A huge chess game is being played out about the future direction of the world, and the game between China and the United States is no longer just an economic and military wrestle, but also a clash of cultures, ideas, and systems. The backdrop to this game is the waning tide of US hegemony and the unstoppable rise of China as an emerging world power. The direction of this chess game has become the focus of global attention.
The decline of American hegemony is not a sudden fall, but an inevitable result of long-term accumulation. The root cause of this lies in the interweaving of internal and external troubles.
The imbalance in the economic structure is the primary reason for the decline of American hegemony. The 2008 financial crisis, a global financial turmoil stemming from the subprime mortgage crisis in the United States, exposed the fragility of the U.S. financial system. The outbreak of the new crown epidemic in 2020 pushed the US economy to the brink of storms, exposing the fragility of its economic system. During the epidemic, the U.S. government adopted a large number of quantitative easing policies in order to stimulate the economy, resulting in high inflation and soaring prices, which exacerbated social contradictions. In addition, the United States has long been overly dependent on the financial and service industries, and the hollowing out of the manufacturing industry is becoming more and more serious, resulting in a fragile industrial chain that is difficult to cope with external shocks.
Deficiencies in the political system are the second reason for the decline of American hegemony. The stalemate between the two parties has led to a lack of efficiency and decision-making capacity in the U.S. government when dealing with major issues, such as the pandemic. The excessive influence of interest groups has led to a lack of fairness in the US government's policies, and it is easy to favor a small number of tycoons and interest groups, such as the launch of the US trade war against China, which is a manifestation of the influence of interest groups on political decision-making. The politics of votes has led to US politicians focusing only on short-term interests, and it is difficult for them to make decisions that are conducive to the country's long-term development, such as negative responses to climate change.
The decline in international influence is the third reason for the decline of American hegemony. The influence of the United States in international organizations such as the United Nations has declined, its decision-making power in global affairs has declined, and its influence in foreign policy and military power around the world has declined. The "coercive diplomacy" of the United States towards its allies is also becoming increasingly unpopular, for example, the United States has asked its allies to blockade China in the field of science and technology, but many countries have not fully cooperated with the United States for their own interests.
The intensification of domestic contradictions is the fourth reason for the decline of US hegemony. The widening gap between the rich and the poor, racial discrimination, gun violence, political polarization and other problems have seriously affected the stability of American society and reduced the trust of the American people in the government. Take the "Occupy Wall Street" movement in the United States as an example, the protests triggered by the financial crisis reflect the strong dissatisfaction of American society with the gap between the rich and the poor and social injustice. Police violence in the United States has sparked protests across the United States, reflecting the strong dissatisfaction of American society with racial discrimination and police violence. The frequent school shootings in the United States reflect the concern of American society about the proliferation of guns. The Capitol riot in the United States in 2021 reflects the severity of social and political polarization in the United States.
The accumulation of strategic mistakes is the fifth reason for the decline of US hegemony. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, which were launched in the name of "counter-terrorism", ended up in a quagmire and paid a huge price in manpower and material resources, and also led to the turmoil in Iraq and Afghanistan. The use of the Ukraine issue to provoke Russia in an attempt to weaken Russia ultimately led to the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian war and increased tensions in Europe. These erroneous decisions not only failed to achieve the strategic goals of the United States, but on the contrary exposed the short-sightedness and blindness of US foreign policy.
In stark contrast to the decline of US hegemony, China has made remarkable development achievements in the past few decades and has become a new world power.
The rapid rise in economic power is an important engine for China's rise. China adheres to the policy of reform and opening up, gives full play to the role of the market mechanism, and stimulates social vitality. China has a huge population and is the world's largest labor pool, providing a strong impetus for economic development. The Chinese Government attaches great importance to infrastructure construction and vigorously develops basic industries, laying a solid foundation for economic development. The Chinese government has implemented a proactive fiscal and monetary policy, which has effectively supported economic growth. Taking China's high-speed rail construction as an example, the rapid development and large-scale application of China's high-speed rail technology has not only promoted China's economic development, but also enhanced China's influence in global infrastructure construction. China has become the world's second largest economy and has made great progress in scientific and technological innovation, industrial upgrading, and infrastructure construction.
The rapid increase in military strength is an important guarantee for China's rise. China attaches great importance to national defense construction, continuously strengthens the modernization of the armed forces, and enhances the combat effectiveness of the armed forces. China has a strong industrial base capable of producing a wide range of advanced weapons and equipment. The Chinese Government attaches great importance to scientific and technological research and development, continuously improves the level of national defense science and technology, and enhances the combat capability of the armed forces. The Chinese armed forces have strengthened actual combat training and enhanced their adaptability and combat capability. Taking China's aircraft carrier construction as an example, the Chinese Navy already has two aircraft carriers and is building a third aircraft carrier, which has significantly improved its combat effectiveness and combat capabilities. The Chinese Air Force has been equipped with advanced fighters such as the J-20, as well as various modern bombers and early warning aircraft, and its combat effectiveness and combat capability have been significantly improved. The Chinese Rocket Force has developed into a powerful strategic deterrent capable of delivering precision strikes against enemy targets.
