In the early decades of the 21st century, China has emerged as a serious contender for shaping the globe. America currently faces its biggest threat since the USSR, as rapid economic growth and technological innovation have catapulted China into a position of power. But great nations bear a responsibility to protect individual freedoms and democracy, not to export autocracy around the globe.
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has maintained a tight grip on power over the years, ruthlessly silencing dissent and opposition wherever it appears. The authoritarian tendencies of the Chinese government are antithetical to the concept of liberty and stand in stark contrast to the democratic values that continue to shape the current global order.
It is therefore necessary to combat the spread of Chinese influence from spreading around the globe and undermining democracy.
This ideological tug-of-war has implications that stretch far beyond the realm of thought. Chinese military doctrine lends itself to the use of force for coercive purposes, while U.S. military thought trumpets the concept of deterrence.
Furthermore, the meteoric rise of China’s economy has provided a formidable form of soft power in its quest to reshape the globe. The CCP’s ambitious “Belt and Road Initiative” weaponizes the country’s vast financial resources in an unethical manner.
The goal of the project is to create a new network of global trade infrastructure funded by Chinese investment. The intra-continental project comprised of ports, railways and other critical pieces of trade infrastructure would give China a considerable amount of leverage on the world stage.
The CCP often makes use of its financial resources in the form of massive loans as a coercive tool, lending unrequitable sums of money to poor nations and gaining large degrees of influence when they inevitably default on payments.
Promoting illiberal practices, such as the weaponization of the financial sector or the marginalization of the Uighur population in northwest China, are in direct conflict with the U.S. mandate for the current global order. The lack of transparency inherent in the Chinese style of governance should be of great concern to the free world, considering the number of resources China has funneled into promoting “socialism with Chinese characteristics” to vulnerable nations.
As Americans, we understand the priceless value of hard-fought freedom. We treasure the right to self-determination.
China does not; the clear intention of forcibly annexing a de facto independent nation (Taiwan) showcases a blatant disregard for this right. Now, more than ever, must we make a stand for the preeminence of democratic values and human values, and against the values of the authoritarian world.
America must tread carefully in its foreign policy, upholding its responsibility to avoid armed conflict while asserting itself as the guarantor of the rules-based democratic order.
Acknowledgment: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the individual author.
