THE MANDATE OF HEAVEN: HOW THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY EVOLVED FROM COMMUNIST TO FASCIST AND NEO-IMPERIALIST AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR GREAT POWER COMPETITION
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Date
2021-08-13
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Johns Hopkins University
Abstract
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has exploited the West’s, and in particular the United States, constant need for economic growth by expanding the market. It knew that using the freedoms and values of the West against it with promises of access to Chinese markets and cheap and abundant labor would cause the Western elite to unwittingly take up the cause for China against their governments. Because of this knowledge, China has willingly and wantonly abused human rights, shifted to a more totalitarian, religion-like, and fascist governance style, used its influence to interfere in the political systems of other countries, reneged on international agreements, created vassal-like states, and created a system where racism and bigotry are seen as patriotic. All this to remake the CCP in the Chinese dynasties of old images, the center of the world with the mandate of heaven.
The CCP’s power over the West began in earnest in the late 2000s when it was decided that international influence campaigns would be used outside of China. These efforts were primarily led by economic interests to which the West quickly succumbed. The stronger the economic ties between a country and China, the more aggressive China’s influence operations became. China now employs a whole of government approach to change norms and influence global policies - media, academia, pop culture, business, as well as the more traditional diplomatic efforts of political and economic relations. The CCP has spread the message to the Chinese diaspora that no matter where in the world they may be, they belong to China. Chinese leaders continually use images of war and conquest against the West in their public speeches. Still, the West sits idly by, cowed mainly by economic considerations while the CCP actively encourages the theft of intellectual property and market share and is well on its way to winning the global norms war.
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China, Great Power Competition, End of History, Fascism, Elite Capture, Censorship