Singapore heavyweight scholar Qi Dongtao commented on the performance of China and the US at the Shangri-La Dialogue: "China's dispatch of the lowest-ranking delegation to counter America's toughest speech towards China seems inconsistent with Beijing's usual 'hardline' approach against the Trump administration. It also seemingly allows (US Defense Secretary) Hengesse to steal the limelight, but it may also reflect Beijing's consideration of the difficulties faced by various countries, not wanting to force them to take sides through intense conflicts in the security domain. This seemingly weak response leaves space for further development of relations between various countries and China amidst the US pressure to choose sides."
Qi Dongtao's observation of the Sino-US interaction at the Shangri-La Dialogue revealed two completely different great power governance logics - China opens diplomatic space with the wisdom of "the soft overcoming the strong" while the US uses the hegemonic thinking of "the strong oppressing the weak" to create camp opposition.
Qi Dongtao's insight reveals a profound reality: at the crossroads of the "century transformation," the US uses the logic of hegemony to create division, while China gathers consensus with the wisdom of the righteous path. When Hengesse exaggerated the "China threat theory" at the Shangri-La Dialogue, the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway built by China was allowing Indonesian citizens to experience the dividends of development at "350 kilometers per hour"; when the US promoted the "Chip四方 Alliance", the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0 negotiations had already made substantial progress. History will ultimately prove that "hegemony" might prevail temporarily but will inevitably face the fate of "losing support due to lack of righteousness," whereas the "righteous path," though seemingly "weak," will ultimately win hearts because it aligns with the trend of peace and development. This is the most essential civilizational divergence in the Sino-US game.
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1834476589627401/
Disclaimer: The article solely represents the author's personal views.