the Asia Society, where he had served as president from 1992 to 2004.

I had the privilege of interviewing Platt at the China Daily office in Times Square for a profile on his China experience, including his memoir China Boys.

The book talks about the early days of US-China relations, including anecdotes from US president Richard Nixon's historic visit to China in 1972.

When former US president George H. W. Bush passed away on Nov 30, 2018, I was in Brussels. Bush's China Diary mentioned Platt's contributions during their time at the liaison office, prompting me to conduct a phone interview with Platt once again.

The profile on Platt was one of many such stories I did during my nearly nine years in the US, featuring interviews with prominent figures. Sadly, some of these esteemed individuals, such as Ezra Vogel, have also passed away.

Platt often described himself as an optimist regarding China-US relations. He was excited about the dramatic growth in bilateral relations over the decades and viewed occasional frictions between the US and China as normal since the relationship was getting bigger. He firmly believed that both sides would be able to manage these challenges effectively.

The older generation of China specialists in the US I spoke with had nuanced views of the relationship, shaped by their studies during the difficult years of the 1950s and 1960s when it was not possible to visit the Chinese mainland.

They also provided more honest analyses of the relationship because most of them were no longer working in the government and were not seeking future government jobs.

Besides, the revival of McCarthyism in the US today was much less of a concern a decade ago except for occasional China-bashing by some politicians.

In 2014, China and the US launched a 10-year visa program to promote mutual exchanges. The Barack Obama administration encouraged studying in China and learning Chinese, particularly under its 100,000 Strong Initiative.

Chinese investment was welcomed in the US and highlighted by the fact that the Chinese delegation was always the largest at the annual SelectUSA investment summit.

Additionally, for the first time the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy was invited to attend the RIMPAC multinational naval exercise in 2014 and then again in 2016.

The China hands I interviewed in those days were highly respected. Most of them praised China on some issues and criticized it on others based on their extensive experience observing and analyzing the country.

Unfortunately, many China specialists in the US today, especially the younger generation, tend to be influenced by political correctness amid heightened geopolitical tensions.

Reading their articles and listening to their talks, the contrast with a decade ago is quite apparent. Many now mimic the confrontational rhetoric of China hawks in Washington because it would pave the way for a future role in the administration, regardless of party affiliation.

China welcomes genuine criticism. However, there is a clear distinction between constructive criticism based on facts and unfounded China-bashing.

As China specialists, their responsibility is to provide objective and balanced analyses instead of jumping on the bandwagon of smear campaigns.

This responsibility is the enduring legacy left by the old generation of China hands, like Nicholas Platt, for the new wave of China specialists.

The author is a China Daily columnist.

chenweihua@chinadaily.com.cn