THE STRANGE NEW WORLD

My generation was born and raised in a geopolitical reality marked by several certainties. Children of the technological revolution and the process of globalization accelerated by the collapse of the Soviet Union, the end of history seemed certain. American hegemony and the democratic system were undeniable realities.

Deng Xiaoping’s reformism released China from the dogmatic ties of Mao and, especially from the 1990s, the Chinese approach was based on prudence and friendly rhetoric in the face of the United States. Charm maneuvers were frequent, demonstrating that a partnership could be a clear win-win situation, even if, under the surface, it could be a subversive seed. Therefore, in 2000, the House of Representatives approved the entrance of the Asian Giant in the WTO and hopes had never been so high. « The House of Representatives has taken a historic step toward continuous prosperity in America, China’s reform and peace in the world, » said then -President Bill Clinton, who continued the vinkly optimistic speech: « (China in the WTO) will open new doors of commerce for America and a new hope of change in China. » As a result, US companies have gained easy access to a highly attractive market, both for the specialization and abundance of labor and the strong power of consumption.

According to data from the Council on Foreign Relations, US exports to China since 2001 have recorded an increase of 450% and 400 million Chinese have been able to escape extreme poverty since 1999, while the American population has benefited from a wide range of products at lower costs. The win-win situation seemed evident.

« For China, the main attraction of this marriage was its potential for boosting the economy through export -based growth, » wrote Niall Ferguson and Moritz Schularick in 2007 when they coined the term « Chamericas ». «Thanks to China’s symbiosis, China has been able to quadruple its GDP since 2000, increasing exports by a five factor, importing western technology and creating tens of millions of jobs in the manufacturing industry for the poor of rural areas. For the United States, Chramerica meant being able to consume more, save less, and still maintain low interest rates and a stable investment rate.

These numbers reveal that China was one of the great – if not the great – beneficiaries of the international liberal order when it decided to enter the multilateral network. According to data from the US Census and the customs of China graphically presented by Ehsan Soltani, in 2000 the total American trade (2 billion dollars) was four times higher than China. In 2024, Chinese commercial volume is in $ 6.2 billion, while the American is for $ 5.3 billion. That is, in this sector, China has grown 1200% in the last 24 years, an increase that leverages its position of power in this new cold war, reinforcing its appearance of benevolent superpower, mainly with developing countries that are attracted by free trade agreements and projects such as BRI.

Perhaps this is why today, while the US boosts its own work, they are members of the Chinese Communist Party to quote Ronald Reagan, to appeal to the order that once seemed to be determined to subvert and to establish themselves as champions of free trade, being the largest commercial partner of most countries on the globe. Strange New World, this.