The rise of China and end of western dominance

Published: July 25,2022

By Gerald Mbanda

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair delivered a speech on London on July 16, at Ditchley Park west where he said that, the Ukraine war shows that western dominance is coming to an end as China gains superpower status in partnership with Russia. Tony Blair was speaking at a lecture titled, “After Ukraine, What Lessons Now for Western Leadership?” Blair observed that the world is at a turning point in history comparable to the end of WWII or the fall of the Soviet Union. 

Blair further said that, as western political and economic dominance is declining, the world is going to be at least bi-polar and possibly multi-polar, predicting  that the biggest geo-political change of this century will come from China not Russia. “China’s place as a superpower is natural and justified,” said Blair, but warned that, “The West should not let China overtake militarily,” and warned that the west should maintain military superiority. “We should increase defencespending and maintain military superiority,” Blair said. The United States and its allies “should be superior enough to cater for any eventuality or type of conflict and in all areas.”

Political analysts interpreted Blair’s speech as correct on the rise of China, but wrong on suggesting that stopping China from becoming a military superpoweris the solution for the west. Tony Blair’s words are a clear indication of the war mongering foreign policy of the west and the intent to maintain western hegemony and dominance of world affairs by use of military power. China is now the second largest economy in the world, a position that the Chinese people worked so hard to attain. It was not under mercy of the west. 

When the west views China’s rise as a threat to the west, this is something to worry about the future of global peace, as the west will look for ways to stop the rise of China. US has for years threatened to provoke proxy wars, using Taiwan and Hong Kong, the same way US and NATO have used Ukraine to destabilize Russia.  In fact, the west has for decades tried to sabotage China’s economy through trade wars, and through political maneuvers by supporting separatists in Hong Kong and Taiwan, selling them arms and providing financial support to destabilize China.

China has never invaded any country in modern history, contrary to the west, which has started and sponsored uncountable wars all over the world since the Second World War. Why would the west then raise alarm for China becoming a military super power? The answer is simple. The west is known to accuse other countries of things they do themselves. Political analysts believe that since the west has thrived for ages by exploiting and bullying other nations because of their military superiority, their mind set has been corrupted to believe that any other country that becomes better than them militarily will do to them what they have done to others.  This is the fear factor of bullies when they get weakened. 

Chinese political scientist Professor Yan Xuedong, dean of the school of international relations at Tsinghua University in Beijing, says that, “China believes that its rise to great-power status entitles it to a new role in world affairs — one that cannot be reconciled with unquestioned US dominance.”

So, as the west dominance is getting to an end as the former British Prime Minister said, they want to destroy other countries especially China, Russia and Iran “perceived to be their enemies.” As the war between Russia and Ukraine has had a spillover effect to other parts of the world, similarly plans by the west to destabilize China spell disastrous consequences to the global community. The world needs peace not war.  

Gerald Mbanda is a Researcher and publisher on China and Africa.  

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