Exposé en anglais sur la Chine

Let’s be honest : when we hear “China”, most of us picture high-speed trains, skyscrapers and, let’s not forget, a lot of pandas. But beyond the clichés, there’s a massive geopolitical giant-one that’s been playing the global chess game like a grandmaster. The big question on everyone’s mind is : Has the dragon really risen? Today, my partner in crime (regard) and I will dive headfirst into the yin and yang of Xi Jinping’s China. Are we really looking at the next global superpower or a dragon with feet of clay (=hidden weakness, pieds d’argile) ? We’re both experts on China but despite our antagonist stances we’re making an effort today, for you, to debate peacefully (be glad please, it’s not over yet!)

So, today’s issue will be : To what extent does Xi Jinping’s China embody a genuine rise to power while facing a plethora of challenges over the years?

LET THE DEBATE BEGIN !!

Mmh, that’s obviously interesting but let me clarify A LOT of things. Xi Jinping’s China is far from being perfect and you ought to nuance your perception. Don’t worry guys, i’m here for this. In the wake of its achievements, China has a plethora of flaws. Starting with its economic vulnerabilities and huge dependence.

A. Economic vulnerabilities and dependence (debt and property sector crisis + dependency on Western Tech + economic strain = aging society on healthcare, impact of the one-child policy ⇒ leading to a shrinking labor force & increased aging population)

An economy the size of China’s has unavoidable vulnerabilities; and, perhaps surprising to some, bad policy choices over the past fifteen to twenty years have created new vulnerabilities. The introduction of market reforms, allowing hundreds of millions of Chinese to escape poverty, was one of the CCP’s signature achievements.

But when Xi came to power, he came to see the private sector as a threat to his rule. He revived the planned economy of the Maoist era by strengthening state-owned entreprises or by establishing party organisations in the private sector. In many crucial economic sectors, China is producing far more output than it, or foreign markets, can sustainably absorb. As a result, the Chinese economy runs the risk of getting caught in a doom loop of falling prices, factory closures, and job losses. In 2020, Sun Dawu, the billionaire owner of an agricultural conglomerate who had publicly criticized Xi for his crackdown on human rights lawyers, was arrested on false charges and soon sentenced to 18 years in jail. The government constantly meddles (=interferes) in the private sector to achieve political goals, a proven poison for productivity. There’s no doubt that China’s economy is faltering and unemployment is skyrocketing. Yet, the Chinese leader’s grip on power is unwavering. Xi inherited large problems to solve, where the 1st was the economy and required a new economic model that could continue to sustain high economic growth. Moreover, Julie, you seem to avoid the fact that the Chinese government also needed to foster innovation so that China avoids stagnating in the middle-income trap.

B. Geopolitical flaws (wolf warrior diplomacy, foreign policy, Taiwan, South Sea, cold War with the US)

But Xi Jinping’s flaws don’t stop here, ofc it would have been too easy. For example, how can we avoiding his “wolf warrior diplomacy” which damaged China’s foreign relations, especially with Europe and the US. Let’s me explain. Wolf warrior diplomacy has become the shorthand expression for a new, assertive brand of Chinese diplomacy. In the past, Chinese diplomats tended to keep a lower profile and to be quite cautious and moderate in the way that they interacted with the outside world. Recently, however, they have become far more strident and assertive. Breaking with Deng’s dictum that China “hide its strength and bide its time”, XI has decided to directly challenge others diplomats and pursue a China-centric world order. Plus, he has engaged China in a risky and agressive behaviour abroad by militarizing the South China Sea and by threatening Taiwan. China's increasing assertiveness in the South China Sea has raised tensions over competing territorial claims and maritime rights. In July 2016, an International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea found in favour of the Philippines on fourteen of fifteen points in its dispute with China, ruling that Beijing’s “nine-dash line” claim is inconsistent with international law. From now on, tensions between littoral states and China remain, while US attempts to maintain the freedom of navigation. In the wake of its assertive policy, China is involved in a huge conflict with Taiwan. In fact, there are disagreement about the status of Taiwan. Even if it has its own constitution, active troops and democratically-elected leaders, China claims its power on the country. China for example proposed the so-called “one country, 2 systems” option, which it said would allow Taiwan significant autonomy if it agreed to come under Beijing’s control.

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