Join us on September 10 for a free, virtual Asia Society Northern California program, “Critical Minerals, Technology, and the Future of U.S.-China Competition,” featuring Walter Copan, Gloria Xiong, and Cory Combs. We will discuss U.S. vulnerabilities, China’s competitive position, federal and California initiatives, the role of allies, and the prospects for reducing or managing dependence on China.
Registration: https://asiasociety.org/northern-california/events/critical-minerals-technology-and-future-us-china-competition
Seeking Truth Through Facts in Innovation & US-China Relations
A brief essay that reflects on the meaning of “seeking truth through facts” (实事求是) as both a classical Chinese scholarly method and a contemporary challenge in U.S.–China policy discourse. Drawing on its origins in the Book of Han, its later use by Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping, and my own experience moderating an Asia Society program on innovation, the piece explores how facts are often distorted by politics, emotion, and narrative convenience. Using examples from intellectual property debates and the misuse of statistics, it argues that factual rigor remains indispensable, especially when facts challenge deeply held beliefs.
