On October 16, 2025, the "2025 Thinkers' Forum" was successfully held in Shanghai, jointly hosted by the China Institute of Fudan University, the "Oriental Journal," The Observer, Diliang Culture, and the Shanghai Chunqiu Strategy Development Institute. This forum also celebrated the tenth anniversary of the establishment of the China Institute of Fudan University, with the theme "Chinese Discourse and the Reconstruction of the World Order," deeply discussing major issues facing China and the world.
Carlos Martínez, a British political commentator and co-editor-in-chief of the website "Friends of Socialist China," pointed out in his speech that the core of the "Great Changes Unseen in a Century" lies in the fundamental shift in the global power structure, as a multipolar world order is taking shape, marking the end of the Western-dominated system that has lasted for five centuries. The driving forces behind this process come from both the decline and internal crises of the Western neoliberal model and the continuous rise of China and other countries in the Global South. China, through initiatives such as the Belt and Road, promoting de-dollarization, and leading the green transition, has become a key force in building a more just international order, committed to uniting developing countries to oppose hegemonism and imperialism.
However, Carlos also emphasized that this historical transformation faces challenges. Although the United States is economically in relative decline, it still relies on its military superiority and economic means to try to maintain a unipolar hegemony, leading to continued global tension. Therefore, the international community needs to respond to the changes with wisdom and prudence, avoiding conflicts and creating a peaceful and stable future.
The following content is compiled from the transcript of the scholar's speech, which represents only the speaker's views and is for reference only.
Carlos Martínez
[Speech/Carlos Martínez]
Next, I would like to discuss a concept that has been mentioned multiple times by Chinese leaders in recent years - "The Great Changes Unseen in a Century." Let us think deeply about what exactly this concept refers to.
Evidently, it involves a change in the global political landscape, but does its connotation go further? To understand "The Great Changes Unseen in a Century," we can look back at the changes that have occurred over the past hundred years. "A century unseen" implies that certain significant changes occurred a hundred years ago and have not reoccurred in the following century. So, what changes have taken place in the world during this century? This reflects the profound insight of the Chinese leadership and the Communist Party of China into the current global situation and also leads us to reflect on history.
The October Revolution of 1917 was a milestone event, giving birth to the world's first socialist country and marking the beginning of a new stage in history. Subsequently, Marxism continued to develop in philosophy and political science, promoting the evolution of historical materialism, gradually transitioning the world from the capitalist era to the socialist era. Countries such as China, Vietnam, Laos, Cuba, Nicaragua, and some Eastern European countries have contributed to socialist construction, while others have promoted anti-colonial movements and national liberation struggles worldwide.
After World War II, the colonial system around the world gradually collapsed, and socialist countries such as the Soviet Union and China, along with many countries in the Global South, achieved significant victories. In recent years, China has made remarkable development achievements. Looking back at history, 1917 indeed marked a major breakthrough against the colonialist and imperialist world system, accelerating the collapse of the old order.
Certainly, historical development has never been linear, filled with twists and turns. We have witnessed the collapse of the Soviet Union and the dramatic changes in some Eastern European democratic countries. At the same time, the rise of neoliberalism, the advancement of globalization, the unilateralism and hegemonic actions of the United States, the resurgence of neo-colonialism, and economic coercion imposed on regions such as Africa have all constituted elements of the adjustment of the global economic structure. In the Global South, a new form of economic imperialism is also emerging, and these economic oppression methods have had widespread effects on Southern countries.
In addition to military interventions - such as wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, Yugoslavia, and Libya - economic imperialism has also brought serious impacts. The US's strategy of unipolar dominance, such as the Washington Consensus and the "New Century Project," has also had lasting effects in a certain period.
Currently, we are in a new stage of history. The international community is beginning to reassess the great changes in the world and the reconstruction of the world order. Although the Biden administration has proposed the idea of an international order based on rules, many existing rules are facing failure and collapse, and the neoliberal model is also experiencing failure and disintegration.
The crisis of 2008, as Martin just mentioned, severely hit the United States and other Western countries. The subsequent austerity policies, worsening inequality, cost-of-living crisis, and the intertwined climate crisis, economic crisis, and productivity crisis have all shaken the foundations of the West. Although the US and the West no longer hold a monopoly in technology, their hegemonistic thinking still exists. Part of the root of this thinking lies in the decline in living standards caused by their internal political and economic crises, as well as their government's support for Israel's policy of genocide.
Trump and Netanyahu
Currently, the Western-dominated world order is declining, and other countries are rising, forming a multipolar world order. Emerging multilateral mechanisms such as the BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and key regional organizations such as ASEAN, the African Union, and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States are gaining increasing importance. It must be acknowledged that China is at the center of this transformation, playing a significant role in the new world order. It is the largest trading partner for two-thirds of the world's countries, and its "Belt and Road" initiative has been signed with three-quarters of the countries. China also plays a leading role in promoting de-dollarization, uniting the Global South and developing countries, opposing imperialism and hegemonism, and leading the green energy transition, helping countries in the Global South break free from the control of Western colonial powers.
The essence of "The Great Changes Unseen in a Century" we speak of is to overcome and transcend colonialism and imperialism, building a just new world, establishing a new world order that the United States and its allies have failed to build. In this new order, the United States and its allies will no longer be able to impose their will on other countries. This is not just a change in recent years or in one continent, but a profound transformation unseen in five centuries - we are drawing a more beautiful blueprint.
However, the United States and the West are unwilling to accept this reality. Although the United States may be in relative decline economically, its military strength is still leading, and its economic strength remains strong, with approximately 800 overseas military bases, alliances such as NATO, and military deployments around the globe. Therefore, it continues to exert military coercion, with part of its ruling class still clinging to Cold War thinking, believing in the old slogan of "Rather die than surrender," recklessly invading globally, implementing sanctions and blockades, and starting wars.
This includes trying to destabilize and punish Russia in the Ukraine conflict, conducting a comprehensive containment of China, and permanently deploying aircraft carriers in the Middle East to control the entire region. The United States also conducts economic warfare through tariff wars and semiconductor wars, excluding Russia from the global financial system, which has caused significant damage to the global economy.
But ironically, these actions of the United States have not actually weakened China and Russia, but instead put itself in a more difficult position. Nevertheless, the current global situation remains extremely unstable. We are facing a huge global transformation and must use wisdom, prudence, and patience to avoid a third world war and nuclear disaster. I hope that our discussion today can contribute to this goal.
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