The Texas Paradox: How the Most Anti-China State Is Building America's China Capacity

The United States lacks the human and institutional infrastructure necessary to manage its complex relationship with China, a deficiency exacerbated by a decade of adversarial political rhetoric. David Firestein, CEO of the George H.W. Bush Foundation for U.S.-China Relations, and Eddie Conger, founder of International Leadership of Texas, argue that national security requires deep linguistic and cultural competency rather than mere military posturing. Despite Texas’s recent legislative efforts to restrict Chinese influence, the state hosts the country’s largest K-12 Mandarin program, which serves as a vital pipeline for future leaders. Current U.S. policy remains hampered by flawed assumptions—such as the belief that China intends to dismantle the international order—which ignore China’s actual reliance on global systems. Investing in large-scale, cross-cultural education is essential to move beyond performative politics and achieve a functional, long-term bilateral strategy.