A Rising Tide Floats All Boats – US & China

Yesterday I had the distinct pleasure of attending the Chicago Council’s presentation and dinner. The topic which was delivered by their prestigious president Marshall Bouton to some of the great business and civic leaders in Chicago was on “The Rise of Asia”. The position he took was fabulous, but there were actually Asian Americans in the crowd that took a little offense to his presentation and felt it was combative. While I don’t believe his intentions were that at all, in fact, hearing from others, he is one of the most pro-Asia supporters on the council. But the way he delivered his message and some of the wording he used could have been considered as a “us versus them” perspective instead of his real intentions which is the wealth of all nations. I think a lot of businessmen and civic leaders need to realize that when you speak of other counties and display it in a competitive manner, instantly the audience develops a feeling of me vs. them mentality. We need to change that feeling and understand that through good collaboration and a strong foundation of trust, Asia and the developed world can all prosper together.

And listen, I am all for competition; I believe competition brings out the best in everyone and without it, people become complacent in whatever they do. What’s important to understand in cross-national competition is that it cannot be, just a I win, you lose mentality, but rather, we all win and we use competition and drive to make both of our nations and the world a much better place. The I win, you lose mentality is not only a dangerous game to play amongst world powers, but most importantly, the end result of a loss is in fact the suffering of millions and billions of people. We as leaders and more importantly as citizens of this world need to ensure that prosperity and well-being is given to everyone on this earth.

There has been a growing trend of distrust amongst China and the US, and at this point most notably by our governments but even within international business transactions. This is dangerous and if this trend continues we will see two world powers driven to beat one another so much so that the world will be at the brink of disaster. I was born in China but raised in the United States and I share values of both counties and recognize the positives and negatives of both counties as well. We as leaders in our own right need to do our part to start mending this relationship, and everyone, as citizens of this earth can do something positive in this area. It has to be done, and action must be taken now, because if this trend continues, I fear a level of distrust and competition that will tear this world apart. It’s time both nations seek to rebuild trust and to remember that through collaboration, admiration, friendship and trust, we can rise the tide of this world and bring with us, prosperity and great opportunities for all the people on this earth.