Historically, China was isolationist. The Opium Wars in the
mid-19th century is a good illustration of why. From this context,
China’s announcements of a series of international trade and finance
initiatives by which China would assume a larger leadership role
internationally are stunning. Doubtless the enhanced role is in line with China’s
geopolitical and economic interests. After all, political realism is hardly a
dead theory in the 21st century. Even so, the impact of the reversal
on the culture is significant, and thus worthy of study. Specifically, the
traditional mistrust of foreigners is likely to diminish. As it does, the
Chinese will be more likely to consider and even advocate for economic and
political principles, such as liberty and rights, that are valued elsewhere in
the world but not so much in China. The result could be increased political
instability. In short, the initiatives timed to coincide with the Asia-Pacific
Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in November 2014 could eventually weaken
the Chinese government’s grip on power.
The full essay is at “China’s
Increasing International Role”
