Historian Wang Gungwu on US credibility and why Xi thinks ‘only the party can save China’
Professor Wang Gungwu is regarded internationally as an authority on Chinese history. The 95-year-old is best known for his explorations of Chinese history in the long view, and for his writings on the Chinese diaspora. He has been a professor at the National University of Singapore since 2007 and emeritus professor at the Australian National University since 1988. He was vice-chancellor of the…
Historian Wang Gungwu, a renowned authority on Chinese history, discusses the US-China rivalry and its impact on global power dynamics. He believes the rivalry is similar to the US-Soviet Cold War, but with some key differences. China's rapid economic growth and increasing military capabilities have raised concerns about its intentions towards the United States.
Gungwu argues that China is not like the Soviet Union, which had military power but lacked an economically robust system. Instead, China has maritime trade and naval capabilities, making it less likely to engage in direct conflict with the US. Instead, China focuses on defensive strategies to prevent any aggression from the seas, particularly in the South China Sea.
The United States, meanwhile, has lost some of its credibility in recent conflicts, such as in Iran and the Strait of Hormuz. This loss of credibility has led some to question the US's golden days, but Gungwu maintains that the US remains the most powerful military force globally, with vast resources and capabilities. He suggests that the US's main challenge now is to find a way to maintain its influence without resorting to direct military confrontations.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
