Over the past decades, China has increasingly amassed significant social, political, economic, and diplomatic on the world stage. China’s growing dominance has made the country an important player when it comes to discussing the global narrative, especially in the Western and Eastern worlds. Economically, has grown into a leading powerhouse due to its highly skilled and cheap labor force, advanced technologies, and large market for goods and services. China has challenged the dominance of the United States as the world’s leading economy (Ferchen 3 – 7). Hundreds of multinational corporations founded in the West and East including Samsung, Google, Apple, and Microsoft rely on China’s labor force. To underscore the country’s importance in shaping the global narrative, the recent trade wars between China and the U.S. due to the ever-growing trade deficit caused ripple effects that have been felt in other countries in Europe and the Americas. The tariffs issued by both countries have affected companies and industries far beyond the borders of the two countries (Holland, Ben and Sam n.pag).
Diplomatically and politically, China has continued to direct the global narrative by shaping international, regional and national policies in the West and East. China’s relationship with and policies towards Russia and the Koreas has influenced military and international diplomatic relations in the region and in the West. The presence of U.S. military bases in South Korea and other countries in the East is partly driven by the perceived security threat by countries such as North Korea which have been backed by China (Ferchen 8 – 10). China is one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council. Its veto powers make China one of the most influential countries in world, capable of determining the direction of important issues such as nuclear weapons.
Works Cited
Ferchen, Matt. China, economic development, and global security: Bridging the gaps. Carnegie-Tsinghua Center for Global Policy, 2016.
Holland, Ben and Sam, Cedric. A 600 billion bill: Counting the global cost of the U.S.-China trade war. Bloomberg, 28 May 2019.