From Mongolia’s “it won’t happen again” promise to Norway finding its way back after a six-year feud with China and the small Western African island country of Sao Tome and Principe’s returning to the one-China policy, a series of diplomatic events at the end of 2016 have piqued observers and the media’s interest in China’s increasing economic leverage over foreign affairs.
In the West’s narrative, China is wielding an economic cudgel to acquire geopolitical advantages. The most typical example is that China offered a package of benefits to the Philippines, including $24 billion in soft loans and investment deals.
It’s no surprise that the Western world still regards China as a Goliath in a turf war for a larger sphere of influence. In their eyes, China, an emerging power, is learning how to employ the carrot-and-stick approach, like the US, to skillfully discipline and manipulate its neighbors and make a dent on the agenda-setting of global affairs.
But they have ignored the trajectory of the evolution of the global order. Entrenched in the legacy of the Cold War, the US is still dealing with international affairs through a mix of intimidation and inducement. However, a lot of countries, especially emerging markets, do not regard geopolitical and ideological competition as a priority on their agenda. They know the endless fight for ill-equipped freedom and democracy always brings about civil wars and ruins people’s livelihood, and the demand for social stability and economic development grows dramatically, especially in regions around China.
What the world wants matches what China can offer. China needs to go out to explore more opportunities, and a lot of foreign markets need China’s investments. The supply-and-demand dynamics have prompted China to make a tremendous contribution to the economic growth of Asian countries, whose growth rates are prominent across the world. China intends to do more through the One Belt and One Road initiative.
As for the US, there is no way it can really contain the process, which is inevitable because of globalization. President Barack Obama’s rebalance to the Asia-Pacific strategy, after eight years of advancement, has failed to achieve what was expected of it. Washington, now on the point of having a conservative and isolationist new leader, should realize that the military no longer has the biggest say in the West Pacific.
Casting aside barrels and bullets and engaging in cooperation with these stakeholders economically – for example joining hands with China in the Belt and Road initiative, can give the US a chance to remain influential in global affairs. However, if it bucks the trend, which is highly possible under the administration of Donald Trump, it might lose its reputation as a world leader.http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1025654.shtml
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