Washington, Beijing must find areas of cooperation or risk sliding into conflict: Henry Kissinger

Straits Times

*17 Nov 2020*

The *United States and China must find some basis for cooperation*, or risk sliding into a *catastrophe “comparable to World War I”,* former US secretary of state *Henry Kissinger* said at a global forum on Monday (Nov 16), delivering a stark warning on the state of ties between the two superpowers.

“I’m not saying that *we and China* will live with a consciousness of harmony. I am saying that there will always be stresses and tensions. The question is, ‘Is there a direction in which we can *cooperate* ?’” said Dr Kissinger.

Speaking at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum, which is being held virtually this year, he was among some former senior US government officials who laid out how they thought *president-elect Joe Biden should tackle US-China ties when he assumes office in January next year* .

“I think we’re in the mountain path just now, and it’s a process that *should not continue* ,” he said on Monday, adding that there was a danger of a “great catastrophe” if *both sides slipped into war and conflict*.

Mr Biden would need to open a path of dialogue with the Chinese leadership, he said, adding that both sides need to agree that “whatever other conflict they have, they *will not resort to military conflict* ”.

Both countries should also create an “ *institutional system* ” where each president appoints a special representative to remain in contact on behalf of their presidents, he said.

Having agreed to *avoid the possibility of war*, both sides can “move towards issues we should achieve”, he added.

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[1:19 pm, *09/11/2020* ] ☸️  Danny 心: 

Topic :- 

*Insights on World Peace and World Prosperity through Global Cooperation and Collaboration*

Part 1 

1. Previously, we have great elder statesman like *Mr LKY*, *Kissinger* and others *who will occasionally publish their great insights and visions about the world and regional situation and scenarios* - in order *to preserve world peace and prosperity* .

2. But recently, we are not seeing politicians with good thoughts and insights sharing their views on global and regional issues that will impact the world and the region - because the global political climate of sharing such thoughts have turn toxic.

3. But increasingly, *the world is not going on the right path for the past 4 years*, and there is an *urgent need to nudge world affairs into the right trajectory* - *for the sake of world peace, world cooperation and world collaboration* - in which many global institutions have been instituted to achieve these, notably WTO, WHO, IMF, World Bank, Paris climate agreement, TPP, Belt and Road, RCEP etc.

4. Humanity is at its worst. Global cooperation in World Affairs is almost non-existent - that smell bad for the World.

5. Aka datang ....

[1:19 pm, 09/11/2020] ☸️  Danny 心: 

Part 2

1. After World War 2 - UN, WTO, IMF, World Bank, WHO and many other World Institutions - are instituted to promote World cooperation, World peace and World prosperity - so as to prevent another world war - World War 3 which likely to draw in nuclear war.

2. For the past 4 years, we are seeing such global institutions' collaboration and settlement of issues among member Countries being chip away, and make ineffective - that come with increasing risk of crippling world cooperation, collaboration, arbitration and mediation - that will *increase the risk of superpower going down the path of military confrontation* in order *to seize economic benefits, world resources and jostle for division into friend and adversary blocs*. This is *a very dangerous development* - that is brewing in global affairs and is *moving down the trajectory of nursing a World War 3* - that will *threaten to wipe out human civilisation*.

3. *Any well meaning insights must be shared with the world to stop such trajectory*.

4. Aka datang....

[1:19 pm, 09/11/2020] ☸️  Danny 心: 

Part 3

1. The world are seeing *2 disturbing development* :-

a. *Superpower political and military lockhorn and rivarly*

b. *Economic conflict* - eg. trade war, technology war and finance war that lead to bifurcation into "dual circulation" and the formation of "dual economic orbits".

2. These *2 disturbing trajectory sow the seeds for future superpower conflict and confrontation* - that *may trigger World War 3* - *if allow to continue to manifest*.

3. The world need to reverse these trajectory by doing the following :-

a. Reform and fund world institutions such as UN, WTO, WHO etc to make them current, and effective to enforce rule of law and promote global peace, cooperation, collaboration and global prosperity.

b. Turn trade war, tech war and finance war into more collaboration in trade, tech and financial cooperation - to promote business, investment, trade and travel.

c. Promote more military engagement, setting up of hotline, conduct joint military exercise among superpowers to prevent mis-comm and mis-reading that lead to military conflict.

[1:19 pm, 09/11/2020 ] ☸️  Danny 心: 

Part 4

1. Notably, We need to see more world cooperation in:-

a. Global climate

b. Nuclear deal

c. Trade deal

d. Global supply chain

e. Vaccines deal and virus prevention deal

f. Development of vegan meat - to curb epidemic and pandemic from its source (predominantly mass slaughtering of animals).

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