Two sides to globalization
Qiu WenChina Daily  Updated: 2005-04-13 05:50

As an economic, cultural and political phenomenon, globalization is an objective and volatile historical process fraught with contradictions and conflict.

From ordinary daily living to major events between states, people in the world have all felt the effects of globalization.

The market economy, democratization and cultural integration have penetrated all aspects of society.

While people are enjoying the benefits brought by globalization, they also have to face a series of global problems it has caused. They include environmental pollution, ecological degradation, energy shortages and the exhaustion of resources. Globalization goes, therefore, hand in hand with the anti-globalization tide.

Globalization is an inevitable outcome of the growth of the world economy. It is, however, impossible for all the world to benefit or to realize simultaneous development in all countries. Nor is it possible to eliminate the differences between countries, regions, races and civilizations.

It is unavoidably a long-term, complicated, ever-changing and tortuous process, accompanied with clashes of national interests, sovereignty and culture. This is simply the nature of the globalization.

Developed Western countries are the dominator of globalization and the maker of the "rules of the game," controlling the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the World Trade Organization.

Developed Western countries not only benefit most commercially from globalization, but also attempt to globally promote their political systems, values and ideology so as to set up a so-called new world economic and political order.

Globalization can thus be both positive and negative. If it brings mankind common progress and prosperity, it is positive. It is adverse if it brings robbery, power politics and polarization between the rich and the poor. Either a globalization dominated by a few countries or a globalization of common happiness, equality and justice. Which one is the future?

Generally, the world economic system is divided into three levels. The first consists of the three big economies, namely, the United States, the European Union and Japan, which benefit most from, and dictate the direction of, globalization.

The second includes newly-industrialized countries which, facing both opportunities and challenges brought by globalization, can receive certain opportunities while they also bear some risks.

The third layer contains most of the developing and underdeveloped countries, which face more challenges than opportunities and more risks than benefits in the current economic order.

Economic globalization was initiated by developed nations and is viewed as the development of the capitalist world system. In terms of nature, the current international economic and political order is a hegemonic system dominated by developed countries, which is inevitably unjust and unequal. Globalization under this order, therefore, is inevitably not comprehensive or reasonable.

Breaking the monopoly of Western developed countries, maintaining the interests of developing countries and promoting the establishment of a just, reasonable and equal new world economic and political order is an important topic that developing nations have to consider seriously.

A just and reasonable new world economic and political order should be set up on the basis of equal consultation and balanced development.

Most developing countries have the experience of being ruled and colonized before independence and have the common mission of developing their national economies after independence. Now they face similar difficulties and problems. In the process of globalization, developing countries should strengthen co-operation among themselves to improve their survival capability.

Globalization poses new challenges for China. The country's economic development needs a larger world market. But a closer connection with the outside world also requires the country to better safeguard its national security.

Under globalization, China has to face tougher challenges rather than sailing into a safe harbour. Its national security situation is getting more severe and the mission of maintaining the security is more difficult.

This does not mean China should quit global competition or boycott the globalization process. Rather, the country should be aware of both the pros and cons brought about by globalization so as to be fully prepared when safeguarding its national security.

Only with all these preparations can China position itself in the globalization process and ensure its political and economic security.

(China Daily 04/13/2005 page6)

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