---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Our strategic dialogue with China can…"
description: "\"Our strategic dialogue with China can both protect American interests and uphold our principles, provided we are honest about our differences on human ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d96/madeleine-albright-1360_american_our-strategic-dialogue-with-china-can-bo_2744629.jpg"
---

#  Our strategic dialogue with China can both protect…

![“Our strategic dialogue with China can both protect American interests and uphold our principles, provided we are honest about our differences on human rights and other issues and provided we use a mix of targeted incentives and sanctions to narrow these differences.” quote by Madeleine Albright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d96/madeleine-albright-1360_american_our-strategic-dialogue-with-china-can-bo_2744629.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d96/madeleine-albright-1360_american_our-strategic-dialogue-with-china-can-bo_2744629.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d96/madeleine-albright-1360_american_our-strategic-dialogue-with-china-can-bo_2744629.jpg)

> “Our strategic dialogue with China can both protect American interests and uphold our principles, provided we are honest about our differences on human rights and other issues and provided we use a mix of targeted incentives and sanctions to narrow these differences.”

[Madeleine Albright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-albright/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Balancing national interests with moral standards requires transparent dialogue and calibrated incentives and sanctions.

**In simple terms:** Protect interests while upholding principles via honest, mixed‑policy approach.

Key Takeaway

Combine dialogue with targeted measures.

Themes

foreign policy human rights strategic dialogue

Mood

cautious optimistic

Type

policy strategic

When to use this quote

- trade negotiations
- human‑rights advocacy
- multilateral forums
- policy formulation

Key Concepts

realism liberalism diplomacy

Questions to Reflect On

- How can we ensure incentives remain effective?
- What safeguards prevent rights erosion?

A Different Perspective

Success depends on mutual willingness to compromise; power asymmetries can stall progress.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[China](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/china/) [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Differences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/differences/) [Honest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honest/) [Human](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human/) [Human rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-rights/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Incentives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/incentives/) [Interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interest/) [Issues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/issues/) [Principles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/principles/) [Rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rights/) [Sanctions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sanctions/)

## Related quotes

> [“The board directors need to gain a deeper understanding of the enterprise in order to be a credible actor in the strategic dialogue.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/the-board-directors-need-to-gain-a-deeper-understanding-of-the/)

[Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/)

> [We are willing to uphold principles that have resulted in unprecedented prosperity and security throughout Europe and around the world. With the threat of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-are-willing-to-uphold-principles-that-have-resulted-in/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [A troubled and afflicted mankind looks to us, pleading for us to keep our rendezvous with destiny; that we will uphold the principles of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/a-troubled-and-afflicted-mankind-looks-to-us-pleading-for-us-to-keep/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

> [Of course, China is a key to the North Korea if we're going to solve that riddle, but they could also be helpful on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-carlucci/of-course-china-is-a-key-to-the-north-korea-if-we-re-going-to-solve/)

[Frank Carlucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-carlucci/)

> [It is just as important that we enter into a dialogue with China.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecilia-malmstrom/it-is-just-as-important-that-we-enter-into-a-dialogue-with-china/)

[Cecilia Malmstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecilia-malmstrom/)

> [Just as it wouldn't be right to only to have an economic dialogue with China, equally you shouldn't restrict your dialogue solely to issues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-osborne/just-as-it-wouldn-t-be-right-to-only-to-have-an-economic-dialogue/)

[George Osborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-osborne/)

> [Saddam's goal is to achieve the lifting of U.N. sanctions while retaining and enhancing Iraq's weapons of mass destruction programs. We cannot, we must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-albright/saddam-s-goal-is-to-achieve-the-lifting-of-u-n-sanctions-while/)

[Madeleine Albright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-albright/)

> [Israel's willingness to cooperate closely with the U.S. in protecting American interests in the region altered her image in the eyes of many officials…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yitzhak-rabin/israel-s-willingness-to-cooperate-closely-with-the-u-s-in-protecting/)

[Yitzhak Rabin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yitzhak-rabin/)

> [Other than being crazy enough to press a button, there is nothing that Putin can do militarily to fundamentally alter American interests.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/other-than-being-crazy-enough-to-press-a-button-there-is-nothing-that/)

[Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/)

> [The West in its modern form since 1945 is a miracle, and that's in our American interests. It's its good that the West is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-fried/the-west-in-its-modern-form-since-1945-is-a-miracle-and-that-s-in-our/)

[Daniel Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-fried/)

