Xi Jinping has a plan to challenge America’s global leadership by presenting China as the only country capable of navigating the challenges of the 21st century. His vision is focused on reshaping the unfair international system and ensuring China’s rise. In recent months, Beijing has promoted its vision across various speeches, meetings, forums, and international gatherings, aiming to gain global support. Xi’s vision emphasizes freedom from bloc politics, ideological competition, and military alliances, as well as being free of being held responsible for upholding “universal values” defined by Western countries.
Xi’s drive is to revamp the existing system, and China’s confidence in its governance model plays a major role. It has been accused of intimidation of the democracy of Taiwan and the alleged human rights violations in Tibet, Hong Kong, and Xinjiang. However, Xi’s vision appeals to strongmen leaders and autocratic governments, as it promises to prioritize economic development and stability, treating each country as equals to work together for common prosperity.
There is growing concern that Beijing’s push to reshape the international system, as it becomes more assertive, could mean that its iron-fisted, autocratic rule might become globally accepted practices. Beijing sees an opportunity to shift the global balance of power to ensure its rise and reject efforts to counter it. Xi’s drive to amplify his message amid a period of unrelenting tensions with Washington elevates the stakes of the US-China rivalry. As a result, people wonder how many nations and leaders will be willing to accept China’s new world order.
