China's Response To A World Organized By The West

Competition between the U.S. and China has reached a fever pitch, with the U.S. banning China’s access to critical technologies and sanctioning specific leaders for their abuse of human rights. Meanwhile, China has been making deals with countries that look unfavorably on the centrality of the U.S. in international organizations, finance via the dollar and the outline of global security. Is the U.S. trying to restrain China’s growth and keep it dependent on U.S. financial strength, as Beijing believes? Is China seeking to take down the U.S. as world leader and eliminate the dollar’s global power, as Washington believes? Neither view is completely accurate. What China wants is not to be controlled by a foreign currency and not to be subject to rules set and enforcedby others. To realize that objective, China is trying to piece together a network of relationships with countries similarly aggrieved by Washington’s “hegemony” in order to access the goods and services China and others need. In the process, Beijing seeks to join Washington as an equal power in global affairs. Meanwhile, the U.S. seemingly just wants to hold on to its central position on the global stage.