In forty short years, the People's Republic of China has
emerged from the depths of despair, comparable to the most backward,
poverty-stricken country in Africa. Now, China is recognized as a global
military and economic powerhouse, primed to knock the United States off of its
perch. However, China is convinced that the West exploited China when it was at
its weakest. Most notably those years of the 19th and early 20th centuries,
known to the Chinese as the Century of Humiliation, where China lost both its
territory and its prestige to the imperial powers of the day. These experiences
have left China deeply suspicious and resentful of the countries it considers
the West, including Australia and even Japan. In what ways are the West
countries responsible for the Century of Humiliation and what mistakes did
China make to precipitate it? In the immediate aftermath, Mao's 27-year tenure
as Chairman include his ghastly and misguided programs (Great Leap Forward and
the Cultural Revolution) which resulted in at least 40 million deaths of his
own people by famine, torture, execution, and genocide. The rapid economic and military ascent of
China has been one of the major geopolitical developments over the past four
decades. Are the GDP and debt figures being reported accurate? China's Belt and
Road Initiative (BRI), sometimes referred to as the New Silk Road, is one of
the most ambitious infrastructure projects ever conceived to link East Asia and
Europe through physical infrastructure. However, skeptics worry that China is
laying a debt trap for vulnerable, third-world governments. Many of these
projects become white elephants and fail to live up to expectations. How will
the BRI play out and will any or all of the debt obligation from partner
countries be paid off? What were China's greatest mistakes in handling the
Covid pandemic and the Fentanyl crises? Purpose: Learn why China's 11 self-inflicted wounds – not
the West – will block China's bid for global dominance Facilitator: Mike Quinlan |
|
|
|
