David Firestein appears on McCuistion TV: “What do Americans need to know about China?”

In this episode of McCuistion TV, Bush China Foundation President and CEO David Firestein discusses his time in China as both an U.S. diplomat in Beijing and also a student at Peking University during the student protests and tragic events at Tiananmen in 1989. He also speaks to the Biden Administration’s position on China and the key strategic objectives in the bilateral relationship.

“There’s a realization that the United States needs to look at China with fresh eyes and understand China for the country that it is, for the system that it is, and to be clear-eyed about China and address the challenges that China presents to the United States. But at the same time we need to recognize there are some things that we are going to need to work with China on in order to generate effective solutions. Getting that balance right is where the discussion is in this country.”

Later in the program, Mr. Firestein offers his thoughts on both the changing trade and investment bilateral relationship  and the unlikelihood of any sort of armed warfare between the two countries. He speaks to both the deterioration of the relationship in the past four years and ways the United States can now strengthen it through confidence-building measures like restoring consulates and student visas.