China's success – should the world be afraid?
China's growing economic, geopolitical and military power is changing the world order and fuelling fears about national security and competition in many countries. Commentators examine ways to respond to the challenge.
Accept reality instead of fighting it
The best course of action is to adapt to China's growing power and act strategically, Yetkin Report comments:
“The world is becoming multipolar. The victorious countries will be those that build bridges, not those that erect walls. Countries that fear China will lose. Those that romanticise China will also lose. Those that understand China and act strategically will win. The question today is: Is China growing? Yes. Can you stop it? No. ... China is one of the enduring realities of the 21st century. The countries that recognise this reality and react wisely will win. Turkey can be one of them.”
Suicidal US policy strengthening Beijing
The US is mainly to blame for this situation, geopolitical expert Lucio Caracciolo explains in La Repubblica:
“The difference between China and America is that the Chinese are not suicidal, whereas the Americans are. In the competition for global supremacy, Beijing is advancing even as it stands still because Washington is shooting itself in the foot and moving backwards as it tries to regain its greatness with the country in a depressed and divided state. The United States' cardinal mistake was to drive Russia into the arms of the People's Republic. Extricating it from that embrace, as Trump would like to do in order to turn it against China, is unrealistic today.”
Japan's nuclear weapons taboo in doubt
Tensions between Japan and China have intensified after Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi said an escalation of the Taiwan conflict could trigger the deployment of her country's self-defence forces. Avvenire fears that Japan might break a taboo:
“Japan's 'Iron Lady' said she could not comment on maintaining the 'three non-nuclear principles' [in force in Japan since 1971]: 'not to possess', 'not to produce' and 'not to allow nuclear weapons to be introduced into the country'. ... In other words, the prime minister is ready to challenge - partly in reaction to the acceleration set in motion by US President Donald Trump, who has ordered the Pentagon to resume nuclear testing - one of the taboos on which contemporary Japan has been built: the ban on nuclear weapons. Something that until recently was unthinkable for Tokyo.”