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As I see it | If China seeks to become a great power, others decide if it’s loved or feared
- Survey of over a thousand Asean movers and shakers shows a negative perception of Beijing is on the rise
- China can ease fear among its neighbours by making its intentions in the region clear and by improving the way it handles criticism from outsiders
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More than 60 years ago, Mao Zedong envisaged that China would one day become a great power, while retaining amicable relations with the rest of the world.
Mao’s 1957 statement arguably inspired President Xi Jinping’s global ambitions and his “Chinese dream” of national rejuvenation, leading him to describe China in 2014 as “a peaceful, amiable and civilised lion”.
Even critics agree China is well on its way to becoming a leading power, especially after so many Western governments have floundered in the wake of the coronavirus crisis. But it is still highly debatable what kind of superpower China will be.
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In an echo of Machiavelli’s enduring philosophical question, Beijing must decide whether it is better to be feared or loved, if there is no chance to be both. A recent survey of China’s Southeast Asian neighbours paints a disheartening picture of how a rising China is perceived in a post-coronavirus world.
The poll of more than 1,000 political, business, academic and media elites from all 10 Asean states showed that, while China is widely recognised as the region’s most influential economic and geopolitical power, negative perception of Beijing is on the rise.
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