> [There are instances in which American interests align with Russia and there are those where they don't. And so the question is, can we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-ryan/there-are-instances-in-which-american-interests-align-with-russia-and/)

[Paul Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-ryan/)

> [American power should be used not just in the defense of American interests but for the promotion of American principles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kristol/american-power-should-be-used-not-just-in-the-defense-of-american/)

[William Kristol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-kristol/)

> [Throughout the twentieth century and into the beginning of the twenty-first, the United States repeatedly used its military power, and that of its clandestine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/throughout-the-twentieth-century-and-into-the-beginning-of-the-twenty/)

[Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/)

> [I believe that if we think back to the period from F.D.R. through, let us say, Bush I, until the end of the Cold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-judt/i-believe-that-if-we-think-back-to-the-period-from-f-d-r-through-let/)

[Tony Judt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-judt/)

> [We have to return to a foreign policy of restraint, one that develops our capabilities and our potential in communities across America, and not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ro-khanna/we-have-to-return-to-a-foreign-policy-of-restraint-one-that-develops/)

[Ro Khanna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ro-khanna/)

## More by Madeleine Albright

> [In 1953, the United States played a significant role in orchestrating the overthrow of Iran's popular prime minister, Mohammed Mossadegh. The Eisenhower administration believed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-albright/in-1953-the-united-states-played-a-significant-role-in-orchestrating/)

[Madeleine Albright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-albright/)

> [No matter how hard we might wish, we will not be able to transform China's behavior overnight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-albright/no-matter-how-hard-we-might-wish-we-will-not-be-able-to-transform/)

[Madeleine Albright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-albright/)

> [There are a lot of similar aspects in all the religions. The question is which side of it you hold up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-albright/there-are-a-lot-of-similar-aspects-in-all-the-religions-the-question/)

[Madeleine Albright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-albright/)

> [Whatever the job you are asked to do at whatever level, do a good job because your reputation is your resume.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-albright/whatever-the-job-you-are-asked-to-do-at-whatever-level-do-a-good-job/)

[Madeleine Albright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-albright/)

> [I am often asked if, when I was secretary, I had problems with foreign men. That is not who I had problems with, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-albright/i-am-often-asked-if-when-i-was-secretary-i-had-problems-with-foreign/)

[Madeleine Albright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-albright/)

> [Every new president inherits headaches, but President Obama has inherited an entire emergency room.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-albright/every-new-president-inherits-headaches-but-president-obama-has/)

[Madeleine Albright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-albright/)

> [I am by nature a worried optimist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-albright/i-am-by-nature-a-worried-optimist/)

[Madeleine Albright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-albright/)

> [If there's nobody in your way, you're not going anywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-albright/if-there-s-nobody-in-your-way-you-re-not-going-anywhere/)

[Madeleine Albright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-albright/)

> [I can't imagine what it is like to be raised in a society where their only statues that exist are to you and your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-albright/i-can-t-imagine-what-it-is-like-to-be-raised-in-a-society-where-their/)

[Madeleine Albright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-albright/)

> [I bought ... the pins with my three daughters in mind; the ships are beautiful, graceful, and moving along at full sail, having long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-albright/i-bought-the-pins-with-my-three-daughters-in-mind-the-ships-are/)

[Madeleine Albright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-albright/)

> [“I also think it is important for women to help one another. I have a saying: There is a special place in hell for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-albright/i-also-think-it-is-important-for-women-to-help-one-another-i-have-a/)

[Madeleine Albright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-albright/)

> [The capability of negotiating... is something that means you not only have to understand fully what you believe and what your national interests are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-albright/the-capability-of-negotiating-is-something-that-means-you-not-only/)

[Madeleine Albright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-albright/)

> [I know that war is very cruel and that life is harder when you aren't able to live in the place you called home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-albright/i-know-that-war-is-very-cruel-and-that-life-is-harder-when-you-aren-t/)

[Madeleine Albright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-albright/)

> [Women are more than 50% of almost every country in the world. Countries rob themselves of the resources of women if they keep them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-albright/women-are-more-than-50-of-almost-every-country-in-the-world-countries/)

[Madeleine Albright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-albright/)

> [What you have to be concerned about are the extremists. On the whole, we need to understand the more moderate Muslims before they become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-albright/what-you-have-to-be-concerned-about-are-the-extremists-on-the-whole/)

[Madeleine Albright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-albright/)

[Explore all 248 Madeleine Albright quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-albright/)

