How China Views the United States and the World by D E A N C H E N G As Xi Jinping prepares for the 19 th Party Congress diplomatic acquiescence is necessary at the United this fall, he sees a China whose place in the world is Nations, if resolutions concerning Syria or North both more prominent and powerful than it has been in Korea or South Sudan are to be passed. Chinese-backed a century, and yet also a China which faces growing initiatives such as the “One Belt, One Road” effort challenges to its security. and the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) On the one hand, the People’s Republic of China increasingly play a role in the international financial (PRC) is economically and militarily more capable scene. As important, they are seen as challenging the than at any time since the end post-World War II Bretton Woods of the Qing Dynasty in 1911. economic structure, which was China is the world’s second founded by the United States. largest economy and the world’s Alongside these advances, largest trading power. It is the however, are growing challenges first or second largest trading to Xi Jinping’s leadership. As partner of almost every country. China becomes increasingly It consumes enormous amounts integrated in the global economic of coal, oil, iron ore, bauxite, and landscape, it is also increasingly in turn is one of the largest global vulnerable to international and producers of steel, ships and transnational pressures and threats aluminum. China supplies the caused by that same international world with textiles, computers presence. China is now the and consumer goods, and world’s largest importer of oil; its increasingly with direct financial economy is affected by not only investments. regional instability in the Middle This economy, in turn, has East, but also by piracy on the Dean Cheng sustained the development of high seas. As China has exported one of the world’s most powerful members of its workforce, who militaries. Where once Manchu are employed in many of the As China becomes Bannermen faced Western ships overseas investments, they have and troops with spears and increasingly become targets increasingly integrated bugles, today’s Chinese People’s of terrorists and local unrest. in the global economic Liberation Army (PLA) is Chinese citizens have been killed equipped with nuclear weapons, by ISIS terrorists. More than landscape, it is also stealth fighters, and modern Chinese workers had to be increasingly vulnerable to 20,000 main battle tanks. The PLA Navy evacuated from Libya during the international and fields an aircraft carrier, nuclear upheavals that ultimately toppled and conventional powered Mu’ammar Qaddafi. transnational pressures submarines, and an array of Meanwhile, China faces and threats. modern surface combatants increasing security challenges to defend China’s shores and along its periphery. The festering maritime claims. Overhead, Chinese satellites maintain problem of North Korea continues to destabilize the surveillance of the maritime approaches to China’s situation in Northeast Asia. North Korea’s missile and shores, and can guide ballistic missiles against American nuclear tests have persuaded South Korea to field the aircraft carriers. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) System, This economic and military strength, in turn, much to Beijing’s chagrin. Just as significantly, North expands Xi Jinping’s diplomatic clout. Chinese Korean provocations have drawn the United States and 20
RIPON FORUM Aug/Sept 2017