China is entering a “new era,” one in which China’s leader plans to make his country a strong, global power, potentially to the detriment of American influence in Asia.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has promised to fulfill the “Chinese Dream” and bring about the “great revival of the Chinese nation,” restoring China to its perceived rightful place in the world. The prevailing narrative of the ruling Communist Party is that China was the preeminent power in its region for centuries, but it was crippled and humiliated by foreign powers. Chinese leaders have long asserted that China’s time will come again, and Xi, one of the strongest Chinese leaders in decades, appears to believe the time has come.
Describing the next stage of Chinese development at the 19th National Party Congress in Beijing, Xi stressed “it will be an era that sees China moving closer to center stage.”
At this important political event, the Chinese president revealed his plans to build China into a world power by 2049, the 100th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Xi believes that China should emerge as “a global leader in terms of comprehensive national power and international influence” at the centenary, according to the speech he delivered at the event.
While the next decade and change will be largely focused on domestic development, the following period, according to Xi, will be focused on advancing China’s global interests.
The Chinese president believes that “trends in multipolarity,” which refers to the emergence of multiple poles of power and hints at American decline, are “rapidly accelerating.” He asserts that China now stands “tall and firm in the East.” The Chinese president’s rhetoric indicates that China may more aggressively pursue its national interests abroad.
“The international community may face an even more assertive China in the years to come,” Bonnie Glaser, Director of the China Power Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and Matthew Funaiole, a China Power Project fellow, argue in a new Lowy Institute report on China’s strategic ambitions. Prior to the political gathering in Beijing, Scott Kennedy, the director of the Project on Chinese Business and Political Economy at CSIS, suggested that China’s voice is going to be “much louder and more pronounced.”
Speaking at the National Party Congress, Xi explained that China “is resolved to never give up its own legitimate rights and interests” and absolutely will not “swallow the bitter fruit of damage to its own interests.”
By the mid-century mark, Xi expects the People’s Liberation Army to “fully transformed into a first-tier force.” The Chinese military is undergoing a massive modernization program to turn the PLA into a military force capable of “winning wars.” At the recent political gathering in Beijing, Xi emphasized that a “military is built to fight.” Glaser and Funaiole assess that China’s strategic ambitions, coupled with its military development, indicate a desire to displace the U.S. as the premier power in Asia.
“Xi’s vision for the future may signal an intention to double down on challenging elements of the prevailing world order that Beijing sees as contrary to Chinese interests,” these scholars conclude, adding that should this be the case, “the international community might look back at the 19th Party Congress as the moment when China’s long march toward reclaiming its great-power status was matched with the confidence needed to present China as a buttress against Western liberalism.”
The Chinese president has presented a vision for China that is focused on the restoration of China’s great power status at all costs. Whether China can achieve its goals remains to be seen, but the country’s intentions are clear.
Send tips to ryan@
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.