The Dilemmas of the Rise of China

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Carnegie China

The Dilemmas of the Rise of China

China is a rising power that must define its identity as a global player and balance its domestic needs against those of an increasingly multipolar world.

By Sun Xuefeng

Published on Jul 12, 2012

Source: Real Instituto Elcano

According to Global Language Monitor, the rise of China is the first on its list of the Top News Stories of the Decade, well ahead of even 9/11 and the war in Iraq. At the G20 London Summit in 2009, the active role played by China shows that it has come to the centre stage of addressing global issues. However, China’s leaders have repeatedly emphasised its lower per capita GDP and huge domestic challenges. As the former Chinese Ambassador in the UK, Madame Fu Ying, once put it, although China has a sizable economy, its per capita GDP is only a little more than US$3,000, ranking as 104th in the world, behind countries like Jamaica and Namibia.

Why are there such contrasting perceptions on China’s rise between the Chinese and the rest of the world? What dilemmas is China beginning to face in the context of these different perceptions about its rise? What ways out of these dilemmas has China been seeking? This essay will explore these thought-provoking questions and present an academic analysis on China’s strategic thinking about its rising dilemmas. It presents three arguments: (1) for most Chinese officials, scholars and the public, China is a multi-faceted rising power; (2) a rising China faces two daunting dilemmas –the dilemma of rising powers and an identity dilemma–; and (3) China has adopted a strategic approach to its rising dilemmas, characterised by patience, reassurance and coherence.

This article was published as part of the Window into China series

About the Author

Sun Xuefeng

Former Resident Scholar, Carnegie-Tsinghua Center for Global Policy

Sun Xuefeng was a resident scholar at the Carnegie-Tsinghua Center until June 2020.

Security Economy

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

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