Unit 3 AOS 2 - Power in the Asia-Pacific Flashcards
1
Q
Factors Shaping National Security
A
State Security (Protection of Territorial Integrity)
- Shaped by its desire to protect its borders from contested claims, such as its 9 dash line
- Fiery Cross Reef (2014): China converted ‘Fiery Cross Reef’ into an artificial island of 274 hectares with 200 troops and a 3125m long runway as a means to exert hard military power over neighbouring states, preserving its territory over the South China Sea
2
Q
Factors Shaping Economic Prosperity
A
Cultural Identity (Ideology of the 'Chinese Dream') - Chinese Dream (2013): Xi Jinping proclaimed his vision for the 'Chinese Dream,' which included two centennial goals: to double China's 2010 GDP per capita by 2021 to 10,000 and attain a fully developed status by 2049 to create prosperous middle class
3
Q
Factors Shaping Regional Relationships
A
International Relationships (A ‘Peaceful Rise’ to Power)
- Xi Jinping (2012): “China is following a path of peaceful development” and “China will not seek hegemony or expansionism”
- Panama (2017): Panama’s President denounced relations with Taiwan in favour of a regional relationship with China, after China’s $165 million USD project to expand the Panama Canal
4
Q
Factors Shaping International Standing
A
International Relationships (A Cooperative Global Actor with an Ethical International Reputation)
- China seeks to engage in the international community to take lead on third agenda issues such as climate change
- Paris Climate Accord (2016): Following signing onto the Paris Climate Accord, China revealed an emissions trading scheme which successfully met the 2020 carbon emission targets 3 years in advance, Xi Jinping stated that China is the “driving seat” in leading climate change action
5
Q
Differing Interpretations of National Security
A
China’s View
- The maintenance of China’s borders is necessary to ensure territorial integrity. Largely founded upon its ideology of the Three Evils
- China Uyghur re-education (2018): China legalized re-education detention camps for Uighurs to “brainwash Muslims” (Business Insider) as Uyghur’s threats to separate from China to join an East Turkistan State is interpreted as one of the ‘Three Evils’
Uyghur View
- An East Turkistan state that is independent from China is justified because of their common ethnicity, language and religion
- Tiananmen Square Attack (2013): An Uyghur terrorist drove a car through Tiananmen square, injuring 38 and killing 5 as part of the East Turkistan Islamic Movement
6
Q
Differing Interpretations of Economic Prosperity
A
Economic Growth
- China’s economic prosperity has been successful due to consistent economic growth and a reduction in poverty
- Poverty Rate (2012): According to the World Bank, more than 500 million Chinese people were lifted out of extreme poverty, as the poverty rate fell to 6.5% in 2012
Environmental Degradation
- China’s rapid economic growth has led to unjustified environmental degradation
- Pollution (2015): Produced 11.5 billion tonnes of carbon emissions, making it the greatest polluter of Co2 in the world
7
Q
Differing Interpretations of Regional Relationships
A
China’s View
- A “peaceful rise” to power that does not compromise the interests of neighbours or international relationships. Views its regional relationships as vital to pursuing its other national interests
- Xi Jinping (2012): “China is following a path of peaceful development” and “will never seek hegemony or expansionism”
Japan’s View
- China is a state that does not value its regional relationships and uses the peaceful rise policy to mask hegemonic intentions
- Japan Whitepaper (2018): “While advocating peaceful development [China] continues to act in an assertive manner”
- ADIZ Over Senkaku Islands (2013): China established an Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ) over the contested Senkaku Islands
8
Q
Differing Interpretations of International Standing
A
China’s View
- Views itself as a cooperative global actor with a high level of international standing. It seeks to engage in the international community to take lead on third agenda issues such as climate change.
