People were hoping that closer ties would open up China to democracy, that capitalism and democracy would go hand in hand. But it hasn’t happened and in fact, is going in reverse. The trend has been obvious for a long time. I remember reading books about the threat in the 90s.[1] In the military, China was the major adversary we trained against in the 2000s, not Russia. But the business opportunities helped mask the growing divide. It’s easy to hope for the best when profit is at stake and the outcome of cooperation (peace and trade) is so much better than the alternatives. But now people are being forced to choose between profits and values, the NBA is just one example.[2] It will take time but the tide has turned and many people will not be looked upon favorably by history, similarly to the Nazi sympathizers prior to WW2.[3] And it’s important to differentiate China and the Chinese people from the CCP. Both the CCP and their apologists in America would like to conflate the two. But Americans and the Chinese have fought together before and can hopefully (and peacefully) overcome the tyranny that currently afflicts the country.[4]

[1] https://www.amazon.com/Year-Rat-Clinton-Compromised-Security... [2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-14-aUXlEac [3] https://time.com/5414055/american-nazi-sympathy-book/ [4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_Tigers