With China’s rapid rise in recent years capturing the world’s attention, the Beijing Olympics have sharpened the focus of the international community on China.
The scale of these Olympics is far greater than previous Games and will probably be the most spectacular of them all. But whether China will be able to create an image distinct from EU and US hegemony as it crosses the threshold from developing to developed country lies at the heart of global concerns.
A look at US and UK hegemony in the 20th century shows that hegemonic countries employ a carrot-and-stick approach consisting of military threats and systemic controls while providing public wealth incentives such as security, stability and economic and trade prospects.
The pessimistic view is that if China were to achieve its desired level of hegemony, it would just be another version of the standard hegemon, or maybe even more imperious than the UK and the US.
Regrettably, China has in recent years seemed to be wearing the false mask of an outdated hegemon. The Chinese Communist Party thirsts for power in the same way as the UK and the US, but in a manner more arrogant and overbearing. During the Cold War, the US turned a blind eye to the autocracy of allies in the name of anti-communism. The Chinese government today plays the same game by unconditionally supporting the actions of pro-China countries such as Myanmar and Sudan despite the risk of universal condemnation — so long as these countries supply the raw materials China needs for economic development.
Although China speaks unreservedly of world peace and justice, it is behaving in the same way as Western hegemons.
China is not an easily satisfied country. In the recent failed WTO Doha round, China was for the first time invited to attend closed-door negotiations with the US, the EU, Brazil, India, Japan and Australia. This represented a great leap in China’s position on the international stage — officially becoming a core country that decides on global political and economic development.
China has even worked with India to block US and EU interests. Although this reflects the declining power of the US and the EU, it also shows that China’s desire for power is hard to satisfy.
Chinese imperialism may look benevolent on the surface but it is hardly inspirational. The core value remains the balance of power amid cycles of economic stability claimed by Western hegemons; there is nothing new, therefore, in China’s version of hegemony. But the cost of succumbing to Chinese domination could involve shrinking political participation and declining human rights protection.
Chinese imperialism might lead to affluence, but it will not bring dignity and justice to the world. Nor will the rise of China bring a new vision to the world; another wearying hegemon is all it will be.
China cannot deflect the complex feelings of surprise and fear toward it that are emerging around the world. Its rise is merely another addition to the long line of rising and falling hegemons.
The world is fed up with the aging American hegemony, and the dazzling performances during the Olympics’ opening ceremony that stole the international spotlight might point to a changing world.
However, after the Olympics are over, in the shadow of a global power struggle, it is hard to see how China can bring hope to global development.
Chen Hsin-chih is an associate professor of political science at National Cheng Kung University.
Translated by Ted Yang
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