‘America’s global influence depends on cooperation with China’

Zbigniew Brzezinski, the national security adviser to former United States president Jimmy Carter, remains one of America’s leading strategic thinkers. He negotiated the normalisation of US-China relations in 1979. He spoke to Global Viewpoint week before last about Russian hacking, Taiwan and US President-elect Donald Trump.

GLOBAL VIEWPOINT: You’ve long spoken about the “political awakenings” from the Arab Spring to the Maidan protests in Ukraine as a new element affecting world affairs. Now, a different form of awakening is sweeping western democracies — populism that seems to have an affinity for Russian President Vladimir Putin. What is that about?

The populist movements in the European democracies are the result of confusion and liberation. Europeans are liberated from the past of a continent divided by the Cold War and now integrated economically, which has brought new challenges, not [the] least over migration issues. So there is confusion, and little agreement, about where they are headed in the future. As a consequence, we are getting a hysterical mess in which the recourse to violence, I’m afraid, will play an ever greater role. The situation will become more dangerous as time goes on.

Much of the above is also applicable to the current state of the American democracy. Instead of clear-headed leadership, we have sloganeering and an intensifying inclination towards domestic violence.

Some groups and political leaders may cast themselves as pro-Russian, yes, and the Russian intelligence agencies are stirring up trouble, trying to undercut European unity on Russian sanctions by encouraging sympathetic political forces. But that is all marginal compared to [the] underlying dynamic I’ve described.

GLOBAL VIEWPOINT: Speaking of Russian intelligence agencies meddling in democracies, the CIA and FBI have accused Russia of trying to tip the recent US election in Donald Trump’s favour. President Barack Obama has implicated Putin directly. Is Russia the culprit? Does Putin play that kind of direct role?

The meddling had a deliberate aim. The intention was to complicate American political life, initially without too much confidence that Putin would be able to influence events and help Trump win. Later on, as conditions changed and Trump gained traction, they were encouraged to go deeper. They became more ambitious and assertive.

Having said that, I don’t mean to suggest Russian efforts were the fundamental or in any way decisive factor of President-elect Trump’s victory. He won soundly for domestic reasons and because of his considerable political skill. But it is also wrong to say Russian efforts had no impact.

GLOBAL VIEWPOINT: A top intelligence official told me week before last that the Russians and Americans have been engaged in trying to influence elections around the world for decades. All we are seeing, he said, is “old tactics, new methods” enabled by advanced cybertools. Is that so, or would you say this kind of influence-meddling is a new departure?

Trump upset the geopolitical apple cart by taking a call from Taiwan’s president and making some follow-up comments, suggesting he questions the long-standing “One China” policy that recognises Beijing’s rule over that island nation. GLOBAL VIEWPOINT: You personally negotiated that “One China” policy with Deng Xiaoping when you served as national security adviser under president Jimmy Carter. What dangers do you see in this apparent change of course?

BRZEZINSKI: The danger I see is provoking antagonism in this foremost relationship of American foreign policy without any significant strategic accomplishment. It is not in our interest to antagonise Beijing. It is much better for American interests to have the Chinese work closely with us, thereby forcing the Russians to follow suit if they don’t want to be left out in the cold. That constellation gives the US the unique ability to reach out across the world with collective political influence.

I don’t think it is worth dissipating that with a gesture, such as the phone call, that is not followed by any constructive action. It is a pointless irritant.

A world in which America and China are cooperating is a world in which American influence is maximised. If we reduce that through stupid irritations, what do we accomplish?

GLOBAL VIEWPOINT: Some are concerned that the new Trump administration will cozy up with Russia and seek to thaw present tensions. Wouldn’t that be good for global stability because it will then break the current momentum that is pushing China and Russia together in a hostile bloc against the West?

There is nothing particularly complicated about this. It is only a matter of recognising some fundamental strategic realities. If we irritate the Chinese to the point where they begin to look for alternatives, they will find them. We won’t find that a very comfortable situation, but one fraught with dangers.

GLOBAL VIEWPOINT: Some worry that Trump’s “America First” approach, which has questioned the value of alliances as well as trade and climate pacts, will amount to a withdrawal from the world. With Europe in turmoil, and Russia not truly a world-class player, wouldn’t that leave China as the only major power with a global outlook?

If we keep that in mind, we can begin, gradually, to shape a world that is more stable than the world today, which is very unstable and very unpredictable. America’s long-term interests lie fundamentally with deepening our ties to China, not uprooting them for perceived short-term gain.

— Worldpost 2017/Global Viewpoint Network

Nathan Gardels is the editor-in-chief of the Global Viewpoint Network and WorldPost.