Masdar F Masíudi uttered an interesting opinion during the discussion “Dismantling the Root of Terrorism” in Jakarta earlier this week. According to the PBNU official, China opposes the hegemony of the United States not with violence, but by quietly building its economy, society, politics and military for the last 20 years. “Now, even America has to tip its hat to China’s progress,” said Masdar. Because of that, he urges that opposition to America be conducted in an intelligent way like it is in China.
It is important that this opinion be noted and contemplated by all of us in Indonesia. Masdar offered this assessment to advance a new thesis about the most reasonable way to oppose American hegemony and its negative impacts. That thesis is fit to be considered as an alternative to the ways of violence and terror that, according to this view, will inevitably use up a lot of energy and damage one’s own self. Haven’t we seen terrorism in Indonesia consuming many victims of its own nation during all this time?
Even though Masdar did not present data about the progress of China, the record of its development is already widely known. The Panda Nation is famous for adhering to a socialist system but applying an economic policy that is capitalistic. Socialism can be peacefully “wrapped” within capitalism in China, astonishing the world as a result. Every year, its economic growth is above 10 percent while other countries only record an average growth of 5 percent. In fact, the economies of the U.S. and European countries only grow by an average of 2 percent to 4 percent.
On account of the speed of its economic growth, the authorities of China itself are even worried and are trying to suppress it with various policies. The last thing they did was cancel plans to devalue the yuan. The continually strengthening value of the yuan is protested by many countries, mainly developed countries, because that value can accelerate the crisis in those regions. China itself sees that revaluing the yuan can beat back its trade in products all over the world; Chinese products have long been known for their high competitiveness because of cheap prices.
With high economic growth as well as global domination of manufactured products and electronics, China now appears to be a country with the second-greatest economic strength in the world after America. Japan and South Korea have already been surpassed. China’s foreign exchange reserves, which reach $3 trillion, are the biggest in the world. Not only that, but 20 years in the future, China’s military strength and weapons systems are predicted to equal America’s. At that time, China will appear to be a new superpower.
It can be said that China is in the process of reaching its destiny as America’s replacement. All the prerequisites for becoming a new superpower will soon be met. With a very large population, the global and geopolitical influence of the “Bamboo Curtain” country cannot be ignored. This is even more true if at the beginning of 2012, China has already begun to build cross-country China-Singapore and China-Tehran-Europe railroads. So what Masdar said was correct; China’s model of “opposition” to American hegemony should be an example.
Suara Merdeka, Indonesia
Translated By Nadia Bulkin
26 May 2011
Edited by Derek Ha
Indonesia – Suara Merdeka – Original Article (Indonesian)