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.