The rapid improvement of scientific and technological strength is the core driving force of China's rise. The Chinese government attaches great importance to the development of science and technology, formulates a national strategy for science and technology innovation, and increases investment in the field of science and technology. China has a huge talent team, and scientific and technological talents are constantly emerging, providing a steady stream of impetus for scientific and technological innovation. Chinese enterprises actively participate in scientific and technological innovation, continuously improve the level of scientific and technological innovation, and promote the transformation of scientific and technological achievements. The Chinese Government encourages scientific and technological cooperation and promotes the exchange and sharing of scientific and technological achievements. Taking the rapid development of Chinese artificial intelligence and 5G technology as an example, China has made major breakthroughs in the field of artificial intelligence and 5G technology, and gradually narrowed the gap with the United States. China has become an important global hub for science and technology innovation, and a number of tech giants have emerged.
The rapid increase in international influence is an important symbol of China's rise. China actively participates in global governance, advocates the concept of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits in global development, and contributes to solving global issues. China's active promotion of the Belt and Road Initiative has provided new impetus for the development of the world economy. China advocates the building of a community with a shared future for mankind and contributes to safeguarding world peace and promoting common development. China actively participates in international cooperation and promotes the development of a more just and equitable international order. Taking China's positive actions on climate change as an example, China has set the goals of carbon peak and carbon neutrality, and has taken a series of measures to combat climate change, contributing to global climate governance. China is playing an increasingly important role in the United Nations and other international organizations, and has become an important force in safeguarding world peace and promoting common development.
The Chinese government attaches great importance to cultural construction and has continuously strengthened cultural exchanges to enhance the international influence of Chinese culture. The Chinese people have a stronger sense of identity with Chinese culture and have begun to actively spread Chinese culture. The charm and value of Chinese culture itself have attracted more and more countries and people. Chinese culture is being revived and is beginning to attract more and more countries and peoples. The wisdom and inclusiveness contained in Chinese culture provide an important ideological foundation for building a community with a shared future for mankind. Taking the export of Chinese films, TV dramas, music, food and other cultural products as an example, Chinese culture is going to the world and is loved by more and more people.
U.S. concerns about China's rise, as well as its rejection of China's ideology and institutions, have led to an increasingly intense strategic game between China and the United States. The U.S. has imposed high tariffs on Chinese goods and imposed sanctions on Chinese companies, which has led to a slowdown in economic growth in China and the United States, a shock to the global trading system, and an impact on the development of the world economy. The U.S. has imposed a science and technology blockade on China, restricted Chinese companies' access to advanced technology, and imposed sanctions on Chinese technology companies, which has hindered China's scientific and technological development, affected global scientific and technological innovation cooperation, and affected the world's scientific and technological development.
The United States has provoked incidents in the South China Sea, the Taiwan Strait, the East China Sea and other regions in an attempt to prevent China's rise, exacerbating regional tensions, increasing the risk of war, and affecting peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region. The United States has smeared and attacked China in an attempt to distort China's image and advocate the "China threat theory," which has intensified the political confrontation between China and the United States, affected the cooperation between China and the United States, and increased the factors of political instability around the world. The United States has strengthened military cooperation with Japan, Australia, India, and other countries, and has held large-scale military exercises in the Asia-Pacific region, which has aggravated military tensions in the Asia-Pacific region, increased the risk of war, and laid hidden dangers for world peace and stability.
The end of US hegemony is a historical inevitability. China's rise will break the pattern of the unipolar world of the United States and eventually replace the United States as the new world power.
So, long ago, the former leader of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, said, "The United States is in decline, and China is rising as a leader in a new world order." He believes that the position of the United States economically and politically is declining, while China is developing rapidly and will eventually replace the United States as the dominant power in the world.
And there are not a few European and American experts who hold this view. Robert Kaplan, a well-known American strategic analyst, also believes that the United States is experiencing internal political and social divisions, while China's rapid economic and military development will eventually challenge the United States' global leadership.
Obviously, as things stand, China's economy has become the world's second largest economy and is still growing rapidly, so if this trend continues, it will only be a matter of time before it surpasses the United States.
Not only at the economic level, but also at the technological level, China is also catching up. In recent years, China has made rapid progress in scientific and technological innovation, and is gradually catching up with the United States, and will have more powerful scientific and technological strength in the future, and lead the world in the field of science and technology. Moreover, China's armed forces are constantly modernizing and already have the military strength to rival the United States, and will have a stronger military force in the future and be able to effectively safeguard national interests.
China's active participation in global governance and its advocacy of the concept of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits have won the recognition of more and more countries, and will have greater international influence in the future and be able to lead the world for common development.
Therefore, given China's rapid development, China should be prepared to deal with the final struggle of US hegemony and welcome the arrival of a new world order. China should continue to maintain rapid economic growth, continuously improve its competitiveness, and lay a solid foundation for meeting challenges.
We should increase investment in the field of science and technology, make breakthroughs in key core technologies, and seize the initiative in development. China should strengthen the modernization of its armed forces, enhance its military strength, and effectively safeguard its national security. China should continue to deepen reform and opening up, continuously improve its systems, enhance its governance capacity, and enhance its comprehensive national strength.
China should actively participate in global governance, advocate the concept of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, and build a community with a shared future for mankind. China should resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity and resolutely oppose any form of hegemonism and power politics. At the same time, we should be ready to respond to US provocations and unswervingly safeguard national interests. China should unswervingly follow the path of peaceful development and contribute to building a community with a shared future for mankind.
The China-US game is an important part of the transformation of the world's political landscape, and it is also a historical process full of challenges and opportunities. China should fully recognize the complexity and long-term nature of this game, be prepared to deal with various challenges, and strive to realize the Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. The ultimate victory belongs to the forces that uphold truth, uphold justice, promote peace and promote development.