Is it time that China show Leadership? An interesting opinion on Laowaiblog
Last month, an attack by North Korea on its neighbor, South Korea, reminded global citizens that the Korean peninsula conflict is still prominent. After the attack, it was expected of China to comment about the act, yet Beijing was silent. Only after joint American-South Korean military exercises in the Yellow Sea came about, China responded: “We hold a consistent and clear-cut stance on the issue,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei was quoted as saying in a ministry statement. “We oppose any party to take any military actions in our exclusive economic zone without permission.”
In an effort to get China to express a more serious response against North Korea, the president of the United States, Mr. Obama, called the president of China, Mr. Hu Jin Tao, and urged him to put the North Korean government on a tighter leash after a series of provocations, which has stoked fears of a wider military confrontation in the Korean Peninsula. Nevertheless, Beijing did not express any serious response to the brutal attack, and it seems that it is not interested in tangling itself in the midst of the Korean conflict and that it was not up to China to assume any leadership roles.
China Leadership lacks the will to take a stand in many global issues. Issues such as global conflicts or natural disasters have left global citizens looking at China for help yet receiving a cold shoulder. Such is the case, for example, by the lack of will expressed by Beijing to take any significant role in the Israeli – Palestinian conflict, in the Korean conflict or in the India – Pakistan conflict. It seems that China is primarily focused on developing its economic ties with other nations while neglecting to take any political stand.
One possible explanation for China Leadership unwillingness to take a leading role regarding non-economical global issues might derive from its name: “The Middle Kingdom” (中国). The name was first used to refer to the late Zhou dynasty, as they believed that they were the “center of civilization.” The name can represent a view held by the Chinese government: For thousands of years, China has been pushed aside economically and politically by foreign countries and has not had the opportunity to present the world with its culture and economic strength. In the past thirty years, China’s economic strength has risen dramatically; A rise that might be accompanied with a desire to show the world, who is fairly unfamiliar with China, that China is now its center.
The lack of understanding by China of its global position causes other nations to question its policies.
One such international interaction is in the field of environment. According to the World Bank, 16 of the 20 most polluted cities in the world are in China. The industrial revolution transforming the most populous country in the world is also destroying its environment. China is now the first-largest emitter of carbon dioxide, the main gas linked to global warming. Despite these facts, during the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Cancun, Beijing declared that it is not changing its current policy regarding carbon emissions. According to China Daily, Liu Zhenmin, first deputy head of the Chinese delegation to the conference, said that “This national voluntary pledge is autonomous; it is not negotiable; (it is) not imposed by the outside.” Liu was responding to a Reuters report that “China is willing to make its voluntary carbon emissions target part of a binding UN resolution”. I do not wish to contend that the current environmental policy initiated by China is wrong but that the policy is not open for negotiations with other nations.
Beijing’s on-growing economic strength imposes certain responsibilities. It can no longer afford to stand by while world conflicts are transpiring or while its environmental policy is effecting the lives of millions of people. China must demonstrate that it is not only a mere economic power but that it can serve as a role model in many different aspects such as environment and politics.
A famous Chinese saying 自以为是 means “to consider oneself in the right; to regard oneself as infallible.” Beijing currently considers its acts as just and legitimate and does not wish to let any nation interfere with its affairs. Nevertheless, if China wants to receive recognition for its economic strength, and if it wishes to truely become the next global superpower, it must demonstrate humanity and leadership in various non-economical aspects.
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Lior Paritzky is the Editor in Chief and Manager of Laowaiblog, an internet platform that provides opinion and views about social phenomena in modern China. Look for Lior on Twitter: Liorpari 
Wow, you know a lot about China, but as a Chinese, I know that the Chinese economy is still very weak. It cannot afford any conflict with other countries, such as Japan, USA, and the Middle East is too far away from China, and we don’t think our hand is long enough…besides, we think it is not good to show too much enthusiasm on other people’s own affairs. Chinese people clearly do not want their economic development being annoyed by any of those incidents.
Yes, Chinese economy is still very weak. But that is just an excuse. Which countries would like to strike their noses into other’s business? None. But in this era of globalization it is indispensable to cooperate with each other. China’s on-growing economic growth could not be achieved without other countries. China needs to stop turning a deaf ear to the world’s affairs and behave more honorably to remain as a superpower country along with America.
I saw your post on economist, and this is the first one on our blog, so maybe I’m wrong.
I think in your article, china is overweighed. Yes, china’s GDP is large, china has rich resource and market potential, many educated employees, many people therefore expect china act as a big shot…..
But here are some facts beneath the surface.
1.China has the biggest gap between poor and rich, in the rich 80% set foot in real estate, banking, energy source, entertainment business, low tech manufacturing, labor resources. Most of these “investments” are not sustainable.
