U.S.-China Mutual Trust Committee
Historical and Cultural Context
Rationale
Our Committee is of the conviction that to understand the present, we need to look back to the past. Accordingly we offer here a parallel look at the historical context and cultural perspectives of both the U.S. and China, and a Summary of our findings.
Historical and Cultural Context of
U.S. Perspectives on the World
We examine three topics that have lasting effects in how the U.S. views the world:
The Doctrine of Discovery, Colonialism, and Euroocentrism in Europe and the U.S.
Early U.S. Trade with China
The U.S. in the 21st Century
Historical and Cultural Context of
Chinese Perspectives on the World
We examine three corresponding topics in Chinese history that shed light on how China views the world:
China’s Tributary System and Sinocentrism
Chinese in the U.S
China in the 21st Century
Summary of Findings
From a review of the historical and cultural context of both U.S. and China’s perspectives on the world (as explored more fully in the Appendix), we can summarize the following observations:
Differences in Historical Practices
World Economy
International Diplomacy