The New China and the New Regional Balance of Power

• Main Author: Rafael Bueno Martínez
• Format: Article
• Language: Spanish
• Published: Barcelona Centre for International Affairs (CIDOB) 2000-01-01
• Series: Revista CIDOB d'Afers Internacionals
• Online Access: http://www.cidob.org/es/content/download/5364/53310/file/48bueno.pdf

The People’s Republic of China has turned 50. Many things have changed since that first day of October when the Great Leader solemnly declared the proclamation of the birth of a new nation. More than that, though, what he proclaimed that day was the return ofChinese pride - the Chinese people had finally arisen after having knelt before the Western powers for the last century. The end of the Second World and its aftermath facilitated the Communistís triumph in China. The end of the Cold War left in its wake a wide range ofuncertainties and hopes in the zone, the Pacific, where the different Asian powers finally have much to say and decide on regarding the fate of the world as a whole. This new multipolarity has led to the rise of a new balance of power throughout Asia. The Korean peninsulaand Taiwan continue being the most dangerous flash points for conflict, albeit more controlled ones given the tragic consequences that could unfold if they developed into armed conflicts. This article provides a brief analysis of the roles that the leading powers play in the zone within both the regional and global contexts. Among these powers is, obviously, China, viewed in comparison with its neighbor and maximum rival for occupying a dominant role, the Japanese empire. Meanwhile, the two superpowers have seen their influence vary considerably in this area for different reasons: Moscow, in full political decline and economic chaos, with its nuclear arsenal intact; and Washington, with its puzzling and shifting policy towards China, and its military presence in the zone that is both unwanted yet desired by all except Beijing and Pyongyang. The relations among these countries will mark the future of a large part of the planet and that of most of its inhabitants.