As the anniversary of President Nixon’s secret trip to China in February 1972 approaches, it’s critical to recall the dramatic changes that occurred between China, the United States, and the world.

Eileen Gu, the American-born Gen Z gold medalist who competed for China in the Olympics, set off a firestorm on nationality and identity issues in light of her success at the Winter Games. Her preference for duality defies previous generations’ binary perspectives, and makes room for discussion on how one claims space for themselves in 2022.

Mutual unfavourability between the populaces of China and the United States are on the rise, but a moratorium to Sino-American hostility at large cannot occur without efforts from citizens of both countries.

The narrative of Sino-American relations often concerns high-level interactions - yet people-to-people and other societal exchanges can reveal and repair more than official dialogue can often accomplish.

China’s younger generations have seen their country prosper and grow stronger for nearly their entire lives, cultivating a sense of pride and identity unique from their older counterparts. Now, as the United States has begun to openly challenge China’s rise, attitudes toward America are being eroded.

Prominent scientists from renowned universities in the United States are raising their voices to protest the unfair persecution of their colleagues of Chinese origin by the U.S. Department of Justice. Xenophobia is not conducive to maintaining technical leadership.

The 2021 Olympics was a major milestone in a world reeling from COVID. Thousands of athletes and national representatives congregated in Tokyo to demonstrate that the tensions being traded by political leaders don’t always reflect the hearts and minds of their constituents.

The Biden administration has not yet revoked a rollover proclamation from the Trump administration which bans students from China to enter the United States.

Scholars and students have been caught in the crossfire as the Sino-American relationship takes a turn for the worse.

Eminent scholar on East Asia, who played an early role in laying the groundwork for reconciliation between China and the United States, died in December at age 90. But the ideas expounded in his writings continue to foster understanding.