- Paris Climate Accord (2016): Following signing onto the Paris Climate Accord, China revealed an emissions trading scheme which successfully met the 2020 carbon emission targets 3 years in advance, Xi Jinping stated that China is the “driving seat” in leading climate change action
Opposing View (China’s Image is Hegemonic)
- Prioritizes its territorial expansion over its image as a responsible power that cooperates with the international community. It is instead a hegemon
- Permanent Court of Arbitration Ruling (2016): China dismissed a permanent court of arbitration ruling in favour of the Philippines on contested claims over the South China Sea
9
Q
Hard Power
A
- Refers to power exercised through force/coercion, or a threatened act of force/coercion, to influence the actions of other global actors
- States use hard power to pursue their national interests in circumstances where their desires may contravene the national interests of other states
10
Q
Hard Power - National Security
A
- Chequebook Diplomacy (2016): In accordance with China’s ‘One China’ policy which seeks to reunify Taiwan with the mainland (national security), China invested $165 million USD into expanding the Panama Canal, as a form of chequebook diplomacy that resulted in President Varela’s 2017 proclamation, “there is only one China in the world.”
- HQ-9 Missiles (2018): China deployed HQ-9 missiles and threatened to launch a marine attack on Vietnamese bases, coercing Vietnam to halt its oil drilling project in the South China Sea (maintaining territory)
- Live Fire Drills (2018): In response to China’s live fire drills in the Taiwan Strait (aiming to coerce Taiwanese reunification), Taiwan’s mainland affairs council stated, we “will absolutely not yield to military threats or inducement” and plans to have its own live fire drills in retaliation (Hard Power Backfiring)
11
Q
Hard Power - Economic Prosperity
A
- HQ-9 Missiles (2018): China deployed HQ-9 missiles and threatened to launch a marine attack on Vietnamese bases, coercing Vietnam to halt its oil drilling project in the South China Sea (maintaining oil)
12
Q
Hard Power - Regional Relationships
A
- Panama (2017) Panama’s President denounced relations with Taiwan in favour of a regional relationship with China, after China’s $165 million USD project to expand the Panama Canal
13
Q
Soft Power
A
- Refers to the ability of a global actor to shape the actions of another global actor through uncoercive, yet persuasive means
- States utilise diplomatic cultural ties to persuade other states to cooperate on achieving national interests such as regional relationships and international standing
14
Q
Soft Power - Regional Relationships
A
- Confucius Institute (CI) Laos (2016): China built a CI in Laos, which fostered a positive regional relationship between the two nations
- Wentian, Chinese Ambassador to Laos (2016): The building of CIs in Laos is an “important cooperation measure,” increasing education and people-to-people ties between the states
- Bachelet, President of Chile (2017): On the 10th anniversary of the Chilean CI, Bachelet stated “our relationship with China… is crucial”
- More developed states such as Australia and the US view CIs as propaganda machines designed for China to establish cultural hegemony (Soft Power Backfiring)
- Penn State and Chicago (2014): Pennsylvania State University and the University of Chicago closed down their CIs (Soft Power Backfiring)
- John Kay, Former Greens MP (2017): CIs produce a “biased view of Chinese history” (Soft Power Backfiring)
15
Q
Soft Power - International Standing
A
- Confucius Institutes (CI) are not for profit and thus bolster China’s national reputation as a responsible power whose interests in education extend beyond its own borders and seek to spread Chinese culture in a positive manner
- Confucius Institute Day (27 September): Every 27 Sep. since 2016, Laos has held a national ‘Confucius Institute Day’ in gratitude to China’s provision of education
- CI Global Reach (2016): China has over 500 CIs in six countries
16
Q
Military Power
A
- The use of a state’s military to exert influence over the actions of other global actors. This may not need to be implemented through the use of force, as the placement and capacity of military may be enough to influence other global actors
- States use military power in order to mostly pursue national security, but also economic prosperity in a manner which uses coercion to influence global actors
17
Q
Military Power - National Security
A
- Fiery Cross Reef (2014): China converted ‘Fiery Cross Reef’ into an artificial island of 274 hectares with 200 troops and a 3125m long runway as a means to exert hard military power over neighbouring states, preserving its territory over the South China Sea
18
Q
Military Power - Economic Prosperity
A
- Uses military power to pursue economic prosperity in the South China Sea
- South China Sea Value: 1/3 of global trade passes through the SCS each year, $1 trillion USD worth of natural resources exist in the area and $1.47 trillion USD of Chinese trade passes through the SCS
- HQ-9 Missiles (2018): China deployed HQ-9 missiles and threatened to launch a marine attack on Vietnamese bases, coercing Vietnam to halt its oil drilling project in the South China Sea (maintaining oil)
