China role in creating new world order
By Stephen Ndegwa, July 25, 2019It is ironical that, at a time when the democratic space is expanding globally, many countries are also insulating themselves from mutuality.
The emerging trend points to a situation where some nations, both developed and developing, have acquired a selfish streak of putting their interests first.
A perfect example is the recent trade war between China and the US. Without any apparent provocation, President Donald Trump slapped over 200 Chinese goods with higher tariffs, ostensibly to guard against China flooding America’s market with her goods. He had also banned Chinese big telco, Huawei, from doing business with American firms.
Although there has been a rapprochement, the ensuing stalemate created by China’s reciprocation had built tension, not just in relations between the two largest economies in the world, but in the global trade and economic ecosystem as well.
In other countries, xenophobic attacks have been on the rise. For instance, South Africa has become a hostile country for fellow Africans. The gripe has been that immigrants have taken jobs and business opportunities from citizens.
Amidst the lacuna in global leadership, some major victims of hate and prejudice are leading in efforts towards inclusivity.
For example, the head of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis, is using climate diplomacy through his radical encyclical on the environment, ‘Laudato Si’, to advocate for a more accommodating and empathetic culture in international relations.
The Pope has taken up shuttle diplomacy, traveling to places that were no go zones to the papacy. He has also met political ‘outcasts’ and their antagonists in search of reconciliation and lasting solution to decades-old political conflicts. He is gradually taking up the steering wheel of the world’s moral compass.
Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China 70 years ago, and the country’s reform and opening up in 1978, China’s diplomacy with the rest of the world has grown dramatically.
Indeed, the country’s rapid and tremendous economic growth has been accompanied by a rapid rise in its international stature and global influence.
In addition to her diplomatic outreach in the ASEAN region, China’s burgeoning multilateral diplomacy includes growing influence in the operations of the United Nations, active participation in global economic reforms and initiatives aimed at combating climate change.
A crucial component of China’s soft power entails public diplomacy, which involves close and frequent interactions with different social sectors in partner countries.
China’s President Xi Jinping understands the burden he must bear in ushering a new world order, different from the current one where might is right.
Jinping’s new strategy for closing the global governance gap is pegged on a multi-pronged approach that includes the abandonment of hegemonic tendencies, avoidance of the use of force, abandoning old mentalities similar to the cold war, and creating a world with lasting peace. It is all about caring.
The interdependency of nations cannot be gainsaid. Ultimately, no country can thrive on its own, regardless of her geopolitical advantage, or power over other countries.
In any case, we are all living on the same planet, and facing similar challenges. Multilateralism is the only diplomatic policy that will ensure we live in a global community of shared prosperity and mutual benefits.
—The writer is a communication expert, and public policy analyst —ndegwasm@gmail.com