Pax Americana is slowly but surely giving way to ‘Pax Chinesecana’ as the second largest economy daringly chases peace and a rambunctious Washington petulantly follows war.
For the ruling Chinese Communist Party, peace has to be there in the world to modernize its 1.4 billion people and to be the global leader in the new generation technologies which are at the nascent stage now. These cutting-edge algorithm-driven robotic technologies will become engines of growth tomorrow and the Chinese society should be the go-to person for expertise, info, and tips on them.
This is the mandate put forth by the Third Plenum of the Chinese Communist Party that ended on July 18 where hardcore economic issues set the agenda of the central committee, the apex decision-making body of the party.
The closed-door brain-storming session told the party to adopt a people’s first policy which is a call to produce a tamed society that lives and toils for the economic hegemony of the single-party nation.
To make the entire population dance to the tune of the new tech-based Chinese world order, society’s existing ethnic cultural ethos will have to be cut down to size to fit into a market-oriented new generation economy to allow the nation to stay ahead of the curve of the upcoming knowledge-based global economy.
Historically, third plenums are known for their milestone changes in the modern Chinese economy, starting with former party chairman and paramount leader Deng Xiaoping who gave a new meaning to the Chinese economy with the Third Plenum in 1978.
Current party leader Xi Jinping gave an impressive capitalist makeover to the Chinese economy with the Third Plenum in November 2013 when it allowed the market to have a “decisive” role in the economy.
Both the plenums gave shape to China what it is today which is nothing but capitalism with ‘Chinese charactertics.’ In fact, the Chinese thrust on a market-orient economy has proved a hard nut for Washington to break.
The communist party needs peace and cannot afford any room for dissidence because 600 million people, more than 40 percent of the population, who now live in the countryside in the vast country have to be modeled on the “Chinese-style modernization.”
Universities and other higher education institutes will have to churn out experts in high-end manufacturing to act as champions of an innovation-driven economy.
The plan is to put in place a tech-driven society that will come to the rescue of the party and the nation’s economy in case of a global economic slowdown with its robust domestic demand.
The task of putting society at the heart of the economy will gather more steam with the next Five-Year Plan, starting in 2026, ahead of the 80th anniversary of communist China’s foundation in 2029.
For this, the Chinese Communist Party needs peace to thrive.
The July Third Plenum, attended by all the 199 members and 165 alternate members of the central committee, was convened by the 20th central committee after its election in the last party Congress in October 2022.
On the global front, the Third Plenum has asked the party to roll out a red-carpet welcome for international investors by adding more teeth to reforms.
The aim is to assume leadership in future industries that are at the nascent stage. China needs international investors as the US-led West is desperately trying to prevent it from laying its hands on these new generation technologies and their lucrative market in all parts of the world.
With the focus shifted to an innovation-driven society and new generation industries, the communist party will have to unveil a new course of economic action as the current focus is on manufactured goods and their export market. This will have to give way to innovation breakthroughs.
As told by the plenum, China will have to shift its growth paradigm with a resilient economy fuelled by innovation that can cope with protracted geopolitical repercussions initiated by the US-led West.
A peaceful world order is needed for China where its new generation products, services, capital, and culture get easy access worldwide.
On the other hand, the US-led West is parting ways with Pax Americana. Under Joe Biden, funds for lethal arms have hit record levels that few nations can match in the immediate future. With direct involvement in the wars in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, the nation’s war economy is hungry for more.
A week before the Third Plenum, western leaders gathered in Washington to take stock of their war preparedness under the aegis of NATO.
At the three-day 75th anniversary meeting, a NATO declaration said the military alliance was investing in “chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defense capabilities to effectively operate in all environments.”
Despite few victories to its credit, the biggest military grouping boasted of the 360-degree approach— a defense posture covering the land, air, maritime, cyber, and space domains.
Whereas a communiqué after the four-day Third Plenum said: “In foreign relations, China remains firmly committed to pursuing an independent foreign policy of peace.”
For China, peace is necessary to make choices for its economy on the global front. The communist nation brought together arch-rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia on a common platform not for religious reasons but to ensure a smooth flow of oil to its shores.
Peace has always more takers and when it comes to business and trade, the world’s wealthy elites have a few things in common with China.
Unlike the US, regime changes never take center stage in Chinese state policy. Because of the powerful arms lobby that fosters a fatal gun culture and influential defense manufacturers that are eager for more wars violence and social unrest have become part of the entire society in the US.
Its moral decay reared its ugly head when a 20-year-old youth tried to gun down a 78-year-old former president of the country! The very same Donald Trump became the victim of social decadence who kept the pot boiling against China with his dubious trade war in 2018.
If US funds, technologies, and aid are handed over to third-world nations and allies under strict conditions, China deals with nations on mere economic terms as the Chinese Communist Party is against exporting communism to other nations. The ban imposed by Deng still stays.
The politicized version of globalization, championed by the US, will be replaced by the “economic globalization,” spearheaded by China.
China will lead and the US may bleed.
Joseph Benny is a political commentator
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- A communique after the Third Plenum said
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- A NATO declaration
https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/official_texts_227678.htm
