Kristi Govella, Assistant Professor at the Department of Asian Studies of the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa takes a closer look at how rising powers (read China throughout) are dealing with ‘global commons’ issues.
By looking at how rising powers have dealt with the long established and widely accepted norms in place in the centuries old maritime domain patterns of how other domains, specifically here cyberspace (but space, the one above us, is also touched upon), are being addressed.
China’s approach to maritime law has been to comply, contest and subvert. The paper discusses how, by working in a series of ‘grey-areas’, China has been able to progress it’s own path without coming to kinetic-blows with other parties.
Their approach to cyberspace has many of the same characteristics but here the regime, norms and established practices allow for more intervention and ultimately control.
A good example of the above is China’s fondness for the idea of ‘digital sovereignty’. However, to the question of ‘Is China trying to take over global commons?’ the author concludes the question is misspecified. China shows no sign of such ambition, but it does wish to shape them.
Moreover, China’s joining of certain initiatives doesn’t necessarily indicate their acceptance of the status quo nor implies any likely long term socialization into the norms that underpin such cooperation.
My conclusion from the work is that rising powers merely want a seat at the table, to be treated fairly but will, where appropriate, push their agenda by all means necessary [Isn’t that a key function of governments? Ed.]. Which is arguably what the existing coalition of global commons’ monitors have been doing all along.
You can access the paper directly at China’s Challenge to the Global Commons.
Happy Sunday.