Der Spiegel: When China becomes involved in other countries, they seem to only be concerned with business interests or natural resources. Unlike America, Beijing has not yet developed ideological missionary tendencies.
Kissinger: Americans believe that you can alter people by conversion, and that everybody in the world is a potential American. The Chinese also believe that their values are universal, but they do not believe that you can convert to becoming a Chinese unless you are born into it.
Interview here.
One Response
Thanks for the post. I think this characterization from Kissinger also echoes Martin Jacques’ insights in his recently published book – When China Rules the World http://www.amazon.com/When-China-Rules-World-Western/dp/1594201854. Although the current discourse on China’s rise as a global power is very prevalent in the US, I have this feeling that such realization is not yet being realized in most levels here in Europe