U.S. must approach China with humility, respect: Singaporean diplomat

Photo taken on Sept. 24, 2015 shows the national flags of China (R) and the United States as well as the flag of Washington D.C. on the Constitution Avenue in Washington, capital of the United States. (Xinhua/Bao Dandan)

NEW YORK, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- The United States should approach China with humility and out of respect for its longer history despite the current obstacles and difficulties, a Singaporean diplomat has said.

"China is not threatening the United States. China is not mounting a military invasion of the United States. China is not sending troops to the U.S. border or naval ships close to the United States," Kishore Mahbubani, a Singaporean civil servant, career diplomat and academic, said in an article published online by Newsweek on Tuesday.

"China has been around for 5,000 years. The United States has been around for 250 years. And it's not surprising that a juvenile like the United States would have difficulty dealing with a wiser, older civilization," said Mahbubani, who served as a diplomat for Singapore for 33 years.