Journal on World Affairs, UCLAZachary is a rising senior studying Political Science with an emphasis on International Relations. He's interested in US-China relations and also writes articles for UCLA's international affairs blog, the Generation.
China’s current leader has worked swiftly and ruthlessly to extend and cement his grip on power. He has presided over China at a time when the West increasingly perceives his country’s rise, intentions, and actions as an existential threat to the rules-based international order. The question remains: is Xi the driving force behind today’s China, or a product of it?
Solving this conundrum will be the key for the successful implementation of a new “pivot to Asia” by the new Administration.
Disinformation is something we will have to accept and grapple with for some time. “We will have to be creative in how we handle it for the foreseeable future because what is a strength is also often a vulnerability,” Dr. Hill says
Perhaps that tilt towards deeper and broader hostilities has arrived: it is reported that India recently deployed a warship in the highly contested South China Sea – a rare move for the South Asian nation. The decision highlights a widening battleground between India and China beyond their Himilayan border as the United States and regional actors grow increasingly wary of China’s rise.
Ten years ago, optimism surrounding the internet ran high. So much so that then secretary of state Hillary Clinton touted its decentralizing force as a potential catalyst for advancing democracy around the world.
Whether it be for better or for worse, the remainder of the 21st century offers much promise to humanity. The disruption of norms will be one of the central themes characterizing the next eight decades.
Forging a trade deal with China has proved to be a frustrating, fluctuating saga for the Trump administration. It has taken nearly two years for China and the United States to reach a limited “phase one” trade deal, indicating the two remain at a distant divide regarding larger issues
Journal on World Affairs, UCLA