Letters to the Editor: Thanks to Trump, the U.S. is in no position to criticize China

To the editor: By criticizing the Biden administration for not more strongly pushing back during its first high-level meeting with the Chinese government, columnist Jonah Goldberg is missing the forest again.

After four years of racism, xenophobia, the Big Lie, an insurrection and so much more, Goldberg seems to only see the trees in criticizing Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken for being “anemic.” He’s totally missing the difficulty for the U.S. in taking any moral position in the world.

Our image has been so severely damaged that the rebuilding must be slow and methodical. To take any other approach would be, in my opinion, incompetent and foolish.

So I applaud Blinken in his more thoughtful approach to diplomacy, especially with our greatest competitor, China.

Dennis Sands, Montecito, Calif.

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To the editor: Did it make sense for representatives of the Biden administration to begin their first high-level meeting with China by criticizing that country’s government? Didn’t that put China on the defensive, as it responded by condemning racism in America?

Blinken seemed more concerned with scoring points with the American public than creating an environment that fosters listening and understanding by both great countries, with a goal of working together for a sustainable planet.

This does not require a high level of professional intelligence — just common sense. If you want to establish a working relationship with a peer or a competitor, you don’t begin by being critical and provoking a negative reply.

Doris Isolini Nelson, Los Angeles