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Andrei Lungu
Andrei Lungu is president of the Romanian Institute for the Study of the Asia-Pacific. His research interests focus on China’s foreign policy and its internal politics
China’s respectable track record on incorporating women into the workforce falls short when it comes to high-level politics. Restricting the pool of talent at the top to half the population weakens badly needed competition and tells Chinese girls a career in politics is not for them.
Beijing’s Covid-19 containment strategy relies heavily on public cooperation, but after almost three years of lockdowns, frustrations are mounting. While China is in no position to safely open up right away, it can admit to mistakes, ask for patience and provide a timeline for ending restrictions.
Chinese abroad have been harassed, students denied visas, Chinese companies sanctioned – and for what? A foreign policy that brings a feel-good surge of power but doesn’t make the world a friendlier place for Chinese isn’t a patriotic policy.
Most of China’s immigration measures have short-term goals, while the US has proven it can attract and retain talent from across the globe. Given the challenges of changing policies and mindsets, Beijing should in the meantime tap into the power of its women to reinvigorate the nation.
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If Beijing is serious about becoming a global tech power, then innovation is not enough; it needs real rule of law. Chinese companies will be treated fairly abroad only if China’s legal system evolves.
By letting its diplomats criticise governments and threaten companies and people with retribution, Beijing has abandoned the diplomatic practices that propelled its rise to a global power. In the long run, this will only undermine economic development.
Despite the growing divide between the EU and the US under Trump, Beijing is in danger of losing Europe, which cannot simply ignore human rights issues or China’s failure to open its markets.
China has not only restored its traditional position at the head of the Asian order but has become a truly global power. However, such status carries with it certain responsibilities and expectations, including transparency and openness.
After two unsuccessful world wars, Germany finally achieved its dream of European leadership by rejecting nationalistic hard power and embracing compromise. China can do the same in the Asia-Pacific by giving up hard power and extending cooperation, free trade and economic liberalism.
Andrei Lungu says the dispute over the islands is more about nationalism than energy reserves, fish stock or geostrategic value, and has haunted relations between the two countries for too long.
China’s president will have to use his considerable powers over the Communist Party to seek diplomatic solutions in times of crisis, because armed confrontation could derail his grand plans.
