Professor Christopher Coker discusses the rise of civilizational states, potential US-China conflict, and China's approach to values. They explore military aspects of China's Belt and Road Initiative and speculate on future global power dynamics.
Civilizational states like China reject exporting values, promote mutual respect among civilizations.
China integrates Confucianism in governance to address moral vacuum and social disparities, promoting social cohesion.
Deep dives
The Rise of Civilizational States
Civilizational states like China and Russia stand apart from the Liberal International Order, emphasizing their unique value systems and genetic ties to their respective civilizations. These states reject the idea of exporting their values and emphasize mutual respect among civilizations. China specifically promotes harmony and coexistence, presenting itself as a vanguard against Western liberal democracy.
Adoption of Confucianism in China
China faces a moral vacuum due to waning belief in communism, leading to a resurgence of Confucianism as a guiding moral and philosophical system. Xi Jinping advocates for a 'Leninist Confucian state,' integrating ancient Chinese values into the current governance. This shift represents an attempt to maintain social cohesion and address economic and social disparities.
Risk of US-China Conflict
While the idea of a war between China and the US has been deemed improbable, historical and psychological factors suggest the potential for conflict. Misinterpretation of intentions, lack of deterrence in new domains like cyber warfare and the quest for credibility could inadvertently trigger a confrontation. The absence of established rules in areas like space poses a grave risk, as both nations possess advanced military capabilities.
Contributor(s): Professor Christopher Coker | For the late Professor Christopher Coker the answer lay in the rise of a new political entity, the civilizational state. In an episode of LSE iQ which explored China’s position in the world in the coming century, Professor Coker talked about this, the potential for war between the United States and China and what that might look like.
Christopher Coker, was Professor of International Relations at LSE for almost four decades, and co-Director of LSE IDEAS, LSE’s foreign policy think tank. He was a scholar of war and warfare. This episode of LSE iQ is a lightly edited version of our 2019 interview recorded before the COVID pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It is dedicated to his memory.
Contributors
Professor Christopher Coker
Research
The Rise of the Civilizational State by Christopher Coker
The Improbable War, China, the United States and the Logic of Great Power Conflict by Christopher Coker
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