China
Anticipating China’s Role at Davos 2024: Tech, Geopolitics, and Shaping a New Global Order
As China continues to expand its influence in technology and geopolitics, its participation in forums like the BRICS and potential impact on the Davos 2024 meeting point towards a complex and evolving global landscape. China’s role in these arenas has the potential to reshape international dynamics and influence the direction of global governance in the years to come.
China’s Growing Tech Influence and Geopolitical Maneuvering:
China’s active participation in events like IFA could be a strategic step towards strengthening its position in global affairs, setting the stage for a significant impact at the upcoming Davos 2024 meeting. China may utilize private discussions to deepen partnerships, highlight tech sustainability advancements, and assert its role not only as a tech leader but also as a significant player in international geopolitics.
China’s Role in Shaping an Alternate World Order:
China’s participation in the BRICS expansion aligns with its vision of a multipolar world order. The BRICS group aims to offer an alternative to the existing international system dominated by Western powers. China’s involvement, coupled with other member countries, could shape new forms of global cooperation that cater to the needs of the Global South and promote a more inclusive multilateralism.
A timely subject and very worthy of discussion. In the spirit of the Davos, hopefully China’s participation in 2024 will be an opportunity to build bridges. With the vacuum created by a weakened Russia, this could be a moment of a rapid reorder that results in productive change.
Like any country, China will seek to further its interests at Davos. However, as they understand well the western-centric nature of the event, it will be a soft sell, a western style rebranding.
I would expect emphasis on the following points:
• Role as a voice of reason in the ongoing Ukrainian war
• Economic resilience after Covid as evidence of reliability as a partner
• Investments in green tech, climate initiatives
• Commitment to mulitlateralism and global cooperation
• Progress on human rights
• Attractive trade and investment opportunities
• Soft Power - culture, arts
• Interest in peaceful resolution of territorial disputes.
Most importantly, China will showcase advancements in tech that have made the country self-reliant.
Interesting points from @CohenJoseph. I agree that it will be a delicate balance given the Western-centric nature of much of the dialogue in Davos. Relatedly, an interesting article from Pew Research: Favorability for China is quite high among middle-income countries across the globe – while upper-income countries (mainly in Europe and North America) are the ones with less favorable opinions.
Sure, and I hope that my comments are not construed as anti-China. They are my personal objective observations.
What I meant by “voice of reason” in the ongoing war, is that China will position itself as the calm mediator who does not have a horse in the race. China has considerable leverage over Russia, in that they are Russia’s most important remaining trade partner. China also has considerable leverage over the “West” in that they can imply that they could help Russia prolong the war.
Having a position of maximum leverage over both sides will lead China to seek concessions from both sides. We have already seen this, as rhetoric from the West about issues such as Taiwan seems to have died down.
Russia also is very polite and passive in their rhetoric. Take for example a new map issued by China authorities that shows disputed territory on the Russian border as belonging to China. Not a word from Moscow…
Apparently Huawai’s new smartphone the Mate 60 Pro has really shocked the countries that have imposed sanctions on China. It is powered by a chip 5G Kirin 9000 made by Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC).
The phone’s domestically-produced components exceed what was believed to be China’s ability. This raises the question of whether or not sanctions really hold back China, as the West would like, or if sanctions only encourage China to become more innovative and independent.
Government-induced / government-incentivized onshoring certainly seems to be the name of the game for both the USA and for China right now – as well as for other countries. Sanctions are probably only part of this phenomenon, which has been encouraged by the war in Ukraine as well as by the Covid pandemic.
One could hope that China would finally take a firm stand against the war Russia wages against innocent Ukraine and recognize that it harms all economies, including their own, instead of pursuing the newfound world power ambitions they have demonstrated since their Silk Road projec