Evan Osnos, a 2008 Pulitzer Prize-winner for investigative reporting, will speak at Florida State College at Jacksonville next week on what he refers to as the “China-American paradox.”Osnos, who lived in China for eight years s the Beijing bureau chief for the Chicago Tribune, has been examining what he calls, “the world’s most important international relationship.”
He questions whether the U.S. and China are on a collision course.
“What kind of relationship should we have with this country that doesn’t share our political values but is a much too important part of our lives to be regarded as an adversary?” Osnos asked.
China is a nation that is integrated with the U.S. economically and culturally. However, according to Osnos, China is staking out a more confrontational position politically and militarily. The U.S. must sustain alliances with nations such as Japan and Indonesia while China also presses to become more unified with it's Western ally.
“I think there is a feeling these days that unless the United States and China recognize the power and potential danger of this moment we run the risk of ending up in a conflict,” he said.
Osnos’ goal is to address steps that citizens and policy makers can take to diffuse distrust and suspicion.
His talk at FSCJ on Feb. 25 is free, but tickets are required. Tickets can be ordered by emailing jcarpent@fscj.edu with the subject line “Osnos Tickets.”
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