Robert Daly of the Kissinger Institute on the morality of U.S. China policy

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This week on the Sinica Podcast: a lecture by Robert Daly, director of the Wilson Center’s Kissinger Institute, delivered last year to D.C.-based Faith & Law at their Friday Forum. The lecture, titled “Is Our Foreign Policy Good? American Moral Absolutism and the China Challenge,” is a powerful and thought-provoking talk. Kaiser follows up with a long conversation with Robert about the themes raised in the talk, and then some. Enjoy.

03:04 โ€“ A talk by Robert Daly from June 24th, 2022, given at Faith & Lawโ€™s Friday Forum

45:49 โ€“ What is lacking in the mainstream dialogue about American policies on China-related issues?

49:37 โ€“ Over-willingness to turn towards a military approach in the U.S.-China relationship in recent years

1:00:48 โ€“ The missionary aspect of the American approach in dealing with China

1:05:02 โ€“ The differences and commonalities between Chinese and American exceptionalism

1:17:42 โ€“ Are we in a state of Cold War with China?

1:23:54 โ€“ The question of moral standing in light ofย whataboutism

1:27:08 โ€“ Comparing American intentions with Chinese realities and the issue of moral absolutism

1:44:50 โ€“ What a โ€œJust Cold Warโ€ would involve?

1:51:34 โ€“ Can the U.S. imagine a world in which it is not a hegemonic power?

A complete transcript of this podcast is available at TheChinaProject.com.

Recommendations:ย 

Robert:ย The House of Sixty Fathersย (a Newbury Award-winning book) by Meindert DeJong with illustrations by the late Maurice Sendak

Kaiser:ย Wolf Hall: A Novelย by Hilary Mantel

Anda Unionย (Inner Mongolian band)