Commentary America’s China policy objectives have been flawed for decades, resulting in the ascendancy of a hyper-aggressive Chinese regime. Have the objectives of U.S. policymakers over the years with respect to China been achieved? Is the Chinese regime more democratic and less belligerent, as so-called “China hands” have argued would be “inevitable” as they pushed free trade, massive Western investments in China, and appeasement policies since the 1970s? Is there less intimidation of China’s neighbors now than there was during the Mao Zedong era? Is China more democratic—by Western definition? Appeasement of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has had disastrous results. Let us examine some of the consequences. Background The U.S. relationship with China has flipped several times over the last hundred years: Pro-China before and during World War 2. Adversarial after the CCP took control of the Chinese government in 1949. Wartime enemies during the Korean War. Back to …