China’s Turn. Beijing is asserting itself on the world stage as the global economic crisis weakens the West – By Joshua Kurlantzick
Point 1: “Against the backdrop of a weakened West, China sees an opportunity to assert itself globally.”
With the almighty America reeling back from the blow of the current global economic crisis, China is given this rare chance to step out and take the reins. Using the example of “China promised to buyy International Monetary Funds.., ...provided it gets a greater say in the IMF”, this shows us how China is trying to overthrow America’s reign of being the one in charge, trying to get a “louder voice”, signalling to the world that it wants to be a major player. This is expected as China is often not in the limelight of global events, with America as the main star of the global show.
However, I believe China’s not the only country trying to assert itself. Countries such Singapore and European countries are also trying to get stronger footholds on the world stage. Examples including suggesting certain policies which could lead economies out of this global recession, but only a few have shown to be effective. The fight for a share of the pie is common especially when a main dominator like America is weakened, but such countries do have to consider their own problems before coming out to lead the world which will be elaborated in Point 3.
Point 2: “China’s leaders are using the crisis to point out what they regard as flaws in Western capitalism, taking political advantage of the situation.”
“Striking when the iron is hot”, indeed China puts this into play well in the game of politics. With the West weakened, China takes advantage to stress its importance and showcase its prowess. This is only possible because China has massive investments in currencies and bonds of the West, allowing her to manipulate her actions freely. A common example is the growing reticence about China’s human rights abuses. This crisis can be considered to be a blessing in disguise to China as it gives them an opportunity to manipulate and overtake the West.
But how far does this strength-from-weakness go? Flaws which they have identified like “an unsustainable model of development in the West that partnered a blind pursuit of profit”, are they not present in China? This is only possible by diverting all of the global attention to the mistakes and blunders of the West, allowing them to bypass the similar or exact problems that China may be having too, making them accusations to fall.
Point 3: “Time abroad could distract China’s leaders from their pressing domestic problems.”
China itself has many domestic problems in which they have not been addressed; hence they should not be stepping out and asserting themselves on the global stage. Political reform, corruption and religious freedom are just some of the many underlying issues that China has yet to solve. Hence such actions by China overseas might only seek to worsen their internal problems which need to be solved urgently.
China has succeeded playing this game before during the “Asian financial crisis during the 1990s” but whether they will succeed in becoming a major global voice; I believe it would take more than just borrowing strength from weaknesses of the West but rather how they cope with their own problems, setting the bar for other countries to follow.
In point 3, it is stated that '' time abroad could distract China's leaders from their pressing domestic problems''. Indeed, these problems are pressing issues that need to be resolved by the government before they venture into the global setting. Political and social stability are the basic necessities for a nation to thrive and strive. With this stability, it is undeniable that the confidence of foreign investors can be boosted, thus, encouraging economic growth of the nation. However, these issues that needs to be dealt with are often problems which cannot be resolved within days or months, they are issues which began dacades ago. Hence, the desire for the government to resolve these issues before making plans overseas is certainly a feat. In addition, these issues are a ongoing one. Therefore, the government should learn how to cope with these issues and yet being able to venture beyond the nation.
ReplyDeleteIn point 1, it is said that ''against the backdrop of a weakened West, China sees an opportunity to assert itself globally''. I do not agree with the point that the West is weakening. In the recent global economic crisis, the United States could well be the most affected country. However, it is also indisputable that the United States is one of the countries which have played their cards well and is on their way to recovery. The West is not weakening, in fact, it is China which has strengthened over the years and has rose to power. China's has planned and put in a great deal of effort to rise up among the many developing countries. Hence, it is definitely not fair to suggest that China is taking over the place of the West just because of the global economic crisis.
elaine.
In Point 2, it is stated at China is "diverting all of the global attention to the mistakes and blunders of the West, allowing them to bypass the similar or exact problems that China may be having too, making them accusations to fall" I do not agree with this point as the President Obama is correcting the mistakes George W. Bush had made. The news are reporting on how well Obama is handling the problems in the country and the actions taken. It is also known that China can't divert all the attention to the West as they are living in a global world. Everything is interconnected. No matter how minute the mistakes China had made, it cannot be swept under the carpet, it will be taken to light. For instance, the Tian An Men incident. They tried to do everything behind the scene, hoping that no one finds out. However it cannot be done, because we are living in a globalized world and access to information on net is easy and convenient. Therefore, any issue in a country cannot be hidden or the attention cannot be diverted to solely one country. No matter how much they try to hide their mistakes, it will be a futile attempt. Everything will be brought to light in the matter of time like corruption in the government that led to the suicide of political leaders.
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