China’s Rise Marks End Of Unipolar Order

Yuba Nath Lamsal:--- Powers rise and fall in the world, which has been a permanent feature of international politics right from the dawn of civilization. In the annals of history, different empires rose and fell. Egyptian Empire, Akkadian Empire, Babylonian Empire, Assyrian Empire, Persian Empires, Roman Empire, Macedonian Empire, Byzantine Empire, Abbasid Caliphate, Aztec Empire, Inca Empire, Mongol Empire, Mughal Empire, Chinese Empire, Russian Empire, British Empire were once the dominating powers in the world. However, with the change of time, they disappeared and have remained as the subject of history. The architecture of international powers keeps changing, and so do its players. Actors in international politics change with the change of time and other dynamics. However, the nature of the game continues to remain. The one-time allies turn arch foes, while once rivals become bosom friends. This is the nature and course of international power politics, and it will remain so. Geopolitics Certain events have left indelible marks on the history of humanity that have changed the course of national politics as well as geopolitics. World War II changed the course of history and international power dynamics. The dropping of the atomic bombs in Japan not only ended the War but also ruined the European era of power. Until World War II, Europe was the centre of world power. The war marked the end of European power and gave rise to the United States as the sole dominant power in the world. The rise of the Soviet Union was yet another important development in the history of international relations, as it changed the world into a bipolar order, which is also known as the Cold War era. The United States and the Soviet Union were two superpowers that ruled the roost in international power politics. The rise of the Soviet Union marked the beginning of the Cold War or bipolar world order, while its disintegration in 1992 marked the end of the Cold War, giving rise to a unipolar world order and the US remaining the only superpower. The unipolar world continues to exist to this day. However, the geopolitical scenario at present appears to be taking a paradigm shift. The unipolar world seems to be crumbling, but it is not yet clear what shape the global order will exactly take. The US-centric international power is shifting to Asia due mainly to the rise of Asian powers. Of the five largest economies (the US, China, Germany, Japan and India), three (China, Japan and India) are Asian. Similarly, these Asian powers are also rising fast in technology and military strength. China’s phenomenal rise is the most significant event of the 21st century. China is currently the second-largest economy and is struggling to be the number one in the future. China has also achieved remarkable progress in social, technological, and military sectors. China has already eradicated absolute poverty and expects to rise fast to upgrade itself to the status of the developed country. China is one of the world’s oldest civilizations and an important power to reckon with in the world stage. With impressive economic clout, inventions and innovation in multiple sectors, rich cultural and intellectual contribution to the world civilizations and its world view, China has always an important power. In the 18th century, China alone had accounted for almost a third of global GDP. China’s historic glory and stance in the world continued even in the early part of the 19th century. However, with internal strife, wrangling and its resultant instability creeping into the royal court of Beijing, China’s strength and glory diminished, pushing the ‘Middle Kingdom’ into a state of national humiliation marked by external intervention, exploitation, poverty and backwardness. Now China has once again risen from the rubble of national disgrace. In the tumultuous journey of over seven decades since the success of the 1949 Chinese Revolution, China has made stunning progress to convert itself from an impoverished nation to a prosperous country and a world power, thanks to the contribution of the five generations of Chinese leadership, right from Mao Zedong to the present President Xi Jinping. Only recently, the fourth plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China concluded in Beijing, adopting the 15th Five-Year Plan with a new vision for China’s development and modernization for the next five years. The new five-year plan seeks to advance the modernisation process with more innovation, focusing on the green revolution. The green revolution it has already started and the development blueprint that the Plan has envisioned may turn China into the global leader in green technology, green economy, and innovation. This will have a positive impact on the world, especially in the area of nature conservation and sustainable development. China’s rise China’s rise is being taken as a threat by some countries, while many others are enthusiastic and optimistic. The United States and its allies, as well as some regional powers, seem to be sceptical of China’s rise. Washington designates China as its principal rival. China’s rise is definitely a challenge to the unipolar order and one country’s domination. However, for the rest of the world, especially for the countries of the global south, this may be a matter of optimism for world peace and better cooperation. The new geopolitical scenario, especially the rise and assertiveness of China, followed by other powers, including Russia and India, hints at the emergence of a new global order. Given the newer developments, the world seems to be heading towards a multi-polar world, which may be more democratic than the present one. Rise of Asia and more particularly China’s re-emergence is a key phenomenon in the global geopolitics of 21st century. At a time when the world is facing multiple crises, China’s role and response would definitely have a positive impact on global affairs. China’s model of sustainable development, accompanied by the vision for win-win cooperation, sends a positive message to the crisis-ridden world. (The author is a former chief editor of this daily and a former ambassador lamsalyobamath@gmail.com)