My thoughts on China (2023)

I elected to take a class on US-China relations, and this assignment was to write a short paper answering “Will US and China go to war?”, with around 5 citations.

I argued that the US and China were already at war, largely over semiconductors (and thus AI R&D). Contrary to the behest of class directions, I wrote over the page limit.

(2026 edit: These notes represent my elementary thinking from 2023. I think about this topic differently now.)

My writing is poor compared to how I think, write, and reason today. But I think a younger me made a good argument. I enjoyed the class.

• Here is the paper.

This is a huge field, with many unsolved problems and mysteries, which makes it so interesting, sometimes scary, and often very weird! I occasionally will explain what I know to a friend, but the conversation takes around 3-4 hours. I’ll probably cover this in another piece.

Other classes I took outside of my main study (Computer Science, Math) included Jazz Dance, Disability Studies, Chinese, Law, and US-China relations. If I had unlimited time and freedom, I would enroll in more. These include, but are not limited to:

• any engineering/electrical engineering class (Computer Science majors were not allowed to take engineering courses),

• Israel-Palestine,

• courses on history, religion, and biblical characters in the medieval times,

• the Goat-Birthing Class,

• the Plants class (if the classes would not fill up so quickly each time),

• Mock Trial / more of American law,

• Self-Defense (I tried to get on this list and it was restricted to exercise science majors. Once it reopened for everyone, I no longer prioritized it for my schedule),

• Quantum Physics (I think I would have to learn more physics),

• Economics, Accounting (both of which are restricted to business students),

• Game Theory, etc.

Restrictions aside, I am convinced that I could do better by self-studying and learning instead of sitting in a classroom. I do, however, think I hit the jackpot from my Dance and China professors, for they were excellent teachers who were very good at understanding and sharing their expertise.

If I were being honest, I struggled to keep up with assignments because I didn’t find them particularly useful or interesting. But this was a cool class, and the professor was really knowledgeable and unbiased.