Martin Hash wrote:
The OP was about specific China-related articles that imply that China's leadership is acceptable to The World rather than rejected out-of-hand, and my supposition that if Communist China is gung-ho "Free" Trade & globalism then that's condemnation enough of both concepts.
US leadership has not made Saudi Arabia adopt democracy, and the two countries in Europe that are politically closest in terms of system, are France (in terms of presidential power) and Germany (in terms of being a federalist state). Several European countries do not enjoy the same degree of freedom of speech the US has, and in many of those cases those law date back centuries (like blasphemy laws, laws against insulting the monarch, etc.) and are unrelated to Communism.
The assumption on your part that acceptance that China will take on a greater role economically, or even surpass the economic power of the US will result in those other countries accepting the Chinese political system and ideology, is irrational. The US already does lots of business with China, and vice versa. Is that impossible without either the US adopting parts of the Chinese system of government or vice versa? Of course not. Your article indicates as much itself.
China gaining more power does not magically result in all other countries abandoning democracy, capitalism and whatever freedoms they have and adopting Chinese ideology, values and political systems. When the US dominate(d) global trade, the rest of the world didn't change their systems. Else China would be a capitalist democracy now. Capitalism wasn't introduced by the US, nor was liberal democracy, or the ideas of liberty and freedom. They had their roots in France and Britain, after all.
The US under Trump does not want international leadership, by most accounts, btw. So I don't really see why you'd assume there'd be anything to go to war
about? You still have NATO leadership, btw. But ultimately you lead the world in a way that China will not be able to compete with in our lifetimes:
Culture.
China may produce goods to Europe. But it's
American movies and TV that we watch, in some countries even more than
national programming. Add music, pop culture, internet, gaming. America's everywhere. Not because of some political decision. But because you got popular... and China: Is not. They may get more influence, sure.... but in my country at least, they have a reputation as working borderline slave-workers to death. You don't have to like someone, nor have any reason to adopt their political systems, just because it is profitable to work with them.
Fame is not flattery. Respect is not agreement.
) than modern Vietnam, I thought the ruling party was going towards free markets, if not exactly capitalist? Follow China's path?