By Zachary Keck
More and more, China is engaging in the same kind of hegemonic actions it has always denounced in others.
The People’s Republic of China has been nothing if not consistent about its views on hegemony. From the time of Mao Zedong to present time, Chinese leaders have repeatedly and consistently denounced hegemony in all its forms. Indeed, the word “hegemony” is little more than a synonym for countries or actions that Beijing dislikes.
But even as China continues to denounce hegemony rhetorically, it increasingly embraces it in action. This is true across a whole host of issues.
None more so than Beijing’s New Security Concept, which President Xi Jinping announced last month at the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) summit in Shanghai. David Cohen reminds us that the New Security Concept is likely more multi-faceted than it may appear at first glance.
Nonetheless, at its core, the New Security Concept is that “security in Asia should be maintained by Asians themselves.” As the Global Times reported about Xi’s speech, it “stressed the role played by Asians themselves in building security, viewed as a rejection of interference from outside the region.” During the speech, Xi also denounced alliances in the region.
It makes good sense that China would want a U.S.-free Asia-Pacific — as China’s rise has proceeded, the U.S. has increasingly become the only viable counterbalance to Beijing in the region. China’s relative influence would therefore be greatly enhanced by America’s exit from the region. The same goes for an end to alliances to the region — not only does China lack any formal allies, but its size ensures it will dominate any bilateral interactions with Asian nations.
At the same time, the New Security Concept is transparently hegemonic. To begin with, the realization of the primary goals of the New Security Concept — namely, the exit of the U.S. from Asia and the end of alliances — would ensure China’s hegemony over the region.
Read the full story at The Diplomat