With the kind permission of Professor Dr. Gerald Chan 陳智宏 Professor and former Head of Department of Political Studies at the University of Auckland, New Zealand I’m posting this paper (click the link below for the paper in full) that discusses the new world order. This is the one where China is a reluctant perhaps but nonetheless rising power; and the old hegemon, the US, is in decline.
Professor Chan swerves prediction about where this is heading but observes we’re in a world now where, inevitably, ‘..the U.S. succumbs to taking actions to retard and disrupt the rise of China, consciously or subconsciously.’ At the same time China will most likely want ‘..to be seen as a responsible member, but not a dominating leader.’ This may of course not be possible.
I believe he’s optimistic and concludes we’re in a world now where ‘..world power and development continues to shift from the West to the East. [And] China can now afford to dream dreams, whereas in the recent past it [Had] a lot of nightmares.’
I take issue only with Professor Chan’s assertion that China has not historically been interested in expanding its borders, an oft repeated parry to the thrust that it’s developing its own hegemonic tendencies. Folk in Xinjiang and Tibet would perhaps beg to differ?
Happy Sunday