Opinion

With Biden, China gets four years to remake itself as a likeable, trusted power. It must seize the moment

China means to become moderately prosperous by 2035, despite a more hostile external environment. But to achieve its goal, it would do well to address the world’s misgivings by working with the incoming Biden administration

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Andrew Leung has had decades of experience as a senior Hong Kong government official in a variety of fields including finance, industry, social welfare and overseas representation.

Published: 3:30am, 13 Nov 2020Updated: 5:04am, 13 Nov 2020

China-bashing rhetoric aside, the world is becoming more hostile towards China. In a recent survey by the Washington-based non-partisan Pew Research Centre, 66 per cent of American respondents viewed China unfavourably, while 71 per cent didn’t trust President Xi Jinping. Similarly, other Western countries’ negative views of China and its leader are at historic highs.

There is widespread dissatisfaction among the advanced economies with China’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, although they also see China as a top, if not the top, economic power.

Then there are the American policy wonks who believe China is out to replace the United States as the global hegemon. To them, China’s assertiveness in the South China Sea looks like an Asian version of the US’ Monroe Doctrine, only this is meant to push America out of the Asia-Pacific.

Worse, Chinese hi-tech companies are increasingly eating the lunch of their American counterparts. And China’s triumphant “wolf warrior” rhetoric is just more salt in the wound of an America in apparent decline.