Global Times Editorial: Western Countries "Approaching China" Is Not Worth Being Surprised
People concerned about international politics have recently noticed a trend of change: from Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau's "Middle Powers Must Cooperate" speech at the World Economic Forum winning applause, to leaders of South Korea, Canada, Finland, the UK, Germany and other countries "visiting China consecutively" or expressing willingness to visit China. In the context of unilateralism and hegemonism stirring up the world, strengthening cooperation with China is seen as a "trend" among Western countries. These developments are clearly not isolated. Some voices believe that this may be a landmark node in the wave of major changes in the international order.
American media has paid close attention to these developments. In a series of reports and analyses, we notice several typical erroneous narratives on China. One is the "China Gains Advantage" theory, which claims that the "cracks" between the US and its allies allow China to "take advantage", even inciting that "China is winning a new Cold War". Another is the "Second Shock of China" theory, which claims that China's continuously developing industrial chain is devouring the "homelands" of Western countries, warning that strengthening cooperation with China is "allowing China to devour it". There is also another voice, which can be called the "Surrender to China" theory, which views cooperation with China as "weakness", as a so-called "sacrificing values for the market", and then claiming that China is posing a "fundamental challenge" to Western civilization.
All these statements are different forms of the "China Threat Theory", essentially still based on Cold War thinking's binary narrative. They assume an international framework of "Sino-US bipolar competition", believing that every country must make an exclusive choice between China and the US, either relying on the hegemon or approaching China. This also contains a subtle threat to American allies: Do you want to cooperate with China? You will lose your "strong alliance", lose your "own industry", and even lose your "own values". This "brainwashing technique" deliberately ignores the real demands of countries for independent development, distorting the essence of international cooperation through the lens of bloc confrontation, misrepresenting China and misrepresenting the world.
Are Western countries choosing China? In a sense, yes. At the recent Davos Forum, "Chinese opportunities" became one of the most popular topics, highlighting the general desire of the international community to further deepen cooperation with China. This is the inevitable result of China's development benefiting the global community, continuously injecting stability and certainty into the international community. Countries deepening cooperation with China do so because they see the huge potential of the Chinese market, the practical effectiveness of Chinese solutions, and the sincerity and reliability of Chinese partners. "China is a reliable equal partner" has long been a common consensus among countries in the Global South, and now more and more countries are realizing this, including Canada and European countries, which is not surprising. In fact, even the United States cannot easily abandon dialogue and cooperation with China.
But further speaking, rather than saying these countries chose China, it is more accurate to say they chose to follow the tide of the times. From the Global South jointly promoting the "expansion" of the BRICS cooperation mechanism, ASEAN countries adhering to the "non-alliance" policy, to the current "middle powers must work together," these movements clearly indicate that win-win cooperation has become an unstoppable trend of the era. The more unilateralist hegemonic actions go against the tide, the stronger the calls for multilateralism will be. China has become a "reliable partner" not only due to the magnetic pull of the world's second-largest economy, but also because it consistently advocates for an equal and orderly multipolar world and an inclusive and equitable economic globalization, always standing on the right side of history.
In the 21st century, the fundamental purpose of the foreign policies of the vast majority of countries is to pursue their own development and people's well-being. When Western leaders constantly express that "the old order is dead," this does not mean the collapse of the international order, but rather signifies the complete bankruptcy of Cold War thinking. When more and more countries break free from the constraints of bloc confrontation and firmly walk the path of independent development, the international landscape will move toward a more equal and orderly multipolarity; when more and more countries can independently express their demands and participate equally in negotiations, the global governance system will become more fair and just, and the results of governance will be more widely shared by the people of all countries.
"We accept the world as it is, not as we wish it to be." This is a statement made by Trudeau when responding to his visit to China. Behind this is a clear understanding of the reality of mutual dependence among countries in the era of globalization. The world is not a chessboard of black and white blocs. In the future, as more countries break free from the shackles of Cold War thinking, the international order will move towards a more inclusive future in the process of transformation. This is an inevitable direction of historical development, and also a common aspiration of the people of all countries.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1855306332080199/
Statement: The article represents the personal views of the author.