Since a long time ago, China has advanced its notion of grand strategy, which is described under its large concept of strategic culture. The question of whether China’s intentions define its grand strategy’s objective and goal clearly is still up for dispute. China has established its concept of growth and security to this point by a rigid political agenda, ongoing long-term planning, and fast economic progress. As a result, two important projects— Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the China Global Initiatives—were introduced in 2013 and 2020, respectively, and these are supposed to have an impact for years to come. The BRI includes infrastructure projects that facilitate simple access to global trade and commerce activities. These initiatives are based on the revival of the idea of the old silk trade route. Whereas, China’s Global Initiative introduced in 2020, consists of three global initiatives: the Global Development Initiative (GDI), the Global Security Initiative (GSI), and the Global Civilisational Initiative (GCI).[i]
As Xi return back to the global stage, we take a fresh look at China’s new Global Development Initiative (GDI) – first out of three such initiatives. As the effort comes together, a lot of focus is being placed on poverty reduction, food security, and public health because these are areas of development that the BRI does not cover and even are seen as alternate to the model of SDGs. The plan makes use of China’s advantage to replicate some of China’s solutions to its own problems in other parts of the world. The GDI has been referred as a “major public good” that China is providing to the rest of the world.[ii] Although some analysts have referred to the GDI as an “expansion of the BRI,” others have characterised it as a “booster dose to the BRI,” which is encountering issues and opposition in several parts of the world.[iii]
China’s second such initiative called Global Security Initiative (GSI) emphasises security as a requirement for growth. According to the Chinese leadership, the international situation has increasingly become complex and dangerous.”[iv] China’s present stance towards the emerging Indo-Pacific architecture, QUAD, and the Indo-Pacific Economic framework exhibits some unease as it worries about technological and market restriction and denial. Therefore, this GSI has placed a strong focus on the importance of shared, comprehensive, cooperative, and sustainable security as well as the imperative to protect the concept of ‘indivisible security.[v] In the new geopolitical environment, GSI by China is envisioned as an alternative to Indo-Pacific and other emerging factors across Asian security. Additionally, it appeared that the Chinese programme also attempted to develop alternative security architecture.
Meanwhile, China’s Global Civilisational Initiative (GCI) urges for tolerance for the plurality of civilisations. Xi mentions about the “common aspirations” of mankind which includes concept such as “peace, development, equity, justice, democracy, and freedom”.[vi] To enhance understanding and solidarity among inhabitants of all countries, it has become critically necessary to establish a global network for inter-civilisational dialogue and collaboration which improve the content of exchanges, and expand the possibilities for cooperation.[vii] GCI works to change and enhance their outstanding traditional cultures in new and inventive ways by leveraging the significance of histories and cultures to the present.
However, it will take some time to observe how these Chinese worldwide efforts develop and what kind of influence they will leave. It is still debatable whether it will signal some major shift across the world order or merely remain stick to Chinese way of diplomacy filled with influence and cash trap.
ENDNOTES
[i] Michael Schuman, Jonathan Fulton, and Tuvia Gering , “How Beijing’s newest global initiatives seek to remake the world order “, June 21, 2023, https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/in-depth-research-reports/issue-brief/how-beijings-newest-global-initiatives-seek-to-remake-the-world-order/
[ii] Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, “Progress Report on the Global Development Initiative 2023”, Last modified June 21, 2023, https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/wjdt_665385/wshd_665389/202307/t20230701_11106499.html
[iii] Dr. Sanjeev Kumar, “One Year of China’s Global Development Initiative: High on Rhetoric, Low on Substance?”, Indian Council of World Affairs, September 14, 2022, https://www.icwa.in/show_content.php?lang=1&level=3&ls_id=7916&lid=5287
[iv] Majid Alam, “China Facing More Complex Security Challenges’: Xi Jinping Warns Citizens to Prepare for ‘Extreme Scenarios”, News 18, Last modified June 21, 2023, https://www.news18.com/world/china-facing-more-complex-security-challenges-xi-jinping-warns-citizens-to-prepare-for-extreme-scenarios-7970071.html
[v] Sumukhi Asati, Shivangi Jain, “China’s Global Security Initiative and Indivisible Security Principle”, Diplomatist, October 28, 2022, https://diplomatist.com/2022/10/28/chinas-global-security-initiative-and-indivisible-security-principle/
[vi] Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, “Xi Jinping Attends the CPC in Dialogue with World Political Parties High-level Meeting and Delivers a Keynote Speech”, Last updated March 16, 2023, https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/zxxx_662805/202303/t20230317_11043656.html
[vii] Liu Jianchao, “Work Actively to Implement the Global Civilization Initiative and Jointly Advance Human Civilizations”, China Daily Global, Last Updated April 13, 2023, http://epaper.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202304/13/WS64374a42a31077768988812f.html
Author: Om Ranjan