When China talks about Soft Power, the world probably
took it as a joke. What can Soft Power do in a world controlled by the
barrel of a gun. And who had the biggest gun? Gunboat diplomacy is
obsolete.
Using Soft Power, China need not go to war or put a
gun to the head of anyone. China forged closer relationships with the
Global South, helping them in infrastructures like airports, ports,
reservoirs, railways and housing needs. Now the Anglo-Saxon whites are
not laughing anymore, being slowly chased out of Africa, and China is
having the last laugh instead. The BRI was another example of Soft
Power, benefiting countries in Central Asia and eliciting jealousy from
the USA, India and the West.
While the USA and the West were
pre-occupied with starting wars, Russia gate, trade wars, and taking
their eyes off high tech industries, they realised too late now that
China is moving ahead of them, dominating in fields that were the
monopoly of the West. The USA probably thought the time frame of 50
years down the road for China to do so is a long way to go and a
comforting thought for them, never expecting China to progress so fast
in just the past two decades.
The USA is now fighting a losing
battle trying to build up its industrial capacity, mostly at the expense
of Europe. The USA can draw companies away from Europe, create chip
alliances, sanction Chinese products like EVs, solar panels, cranes and
build them itself. But the question is - can the USA build them itself
and compete against China? The Global South is a big market that the
Chinese are more interested in competing in, and can USA products match
the Chinese in price alone? What about USA products competing in the
Chinese market? The writing is on the wall that such USA ventures of
trying to re-industrialise will retake the cake that they have lost is a
wet dream.
Anonymous
2 comments:
China's soft power already won the battle in Africa. But that is just what we have learnt on the surface. Under layers of peeling, and the gratitude and understanding expressed by the African leaders, we now also know that China, Russia and North Korea had been rendering help to African nations in their fight against colonialism.
China's food aid to some African nations decades ago, while it was still dirt poor and facing starvation itself, is not a sacrifice that the Africans will ever forget. They are deeply grateful today, unlike those that bite the hands of China, whose helping hand is forgotten the moment their problems are solved.
China's soft power has also been slowly winning its influence over ASEAN states. It has been noted that ASEAN is now more in favor of China being the superpower in this region and not the USA. ASEAN should know that all the USA wants is using ASEAN to counter China and is not winning support, except from the Philippines.
China is in a strong position in Latin America as well, investing in various places like Mexico, and forging relations with many countries over there. In fact, China is now working with the Nicaraguan Government to refloat the idea of developing the 'Nicaraguan Canal' to link the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, bypassing the Panama Canal, which is now facing big problems due to climate change.
China's BRI is also of great help for trade for those landlocked countries in Central Asia, much to the chagrin of the USA and India. And these two are making alliances just to counter China's investments in the BRI.
By the way, what happened to the India-Europe trade corridor via Saudi Arabia? Israel/Hamas war must have killed it for sure. And what about the US$600 billion Gobal Infrastructure Investment talked about. How is it progressing I wonder. Or will it die with Joe Biden. Or Trump will kill it if he wins. Trump is mad about using USA money to protect Europe and what is there to think he will want to spend US$200 billion (USA's share) helping even non- Nato partners. USA can't even have money to repair its crumbling infrastructures.
G7 and India together make up the new 'Eight Immortals Crossing the Indian Ocean' using the India-Europe corridor. Talk is easy, doing it is uncertain.
For China though, doing is easy, talking and boasting is counterproductive, irrelevant and time wasting.
Post a Comment