Op-Ed Contributors

The global influence of China

By Fu Mengzi (China Daily)
Updated: 2011-02-22 07:57

Last week, after Japan confirmed China had overtaken it as the world's second largest economy, a Gallup Poll found that more than half of Americans mistakenly see China rather than the United States as the world's leading economic power.

In Chinese people's eyes, China may be rising from a regional power to a global player, but it is still far from playing the unique role the US has been in the international arena, let alone becoming the largest economy, matching the high per capita income of the Americans. The US remains the world's super-power with the strongest military, and the most advanced technology, excelling in sophisticated diplomacy and exercising the greatest influence on higher education and culture across the world.

The global power pyramid, however, is getting increasingly flat because of multi-polarization. The US may still be the only dominating power, but it can no longer dominate world affairs alone. Emerging countries like China are getting to share more global power.

On the security front, the US has the enviable capability of "striking balance", while China's influence is growing in its neighborhood and it has more say in regional thorny issues. When it comes to the economy, the US is still the largest developed country and China the largest developing nation. There is a wide gap in the two countries' industry, technology innovation, labor cost and economic scale.

Most importantly, the US has played the leading role in designing almost all major world mechanisms, extending the influence of its monetary and economic policy over the world. China, on the other hand, is more of a participator than designator in these mechanisms. In terms of national strength, China is still a developing country and lags far behind the developed ones.

With increasing strength, China now exercises immense influence in many regions. From Asia to Africa, even in some parts of Europe and Latin America, China is becoming the largest trading partner of many countries, including several regional powers. But there is still a wide gap between China's strength and that of the US, even though it is in decline. This shows China is still in the process of extending its regional influence to the rest of the world.

Along its path of development, China has introduced fresh concepts and modes, and adopted some unique principles that have helped increase its global influence. The first quality is China's independent diplomacy and security policy. It has never sought the help of any other power or power group for its security, not even during difficulties. Even in the days of its alliance with the former Soviet Union, China stuck to its independent policies and refused requests that might have interfered with its national and international affairs.

Just as British historian Paul Kennedy said 30 years ago, "China must be judged as a candidate superpower in its own right - not in imitation or emulation of either the Soviet Union or the United States, but as a reflection of Peking's (Beijing's) unique position in global politics."

Some scholars have used "mid-way diplomacy" to describe the unique principles of China. When the situation on the Korean Peninsula worsened after the sinking of Republic of Korea's corvette Cheonan and the exchange of fire across Yeongpyeong Island in 2010, China tried its best to preserve peace and, hence, defended the interests of all sides instead of any single party.

China has learned much from other countries' experiences, but it has made innovations, too. The history of the past few centuries shows, and as many realists have observed, a rising country has almost always challenged the reigning power and its hegemony. But China advocates and believes in a harmonious world and has strictly observed the principle of peace in its development. This is a new, peaceful chapter in the history of rising powers.

Peace and cooperation are two words that best describe China's rise. As an emerging power, it has shown no intention of challenging the existing order. It has cooperated with other countries, irrespective of its relations with them, in pursuing common interests. In its joint programs with other countries, China has always tried to find a path that would benefit both sides instead of gaining profit only for itself.

The Khartoum oil plant, co-sponsored by China and Sudan, is a good example of such a joint program. Sudan is rich in oil resources, but in the past it could not produce enough to satisfy even its domestic needs. Thanks to China's help, it now produces enough oil not only to meet its needs, but also to export.

In the coming years, China has to take more measures to expand its global influence. As a rising global power, it should learn how to treat global issues and take firm steps on the peaceful road toward a harmonious world. That will require it to increase its participation in international affairs. G7 and other rich countries' groups cannot maintain global political and economic order any more. Even new groups such as G20 cannot replace their predecessors. But China should not exclude itself from any of these mechanisms, so that the global influence it has built till now does not diminish.

Besides, China needs to maintain a harmonious neighborhood. Only the prosperity of all the countries in its neighborhood can ensure lasting peace and stability for China. Beijing should confidently propel regional and global cooperation forward and ease any tension that may occur to win support in the world game.

Since a rising power arouses suspicion among other countries, China should increase its communication and intensify its interactions with other nations, especially the big powers, and let diplomacy play a bigger role in removing misunderstandings.

In a speech in 2009, President Hu Jintao said: "Work hard to make our country more politically influential, more economically competitive, build a more congenial image and make it more morally inspiring." That should be the direction of China's future strategic development.

The author is assistant president of and a research professor with the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations.

(China Daily 02/22/2011 page9)