The Angry or Hungry China?

From once a ‘low profile’ China, and now to be transformed one that loves a good international bust up, it really comes with a price. Putting an Australian mining executive behind bars for 10 years, squeezing out Google, keeping EU at bay for the important dialogue and letting a mid-level official wag his finger at US President Obama at the Copenhagen Climate summit indeed a big doubt that China is engaging on constructive manner.

This is not withstanding that China has been stubbornly watering down sanctions on Iran and other African countries and it seems it is behaving very much like a ‘normal’ super- power, sharing world’s stage with other G-5. Having said that in the recent National People’s Congress, China Premier Wen Jiabao stressed that China should not punch above its weight and that the People’s Republic still needs stability if it is to become a society that offers a decent life to all of its citizens.

Nationalism in China is getting stronger by days. A foreign policy goal closely related to nationalism has been the desire to achieve territorial integrity and to restore to Chinese sovereignty. With China hosting its first-ever Olympics, the country has seen a surge in national pride. But Chinese are angry at what they see as the West trying to spoil their party. China’s nationalism today is shaped by its pride in its history as well as its century of humiliation at the hands of the West and Japan. China perceives itself as a victim of Western imperialism that began with the First Opium War and the British acquisition of Hong Kong in 1842 and lasted until the end of World War II in 1945, during which it suffered humiliating losses of sovereignty.

Beijing’s top priority today is to maintain peace at home while pursuing its development goals and a greater role in global affairs. Experts say while nationalism may be an effective tool for the Chinese regime to maintain control at home, it can harm its claim of “peaceful rise” globally. Nationalism is certainly an obstacle in China’s image as a responsible stakeholder.

Essentially, China needs a mature strategic dialogue, and comradeship should not guide policies. It should take a step back on its offensive charm, and back up with deeds and more initiative in fostering more effective cooperation.