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OPINIONCOMMENT

Published:July1,201501:18IST|Updated:July1,201501:18IST
July1,2015
WORLDVIEW

Chinasmoralcode
JABINT.JACOB
ThattheCommunistPartyofChinahasabandonedmuchofDengsadviceisevidentintwoverydifferentapproachesinChineseforeign
andsecuritypolicies
In2006,ChinesetelevisionbroadcastadocumentaryseriestitledTheRiseoftheGreatPowers(Daguojueqi).Producedbyagroupof
eminentChinesehistorians,theseriestookthecountrybystormwithitsbold,impartiallookatthereasonsbehindtheriseandfallofnine
worldpowersinthemodernera.
Thebroadcast,inhindsight,mighthavebeenthebeginningofChinasmoveawayfromDengXiaopings24character
strategythatenjoinedittohideourcapacitiesandbideourtimebegoodatmaintainingalowprofileandneverclaim
leadership.Thedecadesofeconomicreformswerebeginningtoshowresults.Bythetimetheglobalfinancialcrisishad
wroughtitsdamageintheWest,theCommunistPartyofChina(CPC)hadabandonedmuchofDengsadvice.Today,thisis
evidentintwoverydifferentapproachesinChineseforeignandsecuritypolicies.
Territorialdisputes
First,Chinahasbeenassertiveinterritorialdisputes.InthecaseofthemaritimedisputeswithJapanintheEastChinaSea
andwithahostofASEANnationsintheSouthChinaSea,incursionsintoterritorialwatersofothercountrieshas
graduatedtoclashesatseawithforeignvessels,andtopermanentoccupationofandconstructionondisputedfeatures.Thisassertionisthe
resultoftheavailabilityofvasteconomicresourcesandrapidmilitarymodernisation.
Itisalsoadeliberatechallengetocommonlyunderstoodinterpretationsofinternationalmaritimelawinpractice,butalsoinofficial
pronouncementsbyChinaandthroughwritingsbyitsscholarsininternationalpublications.Chinahasalsoattemptedtoadoptpracticesof
otherpowerssuchastheairdefenceidentificationzone(ADIZ).
ItisneitherimportantthattheargumentsthatChineseofficialsandscholarsaremakingparrotnationalpropagandanorthatChinamight
currentlybeunabletoenforceADIZ.Thepointisthatithassetitselfupasachallengertobetakenseriouslybysettingprecedentsinmatters
ofinternationallaw.Meanwhile,anyexternalchallengestoChinasactionsonlyservetojustifycontinuednationalismathomeaswellas
increasedmilitaryspending.
BeijingsrecentannouncementthatsomeofitslandreclamationworkintheSouthChinaSeawouldbecompletedsoonshouldnotlull
anyoneintothinkingthatBeijingisbackingofffromfurtherprovocation.ItonlymeansthatChinacontinuestofollowtheopeningpartof
Dengsdictum:[o]bservecalmlysecureourpositioncopewithaffairscalmly.
Indeed,itisillogicaltoexpectanationthathasblatantlyviolatedthe2002DeclarationontheConductofPartieswithASEANtochangeits
spots.Militaryrelateddevelopmentswillcontinuegivenhowtheyareseenasintrinsictosovereignty,andallactivitywillcontinuetobe
termedaslegitimate,justifiedandreasonable.FrequentstatementswillalsobethrowninonhowtheseallowChinatobetterperformits
internationalresponsibilitiesandobligations,suchasmaritimesearchandrescue.
Andyet,thetelecastofDaguojueqialsosuggeststhatChinaisapowercapableofselfreflectionandwillingtolearnfromothers.So,are
Chinasactionsnowtheresultofthoselessons,anddoesitbelieveitcanavoidthepitfallsthatledtothedeclineoftheothermajorpowers?
ThesequestionsarecomplicatedbythefactthattheU.S.remainstheworldssolesuperpowerandChinaremainsdeeplyinsecureonmultiple
fronts.
ThisbringsustoChinassecondapproach.
ChinawishestopresentanalternativeideologyandmodelofdevelopmentfromthatoftheWest.Indeed,onecouldarguethatforallrising
powersitisnotenoughtopossesseconomicandmilitarypower,butalsonecessarytogainrespectforamoralcodethatoriginateswith
oneself.ThisChinesemoralcodeinsimpletermsisabouteverycountryhavingtherighttochooseitsownpoliticalandeconomicsystems.
Aswithallnationalmoralcodes,itisalsofoundedonasenseofnationalexceptionalism.InthecaseofChina,itisunableorunwillingtosee
howitcanpossiblybeatfaultinitsterritorialclaims.Havingshownrespectforothercountriespoliticalregimes,Chinapresumestheymust
inturnrespecttheCPCsruleoverChina.However,sincetheCPCsfoundationalpremisetodayisabouthelpingtheChinesepeoplestandup
andovercomethecenturyofhumiliation,therecannotberespectfortheCPCsrulewithoutalsorespectingwhateversovereigntyclaimsit
makesonChinasbehalf.
Thus,itiseasyforChinatojustifybullyingitssmallerneighbourswhodisrespectitbycontestingitsterritorialclaims.Partofthepowerplay
isthisassertionofthelegitimacyoftheCPCinthefaceoftheAmericanespousalofdemocracyasaglobalvirtue.ThisantiAmericanismis
whatgivesChineseassertionsofAsiaforAsiansandobjectionstoAmericanalliancesintheregionanaddededge.
Andyet,theCPCsChinaisalsosavvyenoughtorealisethatitspositionofrelativeweaknessvisvistheU.S.andimmediateinabilityto
enforceitswillinallcasesmeansthatithastoconsiderotheroptionstobreakforeigndistrust.Thus,underitsonebelt,oneroadinitiative
ChinaisofferingeconomiclargesseintheformofaidandloanstofinancesorelyneededinfrastructureconstructioninAsiaandelsewhere.
Thus,ChinasexcesscapitalandinfrastructureovercapacityarenowofferedascarrotsthathelpdivideASEANandweakenoppositionwithin

individualcountries,evenasthestickremainsvisibleintheSouthChinaSea.
(JabinT.JacobisAssistantDirectorandFellow,InstituteofChineseStudies,Delhi.)
Printableversion|Jul3,20151:25:54AM|http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/oped/chinasmoralcode/article7371545.ece
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