Changing China..., by David M. Lampton

I saw that one new addition to the local library's CD collection is a series of lectures from the Chautauqua Institute. This first one comes on one CD, is about 1:15 long, and is very much like one of those NPR public affairs broadcasts.

In this lecture, Mr. Lampton is optimistic about our relationship with China, so long as we are all optimistic about it. He makes the case that our Western attitude is one of, "If China will cooperate, we can be friends; whereas, the Chinese approach is, "If we are friends, we can cooperate." He was one of the first Americans allowed into China after Mao's death, which had brought on a brief period of seclusion, and he tells us that change in China is much more positive and rapid than we think. Furthermore, he has some positive words on why we could, and should, be positive on the relationship between the People's Republic of China (Mainland) and Taiwan.

This is a 4 star must-listen for anyone who weighs our foreign policy options when going to the polls.