EU countries joining AIIB means a lot
- By Pang Zhongying
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E-mail China.org.cn, April 23, 2015
Globalization has exhibited previously unseen characteristics since the end of the 20th century. In the late 1970s, China was forced to join globalization, but today, it has been globalized and become a driving force for globalization. The Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road initiatives, popularly known as the "Belt and Road" initiatives, show China's attempt to contribute to the process.
In an article published by the French business daily, Les Echos, former French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin urged Europe to actively respond to the "Belt and Road" initiatives, arguing that the shape and focus of globalization has changed, and the "Belt and Road" initiatives will lead to a new round of multilateral cooperation.
Europe's AIIB entry can also be explained by its understanding of the current world structure. In Europe, there are many articles predicting America's decline. Although most European countries chose to rely on the United States to seek military protection, it is no longer totally reliable in their eyes.
In fact, the EU formed a joint hegemony with the United States, but there have been many complicated conflicts inside the camp. For example, Europe has been striving for multilateral democracy in international affairs, which can result in global governance, while the United States prefers hegemony, which can help it rule the world. Ruling the world is different from governing the world. In the pursuit of global governance, Europe's values, purposes and needs are more similar to China's.
Currently, many people are predicting the doom of EU and the euro, and it's true that the EU and the euro have vital unsolved problems, but they represent the right direction in global governance, i.e. establishing regional cooperation and making radical changes to the international system to promote new world orders in line with the times.
As former U.S. Secretary of State Dr. Henry Kissinger said, today the world order can't be kept and built by any single country. The EU is at a low ebb, but China should recognize its strategic importance. If China can work with the EU, it will surely play a major role in shaping the future world order.
The writer is a professor of International Relations, School of International Studies at Renmin University of China in Beijing.
The article was translated by Chen Xia. Its original unabridged version was published in Chinese.
Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors only, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.
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