China aspires to 'take the lead' on a variety of global issues and become a responsible great power, argues Zhao Kejin 赵可金 Tsinghua University Centre for Sino--US relations deputy director and Institute of International Studies associate professor. It will however, he contends, stick to its anti-hegemonic principles.
'Taking the global lead' differs from 'global leadership' in that it corresponds to the inner logic of the development of history and the times, says Zhao, and has a theoretical basis. China should dig into its own history, drawing from both Western and non-Western experience to offer a China Solution in response to global challenges. Zhao points out that China should be able to take the lead on a variety of global issues as the first step to lead the world.
By 'taking the lead', China aims to cooperate with its followers, contends Zhao, creating a win-win, co-existent partnership based on benevolent rule and morality. China has, he asserts, long adopted a diplomatic strategy combining morality and strategic interests but prioritises morality. The international community can, he hopes, also gradually replace anarchic rule with this more thoughtful strategy.
The mindset of relying on, fearing and idealising the US is, warns Zhao, something to avoid when evaluating China’s espousal of global leadership. While China has nothing like the overall capacity of the US, he argues, it can maintain and enhance its leadership in such fields as high-speed rail, nuclear energy, space technology and the internet. Subjective judgment aside, China’s global contribution is an objective reality.