To what extent does the rise of China pose a fundamental challenge to the liberal world order - Essay Example

? To what extent will China’s ascent to global power challenge the liberal world order? al affiliation To what extent willChina’s ascent to global power challenge the liberal world order? The international arena became a hegemonic environment after the defeat of the Soviet Union, allowing the United States to assume power and propagate its liberal ideologies internationally. According to the liberal model of world order, countries should exercise free trade, open enterprise, government non-interference in the economy, democracy, and the rule of law. Accordingly, global affairs have for the past two decades, been run according to the liberal model advanced by Western countries. However, as Ikenberry (2011) notes, global power and wealth that have remained in the North and West are shifting to the East and South. This means that Western countries are beginning to share power with countries outside the Western block, led by China. China is a country that has had a history of totalitarian governments that gave rise to an authoritarian capitalist economy. Accordingly, with global power shifting from the United States to China, many people are apprehensive that the liberal model of world order may be faced out and be replaced with the imperialism, socialism, and authoritarian capitalism of the Chinese. Given this apprehension, this essay aims to analyze the extent to the liberal world order may be challenged by China’s rise to global power. It is remarkable how China has managed to rise from a country struggling to develop into a leading global economy in just three decades. During the past three decades, the United States exercised hegemony over global affairs, particularly after the collapse of the Soviet Union (Ross & Zhu, 2008; pp. 60). Today, however, China has taken a leading position in world affairs especially in terms of economic prowess. China is poised to surpass the United States in exercising global hegemony in the near future. Such views have stemmed from the fact that China has built highly complex systems of conducting global business that have enabled China’s economy to grow rapidly. Although China has asserted that it does not wish to become a global hegemonic state, there is speculation that circumstances will force China to do so. Therefore, the way that Western countries will handle China’s ascent to global affairs will conclude the outcome of liberal internationalism. The international arena will either become a hegemonic or multi-polar environment with China’s ascent to power. The apprehension on China’s ability to challenge the liberal world order is based on China’s domestic politics, which are characterized by an autocracy that feels no need to uphold the rule of law. Accordingly, it is speculated that if China surpasses the United States as a superpower, then the former will conduct international law and politics in similar fashion as it does domestically. The Communist Party in China has led the country to a stable political-economy, evident during the recent global recession (Ross & Zhu, 2008; pp. 219). While Western countries and in particular the United States was hit hard by the recession, the Communist-Party led government of China was able to withstand the recession and maintain high economic growth rates. As a result, the Yuan is rapidly gaining international value and is on the way to rivaling the US dollar, an occurrence that will surely solidify China’s international stature (Inkenberry, 2011). In line with this argument, it is speculated that once China achieves the superpower status, it will run international political-economic affairs using the same policies used by the Communist Party domestically. Most Western countries view the communist government as being led by corrupt officials and people with total disregard for the rule of law. Considering this view point, many are worried that if China uses the policies promulgated by the communists in the international arena, then the liberal world order will be under serious threat. AS Zheng (2005; pp.4) states, China aims to build an international socialist society in which governments are allowed to implement social change. Already, this is a contravention of liberal principles which advocate for government non-interference in social management. It is, therefore, feared that China’s ascent to global power will lead to socialist replacement of capitalism (Xing, 2010; pp. 18). Apart from the view that China will threaten international liberalism, there are scholars who believe that China can ascend to power without causing international friction. These scholars base their argument on the fact that China has achieved economic and political ascendancy by operating in the liberal model. According to Ikenberry (2011) China has liberalized and capitalized its economy, thus allowing the country to gain from international trade. For example, China has joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) which has enabled the country to attain a 40 percent Gross National Product in exports to the United States and other countries (ibid). If China hopes to continue with its remarkable economic growth, it will need the principles of free trade propagated under liberal internationalism. China has a population so vast, that it is impossible to sustain it using domestic resources. In essence, China needs a liberal world, open to trade and investment which will allow Chinese multinationals to invest in other countries and thus sustain the Chinese population. As Xing (2010; pp. 19) notes, China’s economic growth has been achieved from within the capitalist system, which makes it improbable that China will want to replace capitalism with socialism once it becomes a superpower. As China rises to power, its interactions with other countries especially Western powers will result in China being more careful in the policies it adopts towards globalization. According to Zheng (2005, pp. 3) China’s strategy is to go beyond the cold war ideologies and instead focus on economic globalization which will enable China to continue with its remarkable economic growth. Yan (2011; pp. 219) states that in its foreign policy China expresses the desire to join other international actors in promoting democracy in international relations. Being that democracy is the basic principle of liberalism, it is apparent that China does not wish to challenge liberal internationalism. It is easy for most Westerners to have their judgment towards a peaceful Chinese rise, clouded by the perception that China is an anti-west country that is building up its military in order to overthrow the west from global supremacy. However, Yan (2011; pp. 187) provides some reprieve by stating that according to Chinese classical thought, the Chinese would not use weaponry to achieve superiority. In fact, according to pre-Qin thinkers, the more military actions the government takes the less likely it is to have humane authority (Yan, 2011; pp. 125). Considering how much the Chinese value their tradition and their classical teachings, it is possible that the Chinese will in fact ascend to global power peacefully without challenging the liberal world order. Nonetheless, it is important to keep in mind that the Chinese government has not been able to prioritize humane authority in its ascent to power domestically. It, therefore, remains to be seen how China will be able to ensure humane authority and exercise liberalism in the international arena. In conclusion, it is probable that China could either become a global hegemonic state or the international environment could once again become a multi-polar one. Either way, it is evident that very soon; China will be at the peak of global affairs, a phenomenon which could bring changes to the conduct of international relations. On one hand, China could threaten the liberal world order by introducing socialist management and bringing in authoritarian capitalism. This would have a negative effect on free trade and democratic governments that the liberalists have worked so hard to establish. Conversely, China could also operate within the liberal principles, considering that the country has been able to achieve economic prosperity due to its operations in other countries. Fundamentally, China will need to have peaceful relations with these countries in order to continue its economic growth. Seeing that China has already joined the WTO, it is probable that as a superpower, China will promote several aspects of international liberalism, especially concerning trade. However, these are only assumptions; how events in the international arena will unfold once China reaches the pinnacle of global affairs remains uncertain. References Ikenberry, J., 2011. The Future of the Liberal World Order. Available at www.islampolicy.com. [Accessed 12 January 12, 2013]. Ross, R., & Zhu, F., 2008. China’s Ascent: Power, Security, And the Future of International Politics. Cornell University Press. Xing, L., 2010. The Rise of China and the Capitalist World Order, the International Political Economy of New Regionalisms Series. Farnham, England: Ashgate Publishing. Yan, X., 2011. Ancient Chinese Thought: Modern Chinese Power. New Jersey: Princeton University Press. Zheng, B., 2005. China's Peaceful Rise: Speeches of Zheng Bijian, 1997-2005. Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution Press. Read More