Honey and vinegar: Differing approaches to foreign policy

The saying "you catch more flies with honey than vinegar" is one known to many around the world. I remember growing up hearing it from my parents and teachers as a lesson in kindness, that treating others well makes it more likely to achieve your goals than trying to force them into compliance or support. This saying was what first crossed my mind after watching China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi's press conference today on the sidelines of the third session of the 14th National People's Congress.

President Donald Trump and his administration have taken an approach that many may consider in opposition to the well-known saying. The proverb made famous by President Theodore Roosevelt, "speak softly and carry a big stick" has seemingly been thrown out the window. The Trump administration has frequently spoken quite loudly about the demands of the United States, and acted quickly on asserting those demands through the use of tariffs and other measures. Longtime allies and neighbors like Canada, Mexico, and the countries of Europe have all found themselves potentially on the wrong end of the administration's "big stick."

This approach has been coupled with an even stronger edition of "America First" than Trump's first term. In pursuing his goals, Trump administration has already led the U.S. in leaving the World Health Organization and dismantling USAID, the U.S. Agency for International Development. These moves signal the U.S. has little to no desire in pursuing its interests through international institutions, and would rather rely on its power to achieve its goals in a classic example of traditional realist political theory. It's still too early to critique the effectiveness of such an approach, but I'd venture to guess that the teachers from my childhood would certainly be critical of the lack of "honey."

In contrast, Wang frequently made comments mentioning mutual respect and win-win cooperation as foundational pillars to Chinese foreign policy. His press conference clearly sent a message of China's desire to respect all and to welcome all to show that same respect. By frequently mentioning the Global South and the international institutions that underpin the current international order, the foreign minister made it clear that China sees itself as an active member of the international community and aims to achieve its goals in cooperation with the rest of the world, rather than in opposition to it.

Wang, when addressing a question regarding the U.S.' "America First" policy stated, "We in China believe that friends should be permanent and we should pursue common interests." The comment was made in opposite of the Western saying of "there are no permanent friends, only permanent interests." Wang's statement encapsulates the two differing approaches of the countries towards foreign policy today. With the Trump administration taking on a position of "play by my rules or I'm taking my ball and going home," there's little to no room for the pursuit of common interests unless those interests align completely with the administration's. With China's stated approach, friendship is paramount and through that friendship steps can be taken to together pursue common goals and shared prosperity.

It is natural for countries to have different goals and ideologies, but a major global objective should be to build friendships despite these differences and find common ground to advance mutual interests. From the perspective of that young boy who was frequently taught about the benefits of "catching flies with honey," I hope that friendliness and kindness will prevail.