In 2001, the Bush administration was focused on China and tensions had spiked. But as the U.S. was bogged down fighting Islamist militants in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere after 9/11, China’s economic and military power grew exponentially.
,“ said Kishore Mahbubani, Singapore’s former U.N. ambassador.
"They were doing the same things all along and we slowed down," Lewis said. U.S. officials at the time assumed that"we could put the China problem on the back burner, while we brought democracy to Iraq and Afghanistan," said Lewis, who worked on national security issues under several administrations.
After the 9/11 attacks, the Bush administration reversed course with China to gain its support at the U.N. Security Council for the fight against al Qaeda, easing pressure on Beijing over human rights and pressing Taiwan to hold off on an independence referendum. At Beijing's request, in 2002 the U.S. declared an obscure Uyghur organization, the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, a terrorist group.
"I think it took time for people to really recognize the nature of the China economic challenge, but that didn't have to do with Iraq and Afghanistan," he said."[The mentality] was, 'Hey, everybody's still making money in China, so why rock the boat?'"
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