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China & US: the power dynamics of world leadership
I love this analysis on CNN.
It's well researched, and it well-describes not only what happened, but the general power dynamics of international relations.
In short, the analysis concludes:
- Trump's isolationism and bellicose attitude towards US long-term allies was a golden opportunity for China
- China could grow its influence on a global stage by wooing the US allies and taking the US' place in the world
- In the beginning, China seemed to be doing so and scored several major wins
- But China turned bully-like and lost goodwill. Covid was a big step in that direction. China made too many enemies, and lost soft power, as well major financially lucrative opportunities
Some key passages:
The Chinese government places as much importance on being feared as being loved, Weiss said, and that severely limits its ability to wield soft power and form close diplomatic relationships.
And:
"(Beijing wants to ensure) that nobody thinks China can be pushed around, or taken advantage of," she said. "That emphasis on deterrence and intimidating dissent has conveyed Chinese resolve but it undercuts Beijing's efforts to showcase its international image as a benign global leader."
And finally:
According to Weiss, China is unlikely to take the US' place, no matter how much Trump pulled back on the world stage.
In short, this analysis confirms one of the major tenets of this website:
Friends and allies empower. Enemies disempower.
As well as:
And acting like an overly-dominant bully is more likely to make enemies.
This goes back to the big question:
Is it better being feared, or being loved?
Purely from an amoral point of view, being feared can work.
But it can only work when others have little or no power of their own.
In an interconnected world stage where nobody can go out on their own and impose their will on everyone else, an over-emphasis on being feared alone is bound to lose.
Influence and allies matter. And that's the "being liked" part.
The same applies to most people's lives, in most social settings.
