January 22, 2024
Rumors of China’s Decline Are Premature and Dangerous
Speaking in Davos, Switzerland, last week, Chinese Premier Li Qiang pitched his country as a solid investment destination. The Chinese economy, Li said, has “huge potential,” and choosing it “is not a risk, but an opportunity.”
His audience listened skeptically. After decades of unstoppable Chinese economic, demographic and military growth, the past two years have seen more trouble than triumphs. That has led some analysts to worry not about the rise of Chinese power but instead the irrevocable decline of China’s economy.
China continues to rise and seems bent on regional domination and international revisionism.
These fears are utterly premature. Worse, if they represent the assumptions on which U.S. policy is based, America will fail to rise to China’s challenge. The chief near-term risk is not that Beijing’s ascent will fizzle, but rather that Washington will fail to muster the strength necessary for an adequate response.
Read the full article from The Washington Post.
More from CNAS
-
Sharper: Allies and Partners
Commentary
Amid intensifying geopolitical challenges, the United States is finding new ways to address security issues by cultivating and strengthening alliances and partnerships. How ca...
By Gwendolyn Nowaczyk & Charles Horn
-
What Can the US Expect From Sri Lanka’s New President?
Commentary
Washington views Sri Lanka as a “lynchpin” of its Indo-Pacific strategy and seeks a partner committed to strengthening the democratic process and economic governance while pro...
By Keerthi Martyn
-
On Alliances in Northeast Asia
Commentary
For the U.S. alliances with South Korea and Japan to thrive — or merely survive — under the next administration, policy makers need to consider different options for different...
By Dr. Duyeon Kim
-
The China-Russia Entente in East Asia
Reports
Executive Summary Closer cooperation between China and Russia is a major force driving global geopolitics. But how relations between the two authoritarian powers are shaping s...
By Jacob Stokes, Evan Wright & Nathaniel Schochet
