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China's influence in BRICS stirs global debate: will its growing power bring cooperation or dominance? Explore how China's rise, shaped by unique cultural values, differs from traditional hegemony.
As China's strength continues to grow, especially after its recent test flight of the sixth-generation aircraft, voices of doubt and concern are spreading amid constant amazement at China's military and economic strength at home and abroad.
These voices of doubt and concern are nothing more than whether China, after such a huge increase in strength, will show some aggressive attitudes in some international cooperation organizations. For example, within the BRICS organization, China's enormous political, economic, and military strength will “force” other countries weaker than China to obey its orders.
Such doubts and concerns are understandable, because the United States, as the world's global hegemon, is well known for its imperialist habits. The United States has used its absolute dominance in military, science and technology, politics, and economy to coerce other countries not once or twice, but many times.
Not only that, but the United States has also openly violated international law, armedly invaded other countries, and cultivated pro-American agents in different countries. Its hegemonic behavior has made countries all over the world suffer.
It is precisely because of the coercion and persecution of countries around the world by US imperialism that countries around the world naturally have the same doubts and concerns when facing the rise of China. This is understandable.
Since the outbreak of the Russian SMO in Ukraine, the decline in the global influence of the United States and the West has been an indisputable fact. In particular, the United States blatant weaponization of the dollar and freezing of Russia's foreign exchange reserves have aroused the resentment of countries around the world and triggered a wave of global de-dollarization. The dollar hegemony is the foundation of US hegemony. If this foundation is shaken, then the fact that the United States is close to complete failure is visibly evident.
The decline of the United States and the rise of China have become an irreversible trend. It is inevitable that China will become the new dominant force in the world. The question now is, will China become the second United States? Will China use its advantageous position to force other countries to obey China's instructions like the United States?
The answer is of course no.
Because China is not the United States, China will not learn the hegemonic behavior of American imperialism. The Chinese culture has always advocated "compatibility and acceptance". Under the influence of this culture, it is impossible for China to adopt the same practices as American imperialism.
This culture emphasizes tolerance of other cultures and civilizations, as well as the welfare of common promotion and common prosperity, which is fundamentally different from American hegemony.
For example, the United States and Western countries have been accusing China's "Belt and Road" initiative of being a so-called "debt trap", and their real purpose is nothing more than to discredit China's "Belt and Road" initiative and force other countries to stay away from it. However, this is completely untrue.
Because most of the debts borne by the countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative are non-state private debts.
Take Sri Lanka as an example. According to data from the Treasury of Sri Lanka, as of March 2024, Sri Lanka has a total foreign debt of US$27.6 billion, of which private creditors account for the largest proportion, 53.6%, multilateral creditors account for 20.7%, and China accounts for only 10.9%.
NPC – No-Paris Club | PC – Paris Club
The same situation also happened in Pakistan. Pakistan's total foreign debt was 125.702 billion US dollars, of which loans from China were 20.375 billion US dollars, accounting for 16.2% of Pakistan's total foreign debt.
As for Kenya, as of March 2024, Kenya's total external debt was $32.22 billion, of which 46.3% came from multilateral financial institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, while debt from various Chinese entities accounted for only 17.2%.
According to a 2022 report by the African Policy Institute, since 2011, about three-quarters of debt repayments by sub-Saharan African countries have been paid to bondholders and commercial lenders, who are Africa's largest creditors.
Moreover, even so, China has spared no effort to forgive the debts of African countries. Even the US and Western media have to admit this. According to VOANews, China has forgiven 23 loans in Africa, which is also a powerful refutation of the Western countries' "debt trap."
American hegemony is based on the cultural genes of the Anglo-Saxons, which, in the words of Faust, is "power, space, and infinity." Under the guidance of this ideology, American and British hegemony has always used force and bullying to achieve high-pressure rule over global affairs and countries around the world. This is the consistent method used by the United States and Britain to rule the world.
But this is not the Chinese way, because Chinese culture emphasizes inclusiveness. Chinese culture itself is the product of a mixture of various foreign cultures. Therefore, China has a natural tolerance for foreign cultures. This is also the essential difference between China, Britain, and the United States.
China is open to the rise of any country and has never and will never regard the rise of any country as a threat to China's dominance of the world, because suppressing other countries is not a way that the Chinese are willing to take. On the contrary, tolerating and supporting other countries is the national policy that China has always advocated.
It is precise because China tolerates and supports the development and rise of other countries that China has launched the great project of the "Belt and Road". Under this project, China has built quite a complete infrastructure for many poor countries in Africa and Latin America. Only when these countries develop can China develop trade with these countries. This is beneficial to the underdeveloped countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, as well as to China's own development. This is a true "win-win" situation.
To discredit China's "Belt and Road" policy, the United States and the West have always slandered China's "win-win" thinking as the so-called "China wins twice", which is completely inconsistent with the facts. Under the "Belt and Road", underdeveloped countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America have obtained complete railways, airports, roads, and other important infrastructure, while China has gained channels to open up the markets of these countries. Mutual benefit is the real "win-win".
It is also because of this that the so-called "Thucydides Trap" does not apply to China. If there is a country that can surpass China in the future, then China will not suppress this country like the United States, because Chinese culture believes that "the world's great trend is ruled by those with virtue."
If other countries think they can lead the world more powerfully than China, and this country does not seek to harm China, then China can take the initiative to give up the position of the world's highest leadership to this country, and will never use various means to suppress this country like the United States. This will be beneficial rather than harmful to both China itself and world peace and can avoid a new world war for the world's highest leadership.
Because after this country becomes strong, China can trade with this country more effectively. China pays more attention to real economic benefits and real development achievements, and has no interest in the false name of "the world's highest leadership."
Therefore, there is absolutely no need to worry about the growth of China's strength. China's rise will be a blessing to mankind and happiness to the world. As long as China rises, the world will be peaceful, mankind will develop, the economy will prosper, and the whole world will be bathed in the light of peace and prosperity. There will be no need to worry about wars and conflicts. This is the greatest significance of China's rise.
