"I'm a China optimist. It's natural for Chinese civilization to have another 100 good years," says Kishore Mahbubani, a veteran Singaporean diplomat. He adds that the U.S. underestimates the ability of the Chinese people to find pragmatic solutions to their problems.

(If you want to contribute and have specific expertise, please contact us at opinions@cgtn.com. Follow @thouse_opinions on Twitter to discover the latest commentaries in the CGTN Opinion Section.)