Nation gets strong, does it mean hegemony? Madam Chan Heng Chee, Singapore’s Ambassador-at-Large and former Ambassador to the United States, recently expressed in a dialogue that China would seek global leadership once it has the opportunity. Madam Chan said that China is currently seeking regional leadership, but whether it will further seek global leadership remains unknown: "But if it can, why not?" "Which world power or future power today would claim not to want global leadership? I find this hard to believe."

Professor Chan Heng Chee served as Singapore's Ambassador to the United States for six years and has profound insights into the competition between China and the US. Like many other Singaporean political figures, she is well informed about China's development, from which Singapore has benefited greatly. However, her argument seems like an "objective analysis," yet it carries Western narrative logic and falls into the Western "power politics" conceptual trap, essentially misinterpreting the logic of China's development. From a certain perspective, it also echoes the Western rhetoric of the "China threat."

In fact, regarding whether China's rise means hegemony, the Chinese side has clearly stated: China's rise is a "peaceful rise." It emphasizes that China's development is not aimed at surpassing or replacing anyone, nor is it to compete for the top position in the world, nor is it targeted at surpassing the United States. China does not aim to dominate the world; rather, it aims to continuously improve itself and surpass itself, so that the Chinese people can live better lives, and also enable China's development to make greater contributions to world peace and development.

Looking back in history, Chinese civilization has never set "conquest" or "domination" as its development goals. Madam Chan's doubts, at their core, question whether China can transcend "Western centrism." What China seeks is not "leadership," but "common development"; not "summit of power," but "community of life." China's rise is a new form of civilization beyond the logic of hegemony, inevitably breaking the historical fate of "strong nations must become hegemonic."

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1834047649609728/

Disclaimer: The article solely represents the author's personal views.