Opinion | The world is getting smaller, at least culturally

Over the past couple of weeks, China has marked two milestone journeys to the west, not only commemorating the 120th birth anniversary of Deng Xiaoping, the visionary behind China’s reform and opening up and learning from the West, but also celebrating how Black Myth: Wukong, a blockbuster game inspired by the Chinese classic Journey to the West, has conquered the global market.

These events underscore an important truth in today’s climate of economic and technological deglobalisation: cultural globalisation continues to be a potent force, one capable of bridging divides and fostering global unity and development.

Right now, the international outlook appears rather bleak. The coming US election shows no signs of offering relief, with both major political parties taking a hardline stance on China. In particular, Donald Trump has threatened tariffs against multiple countries. While China remains a vocal supporter of globalisation, the reality remains that it takes two to tango, as the United States is still the world’s largest economy in nominal terms.

Meanwhile, at the people-to-people level, flights between China and the United States have yet to recover to pre-Covid-19 levels, partly hampered by the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Politics continues to impede people-to-people exchanges, despite demand.

This is not to say that China couldn’t do more. The country has been attempting to revive its international tourism industry by granting visa-free entry to citizens from dozens of countries in the past year. Dedicated help desks at airports assist international tourists in navigating China’s essential apps, and hotels are also convenient hubs to provide help for foreign passport holders.