The BRICs Superpower Challenge by Chun Kwang Ho

Author:Chun, Kwang Ho [Chun, Kwang Ho]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Ashgate Publishing Ltd
Published: 2013-05-02T14:00:00+00:00

Impacts of Foreign Policy on Issues of Global Concern

The global economy crisis As outlined above, China’s current assertive foreign policies aim to balance the pursuit of economic development with considerations of stability among its partners, and this has enhanced its power and economic influence. During the recent global economic crisis, many countries have looked to China for help to deal with their problems, but there are concerns that China has put its own economic interests above the need for global economic stability, for instance in its policies towards the European Union. China seeks the transfer of technology and access to European markets, while the EU and other countries are bearing the major share of expenditure on measures to combat climate change, and China has also demanded that the EU abstain from talks and criticisms concerning its conduct towards Taiwan and Tibet.14 Shi Yinyong, a Chinese international relations expert, feels that ‘China’s demands of the EU are feasible, limited and realistic’, yet the question remains whether China has offered the EU anything in return for these demands.15

China takes advantage of the EU, since it prevents it from penetrating its own market while gaining full access to the EU market. This is facilitated by the mismatch between China’s system of government (centralized authority) and the rule-based system under which the EU operates, since there is lack of distinct boundaries between China’s central, regional and local authorities. As a result, Chinese state-owned firms and local people have limited autonomy in relation to foreign trade as the central government has the final say in these matters, making it easier for the government to take control of issues in which it has a strategic interest. In addition, under the WTO agreement, China reserves the right to protect newly formed industries from competition from foreign entities, enabling it to close its market to outsiders.

China has limited the pressure from the EU by allowing discussions of key issues, such as human rights, then using the EU’s preoccupation with these at the annual meetings as a tactic to distract it from addressing the high trade deficits between the EU and China. These dialogues frequently favour China, as it exploits the Western tendency to seek win–win outcomes in order to restrict anti-dumping measures and keep the American and European markets susceptible to its economic exploitation. Another deflection tactic involves accusing the US and EU of being guilty of double standards on sensitive issues.16

It is most notable that not only does China exploit divisions between EU member states, it actually seeks to provoke them. Although divisions within the EU have also been taken advantage of by the US, for instance during efforts to seeks support for its military intervention in Iraq, China ruthlessly exploits this opportunity by identifying member countries which are particularly vulnerable and pressurizing them to support China’s stance on issues such as the granting of Taiwanese independence, also rallying the ideological free-traders to support China over the controversial issue of maintaining a market economy rather than tolerating both assertive industrialism and mercantilism.

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