Xi Jinping, the President of China, will meet with Donald Trump, the President of the United States, at the White House on Thursday. This meeting takes place at a time when the United States and China are in significantly different positions and the world is moving towards a more multipolar and fragmented structure. While the American and Chinese leaders are in discussion, the fundamental question is who is shaping the international order and based on what principles and rules this is being done.
China's Role in the New Global Order
The answer to this question may be more complex than many expect: while the United States remains the most powerful country in the world, China has emerged as a new architect in the global order. Beijing is creating institutions, proposing diplomatic initiatives, setting technology standards, and providing infrastructure to various countries around the world. However, China's influence goes beyond diplomacy. The country offers developing nations alternative paths for economic advancement and mobilizes its technology champions as sources of power.
China's Development Strategy
China does not have a miraculous plan to succeed the United States as the global hegemon, and there is no evidence that other countries are fully ready to accept a Chinese-led order. However, China's ambitions appear to be more complex: the country seeks greater influence over the ideas and institutions that determine how the international system operates. Beijing wants not only a decisive vote in this game but also a hand in writing its rules.
This ambition comes at a time when Washington, despite its power, seems less willing to bear the traditional burdens of global leadership. Internal political disagreements, the Trump administration's apparent indifference to international law, and its erratic approach to foreign policy and global conflicts have raised questions about the future of American leadership.
However, China is not inheriting a vacuum. Thanks to its power, Washington remains deeply rooted in the institutions, coalitions, and technologies that underpin its supremacy. China is carving out space to shape the international order, but it has not yet replaced the power that largely created it. Instead, Beijing is creating options that allow other countries to become less dependent on the existing U.S.-led system.
