Diplomacy is often associated with national embassies and international relations. However, broadly, it is defined as the art of communication, a way to exchange ideas and interests without sparking conflict; it is a method of delivering information. Through studying history, we know that every period has its own way of diplomacy and a way of dealing with its international relationships. As diplomacy is mostly concerned with interests and resources, it is an important task to deliver diplomacy under a certain political situation. Diplomatic actions are very crucial, especially this year, under the influence of a global pandemic, the relation between nations is dependent on diplomacy. This year on September 17th, the global scholars had a deep dive into the topic of America’s diplomacy with Ambassador Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley.

Through introducing her road to become a diplomat, Ambassador Gina showed us the less told part of her career as a foreign diplomat. In her speech, she talked about her working experience in the Republic of Malta, her advising career for the Commander of U.S. cyber forces on the foreign policy priority. She also shared with us her opinion on the NSA’s mass surveillance and advocated America’s action in order to respond to the global pandemic. Racial and gender diversity is also a big part of her speech, saying that “the United States’ strength is our diversity and the more we work to bring diversities into the table...we’ve seen that when you bring women to the table, there’s much better and longer-lasting conflict resolution”.

For me, as a global scholar from China, I happen to be at the intersection of China and America’s diplomatic decisions. The two countries are often considered as rivalries, and this fight between a rising powerful communist country and an old capitalist strong nation seems to be escalating. This global event has granted me a chance to look into the other side’s perspective, understanding the ideological starting point for the United States’ diplomatic decisions. Through learning and comparing the foreign policies of the two nations, I will gain a deeper understanding as a global citizen.