Mark Beeson, for The Interpreter (Could China save the world?), emphasises a perspective that could be summarised as follows: China is part of the planetary problems but must be part of their solution.
In our eyes, the way must be opened for a ‘cooperative competition’ with Beijing. Looking at what will happen at the 20th Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, while at the same time immersing ourselves in the ‘world beyond’, the Dragon is a necessary player to face challenges that affect everyone.
The new path that the West must take can no longer be that of a sterile confrontation. We still reason in linear terms of a ‘new cold war’ (in reality ‘hot’ for rising tensions) but, by continuously negotiating on the great issues of rights and freedoms, the West must realise that ‘decoupling’ from Beijing is an anti-historical operation.
From the war in Ukraine to the great ongoing de-generational mega-crisis (first and foremost the climate crisis), no solution is possible without the Chinese contribution. Mutual radicalisation will bring no good, on the contrary: the already present future calls for dialogues (those yes, radical and deep) to strive together for the ‘political-strategic sustainability’ of the world and worlds.
