One of the greatest global challenges today is responding to China’s increasing militarization and economic imperialism world-wide. China’s relationship with imperialism is long and two-fold; in modern history it can be traced back to the Opium Wars and European Spheres of Influence, a period of time which, even today, China still views as a “Century of Humiliation”. This mindset still heavily influences China’s relationships with other countries, such as developing a defensive relationship with the US and many European countries while simultaneously engaging many African nations as fellow victims of imperialization (a mindset started with Mao Zedong who asserted that race struggle is class struggle in a bid to garner favor in Africa for Chinese economic policies).
China presents itself as a fairer and more favorable trading partner for developing nations worldwide, as evidenced in its promotion of the One Belt One Road Initiative across much of Central and South Asia, promotion of the New Maritime Silk Road in Southeast Asia, and increased trading and financing of development in Africa. In these deals, which have been criticized as predatory or debt traps by the US, China agrees to finance risky development loans that otherwise wouldn’t be approved, although often with stipulations on how much Chinese companies need to be involved during the development process, exclusive rights given to Chinese businesses, etc. The revenue gained from this creates a positive feedback loop wherein China gains more worldwide economic influence which it can use to invest in creating even more lucrative and favorable loans, trading, and development deals (see Hambantota Port or China’s Special Economic Zones in Vietnam ). This money can then be used to increase military spending and increase military presence in the South China Sea and Taiwan, among other things. Economic influence or even dependence is inextricably linked with political clout, as seen in China’s relationship with North Korea. China is North Korea’s primary trading partner and supplier of food and other supplies, and in return China has the largest influence in moderating North Korean provocations and policies. The concern right now is that as China’s economic influence grows worldwide so does its political influence, and that this economic influence could turn into economic dependencies which could turn into political puppet states. According to this article by Forbes, the New Silk Road alone could encompass a staggering “65% of the population, 75% of energy resources and 40% of GDP in the world”. This is now a world where an increasing amount of countries use Chinese RMB in business, Xi Jinping is serving for life, China has announced plans to reunify Taiwan by force if necessary, and in which key global alliances are shifting and economic and political focuses are not just on the US and Western Europe. In this time the US and many other countries need to reevaluate how we relate and engage with other countries in ways that protect personal economic and political interests, while also not regressing to the role of new imperialists. Will soft-power become more important, or military might? How can countries like the US best appeal to developing nations? Which countries should be prioritized? These are just some of the questions that need to be explored as we move into the future.
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KateHi, I'm Kate! I'm from Madison, WI and am planning on majoring in SIS focusing on East-Asia China. I like practicing kung fu, listening to music, and drinking bubble tea. Archives
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