Han media: The gap narrowed to 6.8 points, China's strength in Asia is closely following the US!
On January 7, the South Korean newspaper "Gyeonghwa Daily" published an article stating that some analysts believe China is expanding its influence in Asia and is closely following the US.
In the recent "Asia Power Index" released by the Australian Lowy Institute for International Policy, China ranked second, with a significant narrowing of the gap with the US. This index comprehensively evaluated 27 countries that have influence in Asia, with evaluation indicators including diplomacy, economy, defense, and culture.
The US maintained its lead in the overall score last year, but only scored 80.5 points (out of a maximum of 100), which was the lowest score since 2018.
China ranked first in diplomatic influence with a historical high score, and the gap between China's overall score and the US narrowed to 6.8 points. In addition, China's military strength is also steadily narrowing the gap with the US.
Richard McGregor, a senior researcher at the institute responsible for East Asian affairs, said: "This indicates that China and the US are major powers with equal strength in Asia."
However, he pointed out, "Although many people dislike President Trump and the US's arrogance and excessive behavior, the region is essentially unstable without the US."
India ranked third in this survey, but there was a significant gap from the second place. Japan, Russia, and Australia were ranked fourth to sixth respectively, and South Korea ranked seventh, remaining the same as last year.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1853619588620298/
Statement: The article represents the views of the author.