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As the US Gradually Abdicates Its Power, We Begin to Realize How Much China Has Done for the World

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As the US Gradually Abdicates Its Power, We Begin to Realize How Much China Has Done for the World

Phoenix Weekly,

5 min read
5 take-aways
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What's inside?

How anti-globalization sentiments in the United States are pushing China to the forefront of global power.

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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Analytical
  • Innovative
  • Eloquent

Recommendation

American influence in global affairs is waning. US president Donald Trump’s isolationist and protectionist “America First” ideology has opened up a global leadership void that China will move into, argues Zhu Yunhan – a professor at National Taiwan University – during a talk given at National Tsing Hua University in Taiwan. The transcript reads like a list of China’s accomplishments; Zhu’s speech would have benefited from additional discussion of what kind of a leader China may become and which areas of global responsibility it may shirk. Still, getAbstract recommends this article to those interested in global power shifts in the international trade arena.

Summary

The United Kingdom decided to leave the European Union; the nationalist Alternative for Germany party (AfD) won 13% of the votes in a national election; and Donald Trump became president with slogans that advocate a protectionist “America First” ideology. The anti-globalization movement has been making strides in the West.

Global trade has been slowing in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis. Based on statistics from the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Integrated Trade Intelligence Portal and analyses in 2016 by consulting company A.T. Kearney, more countries have implemented protectionist policies following the financial crisis. Before 2007, the global compound annual growth rate was increasing at 5%. After 2007, global trade decreased for several consecutive years, except for a slight rebound in 2010. Yet, global economic growth is currently hovering near 0%.

Looking Eastward, the scenery is quite different. Historically, non-Western countries had...

About the Author

Zhu Yunhan is a political science professor at National Taiwan University.

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