We must not overplay the ‘fragility’ of West
For the past few years, changes in the international status quo have been a focus of public opinion at home and abroad. It seems to be a mainstream viewpoint that the West is experiencing a decline, while the East – developing countries – is on the rise. Indeed, the West is constantly dealing with internal disputes and changes in power relations, but the fragility of Western powers should not be exaggerated.
The Western world is far from collapse. Only after a reasonable analysis of the West’s advantages and experiences will we be able to get along with it better.
The current world order basically originated from the history of hundreds of years of the US and Europe.
As non-Western countries rapidly developed in the past dozen years and changes took place in the West, the US and Europe’s absolute control, shaping capability and influence on this order have been affected.
However, as rule maker, the West cannot be neglected.
The European values that are the ancestor of Western civilization still deeply affect the present world. Looking back at their history, European countries have survived rises and falls and changes in ideology.
Western democratic politics is undergoing twists and turns, but the system’s error-correcting capability still has a key role to play.
Although the checks and balances brought about by the separation of powers led to the formation of so-called veto politics, which in turn resulted in the shutdown of the US government on a number of occasions, this is the natural result of the system correcting and calibrating the administration of US President Donald Trump, who keeps challenging the US’ political boundaries. The legislative and judiciary branches have strongly obstructed Trump on policies such as the Muslim ban and ones concerning Russia, thus preventing the country’s domestic and foreign policies from flying off the track.
Europe in recent years has had to deal with the refugee crisis and Brexit. Various levels of chaos have decreased the continent’s confidence in its own model and values. Europe’s predicament is deep-seated and is not likely to be solved in the short term. However, we must recognize that European society is overall stable and that people’s lives and security are still guaranteed.
Europe’s pro-establishment political forces have felt the impact of populism and are conducting self-adjustment. People were worried that rightwing populist forces would roll over the continent, but such concerns proved unnecessary. In fact, the populist government of Italy is becoming pragmatic, and the British government is seeking a reasonable outlet for Brexit.
Generally, although it is under pressure, Europe is stable when it comes to its political, economic and social systems. European scholars often worry about the continent’s decadence, while what they are actually worried about is Europe’s decreased advantages. In truth, today’s “plummeting” Europe is actually backed by resilient social and political systems.
As to global governance, Trump has pulled the US out from agreements and organizations and Europe has a lot to worry about. The West has suffered from a certain amount of internal strife and retrogression, but its discourse power is still dominant.
Additionally, though the Trump administration doesn’t care much about global governance, the US’ contribution to it cannot be disavowed.
The goal of global governance is to seek benefit for mankind and to fight against parochial national interests. China, as a responsible large country, should actively participate in global governance, which needs the support and cooperation of Western partners.
The West is not as divided as some people think or hope. After Trump took office, USEurope ties loosened but the two sides would unite in a second to cope with particular issues such as security issues with Russia or the Indo-Pacific strategy.
After European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker visited the US last year, the US and Europe mitigated trade disputes and have increasingly worked together to suppress China in areas of common interest and goals.
We must be very careful when examining global changes and the power of the West. Similar to the “China collapse theory,” the “decline of the West” is also the result of simplistic thinking that does not take into consideration trends toward peace, development and cooperation.
China is approaching the center of the world stage and is constantly working on behalf of mankind.
An objective estimate of Western power, in which confidence and courage are needed, is conducive for China to understand itself and other powers, so as to better handle external risks and challenges and promote new types of international relations.
The author is an assistant research fellow with the Institute of American Studies of the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations. opinion@ globaltimes.com.cn