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| THE UNITED STATES: GLOBAL EMPIRE OR GLOBAL HEGEMON? An assessment of the United States power status and the possible threats to power it faces |
 PRINTABLE VERSION |
LIMITS ON AMERICAN EMPIRE
Perhaps the United States will one day succeed in its ultimate goal – to make the world not only safe for democracy, but to make the world a democracy. Although ideal to the state’s interest, this is indeed a frightening thought, as it calls back to memory such similar strategies of, say, Germany’s Third Reich. In succeeding to become an empire in this manner, the United States would also become a global tyrant, enforcing democracy in even the most hidden crevices of the world. This is unlikely to happen any time soon, however, in part due to the current ideological differences that states hold. No state that operates on a longstanding ideological platform different than America’s is willingly going to end its government’s regime and hand over power to the United States. Furthermore, as liberal theory would suggest, there are current international organizations that exist to improve conditions without direct governmental aid (such as Amnesty International and the World Bank) or work with different states to regulate power (such as the World Trade Organization). Although organizations such as the WTO have been created, in part, due to America’s interests, they can not limit the anarchy in the international system solely based on American rule. As exemplified before, these organizations check power and limit the amount of direct influence the United States has on global affairs. They prevent the United States from complete global dominance and will continue and strengthen their roles as they adjust to trends in globalization.
ENTER CHINA
If there is a rising force that may one day challenge American hegemony, it is China. As it has already asserted its power over its region, China is fundamental in controlling the state of affairs in East and Southeast Asia. Its vast territorial coverage, imperialistic history, immense population, exportation of goods, large military and cheap labor force has granted China the major power status and thus the order-sustaining power status of the region. The United States and China were ideologically torn until the post 9/11 efforts to reduce terrorism, in which China became an active force, shown by its vigorous role in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to eliminate terrorism and Islamic fundamentalism. Now, the United States and China fight on the same side, and thus the United States embraces China’s aid and even addresses China as a rising power, as shown in the United States National Security Strategy. China is rising as a power due to its imperialist nature, increasing military strength, and economic importance in globalization.
Perhaps the United States is trying to reap China of all of its benefits in attempting to “promote a stable, peaceful, and prosperous Asia-Pacific region” (as declared in the National Security Strategy), but in doing so, is America creating its greatest threat to power? Examining China’s current power situation, it can be easily observed that China has remained an imperialist power post Cold War, whereas Russia and the United States have more or less backed down from their former imperialist positions. China has not yet granted independence to its occupied territories of Tibet and Xingjian, although the fight for sovereignty in these regions has extended to global activist networks and even to the United States Congress and the United Nations. John Pomfret’s article “China is Rising” further explores China’s imperialism by stating that the National People’s Congress issued the “Law on the Territorial Waters and Their Contiguous Areas” in 1992, claiming eighty percent of the South China Sea and calling for “immediate eviction of foreign military vessels” in the waters. It is indisputable that China has definite imperialistic goals, and is unwilling to give up its occupied territories, ensuring that its large territorial base remains unwavered. In order to secure its borders, China is currently trying to improve the technology and strength of its military. As the United States strives to keep Taiwan independent from China, the Chinese military strength around the area is growing, signaling its desire to defy America’s wish and drag Taiwan back into Chinese borders.
Moreover, China is well aware that its cheap labor force is crucial to the global economy; cheaper Chinese exports are accessible to a greater income range. China may be able to use this in coercion with the global community to achieve its desires, such as by threatening to close its exports. Although this is more unlikely, due to the fact that it would ruin China’s economy as well, the subtle threat still exists. China is progressing towards a more open and capitalist economy, starting to rely more on foreign markets and thus paving its own way for its entrance into the World Trade Organization. The National Security Strategy states that China’s entrance into the WTO is essential to the promotion of a free and open civil society in China, as well as in creating more jobs for American farmers, workers, and companies. But as the United States government promotes China to “rise,” is it promoting its future hegemonic opponent? This is questionable, because although China has a major power status in Asia, its vast differences to Western culture, including race and ideology, would make it hard for the Western world to feasibly accept China as the world power. America’s dominance has been building since the middle of the twentieth century, and China, for the most part, has not been associated with the rise and fall of world powers in the modern world. With increasing power has come increased responsibility that America has learned and adapted to over the latter part of the twentieth century. For China to suddenly emerge into the Western world and dominate it, would be unfeasible, as it was never part of the Western world to begin with and isn’t familiar with its hegemonic practices and responsibilities. The most China may be able to do is rise to global power status in the future and perhaps challenge the United States’ power to create a new system where hegemony still exists, but is slightly weakened by another global power.
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Comments
Tremendous piece of work. Enefe, | Dec 28th, 2003
This is a master piece. the organisation is perfect. Presentation a work of genoius. Please keep up the good work in keeping us informed in matters of world politics.
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