Will the real China please stand up?

Another example: China’s attitude to its neighbours (e.g., The Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, and Vietnam) over sovereignty of the South China Sea has been one of aggressive assertion of its own claim rather than of negotiation with all parties.  China rejects multilateral negotiations outright, preferring bi-lateral negotiations with weaker individual states.  

Realpolitic  

North Korea (DPRK): Although an unstable nuclear armed DPRK is a concern for China, it remains a convenient buffer-state between a USA backed South Korea and totalitarian China. The last thing China wants is a successful democracy on its doorstep. Hence its refusal to support the independent report into the sinking of the South Korean naval vessel which identified the DPRK as the most likely attacker. Hence also its diplomatic foot-dragging during the six-party talks (now suspended) aimed at disarming the DPRK and removing a major threat to the peace and security of the region. Without china's leadership however, a successful outcome is unlikely.

Iran: China needs Iran’s oil. Thus it is not about to do anything which might put supply at risk. This is the reason for China’s watering down of UN sanctions against Iran.

Afghanistan: Afghanistan has a narrow border with China. Although the Taliban and the AlQaida terrorists provide a long-term threat to China via their influence over a restive moslem population in neighbouring Xinjiang Province, at the moment China’s state-controlled companies are happy to benefit from the leadership and security provided by the USA in this war-torn country.

Climate change in Copenhagen:  Despite rhetoric about the need for the world to take pollution and its relationship to climate change seriously, China (and India also) sought an outcome which suited their national interests. In the process they wrecked this international event. The claim that they were representing the interests of all developing nations was a convenient untruth.

Realpolitic rules. Until now, China has refused to adopt a leadership role commensurate with its rising power status in both the region and the world.

Contradictions

On the one hand China plays the humble developing nation asking for understanding from the rest of the world for her myriad problems. On the other hand however, China acts selfishly and aggressively in pursuit of her core interests, without regard for the interests of other (smaller) developing nations within her orbit. Finally, in geopolitical terms China refuses to provide leadership commensurate with her status as a rising power. Power which could be used to make the region and the world a safer and healthier place to live.

So what is going on here?

David Sanger of The New York Times (September 25, 2010) provides a likely answer when  he quotes a senior US administration official who often deals with the Chinese leadership: 

"As they begin to manage their many constituencies, their politics is beginning to look more like ours."

Spare us the hypocrisy, China. We know the game.

Conclusion

China can't have it both ways. For some time, the rest of the world has been doing its best to understand China in the hope that as she becomes part of the global world she will behave in a way that is commensurate with her claim to being the oldest civilisation in the world. Sadly, we are not seeing much progress in this direction. Right now, China is her own worst enemy.

The rest of the world should not lose patience yet, though. There are wise heads as well as hot heads in the politburo who recognise the damage that is being done to China's international reputation by her own nationalistic bombast - a harking back to the politics of the bad old days - and who have a much more sophisticated view of a global world and China's place in it. For China's sake as well as the sake of the rest of the world, let us hope that when the next generation of leaders is chosen, the politburo will include more of these wise men.

The rest of the world is watching China closely. Was Premier Wen's speech to the UN general assembly (Sept 23) a continuation of the same old lip service to international standards of behaviour - i.e., more fertiliser for a gullible audience back home rather than a genuine commitment to international ideals?

Time and China's behaviour will tell.