The Taiwanese and Chinese Deserve Better

It is long past time for today’s China, which in Mao Zedong’s words “has stood up,” to finally reject his other, more infamous, aphorism: “Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun.” The decent, intelligent, talented Chinese people deserve better—the full political benefits of citizenship in the world community and its respect for more than their economic and military prowess.

As for America’s “inevitable” decline, as Mark Twain would say, the rumors are greatly exaggerated.

Joseph A. Bosco served in the office of the secretary of defense as China country desk officer from 2005 to 2006 and previously taught graduate seminars on China-U.S. relations at Georgetown University’s Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service. He is now a national security consultant.