United States

Author: Mei Renyi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-05-01
Features: After the 1991 Gulf War in the Middle East, the world economy and political landscape underwent significant changes. Many countries adjusted their domestic and foreign policies, focusing on strength, particularly on the development of comprehensive national strength, in order to pursue a path of peace and prosperity. As Comrade Jiang Zemin pointed out in the report to the 16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, "In today's world, culture, economy, and politics are intertwined, and their role and status in the competition of comprehensive national strength are becoming increasingly prominent." To develop comprehensive national strength and elevate the total economic output and living standards of the people to a new level, it is essential to adhere to the combination of "bringing in" and "going global." To comprehensively improve the level of opening up to the outside world and adapt to the new realities of economic globalization and joining the World Trade Organization, it compels us to study and understand the comprehensive national conditions of countries around the world, a new discipline. Under the current world situation, to meet the needs of various individuals, we are delighted to see that Comrade Sun Zhengda of the Southwest Jiaotong University Social Sciences Research Institute, with the strong support of some alumni from Southwest Jiaotong University and Peking University, as well as many domestic and international experts and scholars involved in foreign affairs, has personally supervised the compilation of a series titled "National Conditions and Customs of Countries Around the World." This is indeed a timely and excellent cultural public welfare initiative.
The United States is the only superpower in the world today and will likely remain the sole superpower for a considerable period in the future. China's path to the world and its role on the international stage necessitate engagement with the United States. To engage means to understand the other side—comprehensively, not one-sidedly; objectively, not subjectively; historically and dynamically, not superficially and statically. Observing a country from the outside has both advantages and disadvantages. The advantage lies in viewing a country through a third eye, which can provide a more objective perspective and reveal aspects that locals may not recognize. This is why the book "Democracy in America" by the Frenchman Alexis de Tocqueville became a classic after his visit to the United States in 1831. The disadvantage is that standing outside, without delving into the local way of life, without understanding the cultural roots, and without personally experiencing the joys and sorrows of the people, and without observing the operation of the system from close range, makes it difficult to conduct in-depth analysis.