America’s Relationship With China’s Power Elite. When the blind Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng escaped confinement and beatings to find temporary refuge in the United States Embassy in Beijing, he thrust a huge unanticipated problem into talks between American and Chinese officials. After things settled down a bit, a relieved American official was quoted as saying “the days of blowing up the relationship over a single guy are over” (“Behind Twists of Diplomacy in China Case,” front page, May 9). The comment reflects a serious misconception that has hampered United States-China policy for years. Chen Guangcheng, like other people who stand up to abuse in China, is not “a single guy.” Mr. And what exactly is “the relationship” that American officials value and this single guy threatens?
For decades America’s managers of China policy have accepted the implicit demand of China’s rulers that they, and only they, are “China.” Yahoo! Seth's Blog. Essays. Essay Forum on the Religious.