## More American quotes

> [I wasn't attracted to American cinema, but I fell in love with Los Angeles the minute I arrived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-varda/i-wasn-t-attracted-to-american-cinema-but-i-fell-in-love-with-los/)

[Agnes Varda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-varda/)

> [William Maxwell's my favorite North American writer, I think. And an Irish writer who used to write for 'The New Yorker' called Maeve Brennan,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-munro/william-maxwell-s-my-favorite-north-american-writer-i-think-and-an/)

[Alice Munro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-munro/)

> [I have fallen in love with American names, the sharp names that never get fat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-vincent-benet/i-have-fallen-in-love-with-american-names-the-sharp-names-that-never/)

[Stephen Vincent Benet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-vincent-benet/)

> [I really like a lot of American country stuff, so my music has that influence, but I don't like to be set within a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jade-bird/i-really-like-a-lot-of-american-country-stuff-so-my-music-has-that/)

[Jade Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jade-bird/)

> [I certainly don't think that the heirs of the American Revolution were a particularly noble class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/i-certainly-don-t-think-that-the-heirs-of-the-american-revolution/)

[H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/)

> [Congress passed the American Rescue Plan Act in a tremendous investment to support millions of workers without a paycheck and behind on bills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-auchincloss/congress-passed-the-american-rescue-plan-act-in-a-tremendous/)

[Jake Auchincloss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-auchincloss/)

> [Small businesses are the backbone of the American economy and employ almost half of the working population. Yet because of their size, they rarely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-lipinski/small-businesses-are-the-backbone-of-the-american-economy-and-employ/)

[Dan Lipinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-lipinski/)

> [Although I write in English, and despite the fact that I'm from America, I consider myself an Armenian writer. The words I use are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/although-i-write-in-english-and-despite-the-fact-that-i-m-from/)

[William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/)

> [When we first sold the Wallace and Gromit shorts to America, people suggested we get rid of the strange British accents and put clear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-park/when-we-first-sold-the-wallace-and-gromit-shorts-to-america-people/)

[Nick Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-park/)

> [Firefighters and rescue workers are American superheroes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-kennedy/firefighters-and-rescue-workers-are-american-superheroes/)

[Kerry Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-kennedy/)

> [France has not only built a bureaucratic barrier against American culture, it has constructed a notorious intellectual case against it as well. The French…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-cowen/france-has-not-only-built-a-bureaucratic-barrier-against-american/)

[Tyler Cowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-cowen/)

> [New York and San Francisco are distinctly different. San Francisco is driving the American media, not New York. You have young, microwaved millionaires and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-whitlock/new-york-and-san-francisco-are-distinctly-different-san-francisco-is/)

[Jason Whitlock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-whitlock/)

> [Well look, CIA is an agency that has to collect intelligence, do operations. We have to take risks and it's important that we take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-panetta/well-look-cia-is-an-agency-that-has-to-collect-intelligence-do/)

[Leon Panetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-panetta/)

> [Food as a hobby used to be an elite pastime, and it has become something that is totally ordinary for people of every background.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-goodyear/food-as-a-hobby-used-to-be-an-elite-pastime-and-it-has-become/)

[Dana Goodyear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-goodyear/)

> [It's important for American soldiers to be culturally sensitive when deployed in foreign countries. But it's just as important for the U.S. never to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-bauer/it-s-important-for-american-soldiers-to-be-culturally-sensitive-when/)

[Gary Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-bauer/)

Browse all 7,717 American quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Our strategic dialogue with China can both protect American interests and uphold our principles, provided we are honest about our differences on human rights and other issues and provided we use a mix of targeted incentives and sanctions to narrow these differences.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Madeleine Albright"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-albright/our-strategic-dialogue-with-china-can-both-protect-american-interests/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "American"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-albright/our-strategic-dialogue-with-china-can-both-protect-american-interests/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d96/madeleine-albright-1360_american_our-strategic-dialogue-with-china-can-bo_2744629.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d96/madeleine-albright-1360_american_our-strategic-dialogue-with-china-can-bo_2744629.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d96/madeleine-albright-1360_american_our-strategic-dialogue-with-china-can-bo_2744629.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Our strategic dialogue with China can both protect American interests and uphold our principles, provided we…” — Madeleine Albright",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Madeleine Albright",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-albright/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Our strategic dialogue with China can...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-albright/our-strategic-dialogue-with-china-can-both-protect-american-interests/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-albright/our-strategic-dialogue-with-china-can-both-protect-american-interests/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