2.Most chemicals, electronic companies doesn’t have long-term plan, very few capital goes into RD, equipments update maintenance. some industries still hold the same production line same products for over ten years, just wait till it rusty and start another company. Leading companies all have abroad blood, most of them are practical a foreign company which after years operation with good fame in china, just to get enough attention then sold to large firms.
Most big brand we used to have, we don’t have it tomorrow.
3.If you read newspaper, going through media, you can see what the message passing among the people, you can see what you can do with power, money without being punished, or at least fairly. If you walking on the street, you can see people’s faces, how many of them are happy? heads up, smile, confident? You can see what people would do for media exposure. You can see what young generation appreciate, what is their belief. Cus, this is our future, and their childhood is already wonderful, any step away from their parents will be a huge step down.
4.The rate over 10%/ year is not because we run faster, it’s because we skipped some steps, we save money from environmental protection( even serious damage), less money for utility construction, health insurance, social security, education, research, science, quality improvements. In the past few years, we are aiming not the best, but looks like the best, actually the cheapest. whichever way to make that happen, low quality, fraud, will be choice No. one. In my view, china is the best copy machine in the world, no matter what business modes, products, fashion style, entertainment industry, you can definitely see a very familiar one in china after it become successful in other countries.
5, If you want to ask a rich people where did they want to earn their money form, the answer is the poor. How? whatever they need, we stock, wait until it hits high point. If you ask a poor where did he want to earn their money from, the answer is saving. Or maybe lottery. People doesn’t want to be rich by actually learning something, they are rich not because their ability, their creative mind, their passionate, but their father, their power, by bribery, speculation. Many people in china are doing business now, more and more, but we don’t need so many businessmen, we need better products, and that’s not what we see in mall, everything we buy on the top of our list is made in china but brand overseas, they use our source earn our money.
6. I could go on and on and on… but instead of bothering you with these obvious problems. I always think this is a phase china have to go through, maybe on some level it’s normal. Every country, every society, every community, every group, every person have their own questions to solve, china is just pretending strong, happy, but weakness deep inside, just like most people on the street.
So if you ask is china ready to be a big shot? I suggest we will another 20 years and see.
A very deep and insightful understanding of China’s situation at present. Thank you! You’ve said what lots of Chinese,including me, want to say but don’t know how to express.
Insightful reply Winters Gao.
I agree with most of what you said, thanks for writing it down in such a consise manner.
@Winters Gao
Thank you for sharing with us your thought, and such a will organized post.
However, I think the author’s argument is that since China is huge by its sheer size, she should be mindful for the effect of her actions on her neighbours.
I don’t know. But I know I care to have school children,like my daughter aged nine, sit in the warm classrooms in winter in Shanghai. My daughter came home and told me how cold their classroom is and when she washed her hands with icy cold water, said said she almost wanted to put her hands in her mouth to warm them. I hate it bitterly that all the Chinese government officials are sitting in their classy warm offices with heating facilities so efficient, while the children have to sit in their cold classrooms learning for the so-called future.
Who cares about the world????
China exerts influence in the world as a consequence of its purchasing power. Nothing else. The developed world has no respect for China, other than as a large market for goods and services. This lack of respect reflects China’s oppression of its people, and its poor record on human rights, and China’s foreign policy, where Chinese money props up appalling regimes, such as in Sudan. Also, Chinese military adventures in the region remind others of a spoiled child of a party official – throwing his weight around.
People in some countries are now becoming scared of China. They fear that China will use its military might to take resources and lands by force. They fear that China will bully countries (as they have done with Japan over the fishing boat incident) to get what they want.
China says one thing, but does another: China says they have peaceful intentions but build 25 aircraft carriers. Who is fooled by this?
WTF logic, US has aircraft carriers, why can’t China? US has stealth fighter jets, why can’t China? And WTF human rights. do animals have animal rights? do plants have plant rights? China has more important problems than these damn political tricks.
What are you scared for China? Just because it’s `a communist country? Just because China can’t follow what US tell o
China will pay a heavy price for the shortcuts it has taken to increase her GDP and all sorts of numbers that make it look better than everyone else.
You can score a goal by fighting your way to the other side or you can simply pick up the ball, carry it on the sidelines, then throw it into the goal.
China has done the latter for decades, and finally the world is looking at its “miracle” economy close enough to see the cracks….and its cheating.
It is with regret that I must cite WorriedHuman (Posted February 5, 2011 at 9:20 PM) for ignorance and lamentable bias. It is not China but the West who have been profligate and wasteful. The game this Worried Human described of scoring a goal or picking up the ball and throwing it into the goal are British habits, the one called football and the other of picking up the ball is called Rugby. The West make up the rules as they go along.