China Hegemonic Role (Essay Sample)

Student Name
DIP 609 Theories of International Relations
Prof. Name
Dubai, UAE
August 15, 2014
Table of Contents TOC \o "1-3" \h \z \u Introduction PAGEREF _Toc395983062 \h 3Analysis PAGEREF _Toc395983063 \h 3Chinese potential PAGEREF _Toc395983064 \h 4Adoption of a unique approach PAGEREF _Toc395983065 \h 4Equality and diversity PAGEREF _Toc395983066 \h 5China US relations PAGEREF _Toc395983067 \h 5Synthesis PAGEREF _Toc395983068 \h 7Work cited PAGEREF _Toc395983069 \h 8
Does China have the Characteristics or potential to be a hegemonic role in World Politics and how?
Introduction
The Chinese economy is set to becomethelargesteconomy in the world by the year 2030. Such an assertion is in reference to its overall size and performance. The advancements that have been made by China, thus far, go a long way in ascertaining the reality of this growth. The level of development of China can be attested by the level of Chinese investments that have been directed to numerous African nations. The level of partnership that the country has endeavored to create is an indicator of its overall size and potential of becoming both a political and economic hegemony. However, the focus of this paper is on the potential of China to become a political hegemony.
Analysis
Various stakeholders have pointed to the growth that is being witnessed in China. The level of growth in China can also be attested by the increased bipolar nature of the Asian regional politics. A while back, the political climate in the region had assumed a multi-polar approach. Such a situation had characterized the region for a significant period. With the development of China, the political climate started to adopt a bipolar perspective where the two significant forces were the Chinese and the Japanese. With time, it has even been projected that a hegemony might be plausible given the reduced Japanese power in relation to the Chinese (Yan, Bell, Zhe and Edmund, 2011). With this understanding in mind, it becomes essential to investigate on the potential of China to become a global political hegemony. Given the dynamics of the country, it is the understanding of this paper that China lacks the requisite qualities to play a hegemonic role in the world of politics. From a liberalist pluralist view, China lacks the characteristics to play a hegemonic role in world politics.
Chinese potential
A significant amount of literature has been dedicated to investigating the potential of China to play a hegemonic role in the world of politics. However, these literatures have tended to focus on the impact of economic size on global politics. While it cannot be discounted that size does matter in this issue, it does not, however, hold the keys to the throne. There ought to be additional qualities espoused by a potential country in regard to assuming a hegemonic role (Dirlik, 2005). According to the tenets of liberal pluralism, one of the qualities has to be equality and diversity. The United States has been able to sustain, for some time, its hold as the supreme hegemony in the world of politics for some time now due to its ability to espouse equality and diversity. As the common saying goes, America is the land of opportunity. Such a belief system has grown to the extent that America has been seen as the epitome of freedom, diversity and equality. The number of potential immigrants that are caught trying to gain access to the country illegally can serve as a testament of the validity of this assertion. Given these qualities, America has been able to play a hegemonic role in world politics (Kleeman and Barrett, 2005). The rise of the Chinese economy seeks, however, to threaten this hold on power.
In order to play a hegemonic role in world politics, a country ought to be both economically superior as well as socially superior. The term socially superior has been used, uniquely, in this paper as a reference to the ability to exude liberal pluralism. In the event that economic power was the only determinant, then it is highly likely that other nations could have had a chance of playing the hegemonic role in the world of politics. It can be asserted, using more conjecture than fact, that in the case that the USSR could have embraced liberal, pluralistic views, and then maybe, just maybe, their eventual demise would not have been so swift. Despite the USSR having the economic potential, it lacked the correct mechanics of a hegemonic state. The fact that China has the potential of playing a hegemonic role is a testament of the correctness of its national dynamics. However, brute power alone cannot be expected to suffice as a means of gaining power in the world of politics (Fingleton, 35). A nation cannot assume a hegemonic role using brute force and still be expected to gain the support of the other nations. The advent of World War II best demonstrates the impacts of such an ascent to power (Groot, 2004). It is then clear that the economic power ought to work in unison with other complimentary factors in order to promote the rise to a hegemonic role in the world of politics.
Adoption of a unique approach
China has adopted a unique approach to advancing its goals of superiority. In the case of the Asian perspective, China has essentially strong-armed its way to power. The nation has used its physical power to get its message across that it is a power with which the other nations have to contend. Such a sentiment is best exemplified by the case of the standoff between China and Philippines. An additional caseentails the country essentially claimed a larger portion of the sea was within its borders. Such practices go a long way in affirming the sentiment that China is using brute force to actualize its goals. One of the sentiments that have been attributed to China is that it does not endeavor to export its culture to the rest of the world, as has been the case in other nations that have endeavored to become hegemonies. The fact that it does not wish to export its culture thenmeans that it has adopted a different approach to hegemony (Liu and Hongyin, 2012). Is this difference in approach what has made the Chinese understanding of hegemony unique? Such a question leaves more questions than answers. The fact that there is a limitation of nations that have not exported their culture to the rest of the world as part of their strategy, does not mean that the Chinese case is essentially unique. The fact of the matter is that such a notion addresses only the simplistic aspect of this issue.
Equality and diversity
China has not been able to espouse the tenets of equality and diversity as much as say the US. It has to be understood that in order for a nation to play a hegemonic role in the world of politics, the nation has to give extreme focus to promoting equality and diversity. As per the understanding of this paper, China has been unable to do this in the last few decades. More often than not, the rules and regulations that govern people in China have largely been understood as being over restrictive. In addition, the level of diversity in the country still leaves a lot to be desired (Taiwan Brain Trust, 2010). Aside from the aspect of economical prowess, there does not seem to be anything else that supports the claim that China can at the present time play a hegemonic role in world politics.
China US relations
The relationship between china and America can be described as wavy at best. It is characterized with extremes up and at times extreme lows. The relationship is a mixture of cooperation and contention. Numerous times one nation wishes and tries to compel the other to change their political, economic or military stance to suit the other. However, as a characteristic of super powers, they are always unwilling to yield to the demands of any other nations. As history dictates, there does not seem to be a time where the relationship between these superpowers will be characterized by cooperation, unassailable peace and productive relationships. The world has to contend with their relationship being characterized by both compatible and conflicting interest.
Public attention that is focused on the relationship between these two super powers has been focused on official visits and trade. There are numerous press reports that detail these trade activities and most recently official visits of their heads of state. These can be perceived as an endeavor to prove to the world that the relationship between them is normal. This trivial attempt of normalization tends to veil the true nature of this dynamic relationship. An aspect that has received considerably little public attention is the military relationship. In retro-respect, there appears to be no ...