The soft power of inspiration is not the only ethical tradition in American foreign policy. There is also an interventionist and crusading tradition.

Many countries, not just the United States, are disadvantaged by China’s unfair trade practices. Rather than confront the challenge alone, the United States should work to address the problem as a team sport. Doing so would be more effective and less costly than hoping U.S.-China tit-for-tat tariffs do not do significant harm to American workers, but do lead to a change in China’s economic policies.

AMBASSADOR BRANSTAD: (In progress) ambassador’s residence. My wife Chris and I are really honored and pleased to have Secretary of State Rex Tillerson her

Two major American car manufacturers, Ford Motor Company and Tesla, are moving ahead with plans in China that seem a direct challenge to President Donald Trump’s crusade to keep American manufacturing jobs in the U.S. Surprisingly, the companies seem to have met little resistance from the administration thus far.

Skeptics of land reforms throughout the world fear that land redistribution in developing states may further victimize those who are already more disadvantaged and marginalized. And recent unrests in Kazakhstan due to Chinese investors demonstrate such concerns, highlighting land reform to be a complicated process with the potential of igniting social movements and mass mobilizations.

Security Advisor Susan E. Rice met with senior Chinese officials in Beijing, China on July 25 to prepare for President Obama’s visit to China in early September and to discuss bilateral, regional, and global issues of mutual interest. This was Ambassador Rice’s fourth visit to China as National Security Advisor.

The untimely passing of Ambassador Wu Jianmin is a reminder that President Xi’s mantra of “no conflict or confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation” is worth repeating by more “doves” in both countries. The China-US relationship must be guided by more common sense, so that the “core interests” of both sides will not be undercut by “hawks” craving for war.

Overthrowing the autocratic regime of Saddam Hussein inflamed the Sunni-Shiite rivalry in the Middle East, and provided a breeding ground for the Islamic State. The new wave of terror attacks in Europe is also the bitter result of its irresponsible policies during the Arab Spring, and the consequences are fueling ongoing resentment toward Western governments.

Through interventionist misadventures in Iraq, Syria, and Libya, the U.S. has been a major contributing factor in the unrest and has proven incapable of maintaining peace and order by its own effort. China has a non-confrontational approach to international relations and can be an effective partner in complementing the U.S. in anti-terrorism efforts.

The campaign roils with entertaining tactics and distractions as voters shrug off elite candidates and embrace mavericks. There is no perfect presidential candidate or perfect president, and after weighing their advantages and disadvantages, the less disadvantaged should be chosen.