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| How does China want to gain a central position in the world with its strategy based on 'where there is peace, where is war'? |
Last Saturday, French President Emmanuel Macron and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Guangdong, China, and drank tea together.
In this meeting, the Chinese President and his French counterpart emphasized the establishment of peace in Ukraine, but on the other hand, just a few hours after this meeting, Chinese fighter jets were demonstrating their military might in the skies over the Taiwan Strait.
These flights of Chinese fighter jets were part of military exercises aimed at intimidating and scaring Taiwan. The drills were launched a day after the French President's official visit to China. The French President's visit was considered important for China's diplomacy.
This dual policy of China is the latest example of how China shows its two faces to the world. That is one form in which he talks about peace and whose aim is to appear before the world as a mediator, while the other form is that of an aggressive country that is pushing hard to defend the territory that it owns. He understands his part.
However, the question is whether China will be able to maintain its dual strategy in the future or not.
Sympathetic Narrative
As soon as the Covid restrictions were lifted, China wasted no time in building relations at the diplomatic level. Over the past few months, Xi Jinping has met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, hosted several world leaders, including the president of Brazil, sent a special envoy to woo Europe, and then issued a 12-point plan to end the war in Ukraine. Solution offered.
China also recently played the role of mediator to bridge the gap between Iran and Saudi Arabia, which is being seen as China's biggest victory on the diplomatic front.
It is even more important for China to do so in the Middle East because past US intervention in affairs there has been controversial and met with setbacks and difficulties.
Meanwhile, China has made several proposals for global security and development, from which it is clear that China is promoting the 'Global South' in the same way that it has been promoting the 'Belt and Road' project for some time. China has invested billions of dollars in other countries.
China recently softened its aggressive diplomatic stance by replacing its diplomat Zhao Lijian and promoting diplomats considered more moderate, such as Wang Yi and Qin Gang.
"Chinese Dream"
This diplomatic attitude has led China to emerge as an arbiter in the world and can be traced back to the popular Chinese ideology known as the 'Resurgence of the Chinese Nation. This theory is actually a plan for China to gain a central position in the world. It was named the 'Chinese Dream' after the Chinese President came to power.
Zheng Xin, a professor at East China University, says it helps China's leaders 'encourage a move towards modernization', but the idea is not just to expand China's diplomatic approach, but to expand its global economic ties. It is also important to increase
"Xi Jinping knows that the rise of the Chinese nation is not possible without a good economy," says Neil Thomas, a fellow in Chinese politics at the Asia Society Policy Institute. They know that if China is to develop its diplomatic role, it needs to develop further. China cannot do this by completely alienating the West, so it has to maintain good economic relations with them. For this, China needs diplomacy and it will have to back down from its aggressive behavior.
However, one of the reasons for this boom on the diplomatic front is that China feels that it is becoming increasingly isolated.
More centers of power
Mistrust in the West has resulted in many countries forming strong defense alliances and platforms such as the 'Oaks' and 'Quad', as well as taking steps to limit Beijing's access to advanced technology.
In March of this year, the President of China claimed that "Western countries under the leadership of the United States promoted efforts to encircle and suppress China, which presented unprecedented and serious challenges to China's development."
Ian Chong, an analyst at the China Center, said it's a mindset that has grown over the past year alongside the war in Ukraine and the strengthening of ties within NATO.
He said that 'Beijing has realized that America has many powerful friends. China is more sensitive to the sanctions imposed on them, which gives them more motivation to break the blockade.
It is for this reason that a key pillar of China's strategy is based on the idea of a 'multipolar world', i.e. multiple centers of power rather than one.
Xi presents it as an alternative to "US hegemony," which he says has fueled tensions. This was also evident during the French President's recent visit to China when the Chinese President urged Europe to think of itself as an 'independent pole'.
While Beijing argues that a more balanced distribution of power will make the world a safer place, some other countries see it as an attempt by China to remove other countries from US influence. And to increase China's influence.
China often highlights US foreign policy failures in Iraq and Afghanistan He presents himself as a country with no record of bloodshed or of pushing nations into wars, meaning he presents himself as a better candidate to lead the world.
One of China's arguments is that Communist China has never attacked any other country and is not engaged in proxy wars in the world.
However, the reality is that China has annexed Tibet, participated in the Korean and Vietnam wars, has been accused of occupying Indian territories during recent border clashes with India, and has many claims in the South China Sea. There are maritime boundary disputes with countries.
China claims Taiwan as its province and has vowed to reclaim it or take over by force if necessary.
Results
So is this strategy working? The 'Global South' and other countries that are not part of the China or US camp will probably welcome this Chinese strategy.
"China is pursuing a mediation strategy that has 'broad appeal,'" says Zhang.
Heads of state with authoritarian regimes like the strategy of non-intervention.
Thomas says that many countries are not paying attention to democracy and human rights, and China will be their mentor in global governance, but it is not known whether they are ready to risk the displeasure of world powers for China. shall be. '
There are red lines they will not cross, as seen in the UN vote on the Ukraine war, where most countries chose to condemn the attack while China abstained.
On the other hand, America's traditional allies, such as Europe, continue to debate how to view China's proposals.
Few will digest China's strategy as easily as European Commission President Ursula van der Leyen, who took a tougher line than the visiting French president.
While countries that are more interested in maintaining economic relations with China have shown more openness to this strategy.
During the visit to China, the President of France was well received and a military parade was also organized on this occasion.
In an unusual move, Xi took him to the southern Chinese city of Guangdong, where he described the French president as a "close friend".
After the meeting, Macron told reporters that it would not be in Europe's interest to get involved in the Taiwan issue and, as a result, get caught up in a "crisis that is not ours."
He then defended his comments saying that being an ally of the US does not mean that it becomes its 'fiefdom'.
For some, this is proof that Xi Jinping's 'friendship' has done its job.
According to Thomas, Europe is becoming the "central battleground" of US-China relations, as a "swing state" in which whoever gets their (European countries') support will emerge victorious.
But in this matter, Macron is currently at the forefront of European leaders.
The other side of China
However, Taiwan is a case where China's mediating and sympathetic role is exposed.
In response to last week's meeting between Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen and US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Beijing launched the latest military drills, sending warplanes and ships to the Taiwan Strait and targeting targets in the region. was determined.
Taiwan has denounced China's stepped-up operations in recent years as interference in its air defense zone, with Chinese military aircraft making dozens of flights over the region each month.
Analysts say such moves contradict China's message as it claims to spread peace while others see them as military aggression, but Beijing has always insisted they are defensive measures and It has 'internal matter'.
But a war against Taiwan would have global consequences, Chong says.
The island is home to some of the world's busiest shipping lanes and the hub of undersea telecommunications cables that connect Europe to Asia, and Beijing cannot ignore the fact that if a conflict erupts in the region, it will be widely publicized. will be blamed for destabilizing Asia.
Most analysts believe that China has no intention of attacking Taiwan anytime soon, but some fear that increased military action could lead to a dangerous misunderstanding and war with the United States as Washington threatens to attack Taiwan. is determined to assist in its defense in the event of
"Xi Jinping is trying to regain his (China's) diplomatic presence by making a show of force on the Taiwan issue," Thomas says. The line dividing the two goals is becoming increasingly difficult as concerns among third countries about an attack on Taiwan are growing.
As Beijing intensifies its drive to woo the world, it will also see its actions come under increasing scrutiny, and analysts say China may soon find itself in the 'um'.He will have to choose between 'N ki Fakhta' or 'Hunter Dog', that is, which form he adopts, he will soon have to decide.