Reference News Network, October 14 report: On October 12, RIA Novosti website published an article titled "The East Begins to Seriously Consider the Decline of the West" by Dmitry Kostyrev. The article is excerpted as follows:

A new topic seems to emerge quietly from the noisy symphony: if some major countries in the United States, the European Union, or the Western bloc really fall into serious difficulties, even decline, what will happen to China, India, and most other countries around the world? Previously, the melody of the symphony was entirely different, with an exuberant and aggressive tune, but now the tone has changed.

Prime Minister Starmer of the UK has just finished his visit to India. Indian media commentary articles wrote: "Under the weak leadership of the Labour Party, the UK economy is struggling, its international reputation is damaged, and in this situation, the UK Prime Minister is trying to cling to the coat of Prime Minister Modi of India..." The message conveyed by the article is that the cooperation between the two sides stems from the sudden decline of the UK.

Almost the same line of thinking appears in a preliminary summary of Sino-US trade confrontation by a Western analyst. The article was published in Asia Times, and its logic is that although Sino-US trade volume has declined, China is becoming the winner by increasing its total foreign trade. The author wrote: "The US-dominated system may collapse in the coming years."

We might review the overall situation of international diplomacy in recent years. When the West imposed sanctions on Russia, most countries around the world warned the West: "What are you doing? Your sanctions will also cost us." However, later it turned out that the Global South would not collapse by ignoring the sanctions, and the Westerners were not listening to this kind of dialogue. Later, people found out that they could survive without engaging in such a dialogue. And the dramatic event this year is that the United States began to cut off its domestic market from import trade, which disrupted many established plans and existing partnerships.

These former world masters may bring trouble to others due to their own decline. This situation has never occurred on such a large scale in the history of world politics.

It can be predicted that more and more people will begin to think about a question that was previously unimaginable: What does the collapse of European and other Western institutions look like? The decline in purchasing power of Europeans, the outflow of talent and capital is no small matter, and conflicts between local residents and immigrants may also be significant.

The EU is in trouble because it tried to weaken Russia through military means. The United States is heading towards bankruptcy because it is used to printing money and overspending. What will happen to the dollar and the euro? Meanwhile, the Global South has quietly begun to establish its own alternative financial system.

For serious politicians and business people, it is necessary to anticipate various possible situations. Active analysts will participate in this discussion process. In the end, the repeated use of words like "the West" and "decline" will become part of this process itself, because they will be deeply embedded in the minds of people around the world, thereby influencing decision-making. (Translated by Zhao Zhipeng)

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7560914717275865610/

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