On March 26, the Danish newspaper Berlingske Tidende (Berling’s Times) published a long interview with Da Wei, Director of the Center for International Security and Strategy at Tsinghua University (CISS) and Vice Chair of China Forum. In the interview, Da Wei explained his views on China’s relations with Western powers led by the United States, the path of national development, the Ukraine crisis, etc.
Regarding China-U.S. relations, Da Wei believed that only peace would bring mutual benefits to both sides since both could benefit from the huge trade and educational exchanges between the two countries. However, given the current situation, it is very difficult for China and the U.S. to move toward each other. The U.S. has continued to suppress China, stirring up trouble and accusing China, and interfere in China’s internal affairs. According to Da Wei, the strategy of China is highly coherent, while that of the U.S. toward China has shifted from engagement to strategic competition which is even escalating. Fearing that China will be on par with the U.S. and feeling unbearable to be challenged by other countries, the U.S. is afraid of China’s development. Given that the U.S. has continued to suppress China, China has to fight back. If the U.S. ever cuts ties with China, it will be not only China but also the U.S. that suffers. In fact, the United States is isolating itself; China has never rejected the world.
On the topic of the social system and development path, Da Wei stressed that it was impossible for China to change its system just because the U.S. doesn’t like the way China is. Western powers led by the United States should never count on China to accept the Western system, which is a colonialist mentality. Imposing your own ideas on others at your pleasure will not work. It is a cognitive distortion and unfair for the U.S. to say that China’s system is a threat to itself. The West should realize that not all countries in the world are supposed to be the same as themselves. There are some countries that tried to copy the Western model, ending in failure.
When it comes to the Ukraine crisis, many people in the West thought that China was on Russia’s side, but the issue was far more complicated than that, and China did not actually choose a side, Da Wei said. Many Chinese showed certain sympathy for Russia, not because they were in support of the conflict, but because they empathized with Russia as a country facing Western hegemony.
Da Wei also answered questions from the journalist on Xinjiang and Hong Kong.