"China is the future, do you agree?"
How would you answer this, and how would you expect Chinese netizens on Xiaohongshu to answer?
I will link to the thread in the comments because I want you to take a moment and think about it first.
I would like to hope no one nation is the future. Replacing one global hegemony with another is not my idea of progress.
I'm onboard with Wales. Let Wales rule for a bit.
Real talk, I take comfort in knowing that the high tech future we were promised at the turn of the millennium isn't dead after all, it's just happening in China
I think it's pretty clear that despite Trump's attempts to revitalize US manufacturing, the US won't be able to outpace China's industrial growth even if they hard pivot. China is, like it or not, almost certainly the next Global Hegemon as the US' grip on the world is falling. Western Europe won't be able to oppose it either.
I think Chinese citizens are generally hopeful for their country, but more than anything I think most of their citizens would want everyone to advance. I don't think any doubt that China will surpass the US.
In many ways, China already has surpassed the US.
For sure. However, the PRC is still a developing countrt, while the US is a declining Empire. The US has farther to fall and China further to rise, especially in the next 1-2 decades.
As an Indian, I think they seem more well-planned and more decent than recent USAmerica.
India and China does have border issues, but I do respect them as I agree with their leftist view of reducing poverty and improving literacy. I think our countries could come to decent compromise there.
Also, the communism aspects.
But saying that a single country is the future is too simple.
And even the Chinese seem to be not emulating America to be an empire.
I think their aim is a multi-polar world. Atleast if the random yt vids I saw are proper representations.
Still hoping for that future that's borderless and red and queer and bold.
We'll get there.
For whatever it's worth, despite never formally studying Chinese, I managed to read both the Chinese sentences, albeit with the wrong tones. Like to be fair I have studied Japanese, and I am generally a bit of a weirdo with a knack for this sort of thing — but I do still have to wonder if more people are just going to start casually picking up hanzi just from exposure like I have, as China becomes more prominent. I could certainly see it happening.
"China is the future" is a bit of a vague question, though. Just from my interpretation of it...
I absolutely think that the USA is currently crumbling as the world's hegemon — interestingly enough, the USA's flag actually has stars on it to represent a "new constellation", using the constellations in the sky as an allegory for the rise and fall of nations; so it indeed seems like the fifty-star constellation is beginning to fall beyond the horizon, as a new five-star constellation rises.
This being said, I don't think China's behavior as future hegemon will be the same as the USA's current behavior as present hegemon. I don't necessarily know what to expect from the future, though, so it's probably best to prepare for all possibilities until we gain a clearer understanding of the situation.
Also, we can't really know and judge China as the world leader, as they're not yet.
As soon as you are on top, your behaviour might change. Both for the better, but most likely for the worse. (see US)
Also, we have to remember that China still needs all western partners to keep up their production. They are still a manufacturing country.
As soon as you are on top, your behaviour might change.
It might, it might not. America's behavior didn't change; from the start they've been aggressive and expansionist, the scope just grew as they became more powerful.
China's been growing rapidly for decades while very seldomly acting militarily outside their borders. They don't seem to have expansionist goals outside those declared over 70 years ago (ie Taiwan) and have even negotiated down on border conflicts. It's not impossible but it'd be strange for China to make a complete about-turn on their stated policy of non-intervention.
If the US doesn't fuck up it's own demise and just dies peacefully, I can see that being the case.
But I think China would use their new powers to help lift other countries up instead of continuing to use the global south as a giant slave plantation like the US is doing.
I mean china is an authoritarian state, that kinda thing never works for long
I'm saying this unironically: this comment could go on any dumbass thread about China's dumbass social media and dumbass AI. I don't understand why I don't see it more.
They. Are. Authoritarian.
The reason you don't see it more is because "authoritarian" isn't a hard line you can cross, but a general descriptor, and as a consequence many will disagree about the legitimacy of that vague descriptor or believe other countries like the US fit that descriptor better. What do you personally think counts as sufficient to label one country authoritarian, and another not? Can you give an example of each, or is every country authoritarian? Does it matter if some are more or less authoritarian? All of these questions have different answers from person to person, because they apply to a general descriptor and not a hard metric, like "does the PRC have growing wages for the working class?" Or "do Chinese people enioy their system?" Food for thought.
I want the mandate of heaven to come to all of us.
:::spoiler If you don't have the app, it may be hard to view, so here are some screenshots
Looks like I was dead-on, haha.
Tbh, I was shocked. Much as I'm sympathetic towards China, but I still usually look at it through a lens of realpolitik, like, "Of course they're vying for dominance like everyone else, but at least they're doing it through economic development instead of wars, and it's better if there are two major powers instead of one." Maybe that cynical perspective is more realistic, and maybe XHS users aren't a representative sample of all Chinese people, but still, the fact that so many of the replies were so hopeful and internationalist was genuinely moving to me.
Damn, they blocked Tor Browser.
I went to Fennec with uBlock on and VPN enabled (privacy reasons), the first thing I see is a download attempt of the 小红书 .apk file. I tap X, and it does it again. Damn, seem like Reddit all over again. 🤦♂️
Also, they require a +86 phone number for registration. 🤔 Not a fan of that. Its like Facebook + region locking. Well I guess it make sense... too many TikTok refugees lol.
I had to change to user agent to windows. The comments are pretty chill, unlike some other Chinese sites. I don't see any "MAGA" type comments like you would see on twitter.
Edit: Hmm my webpage only shows like 10 comments, then stops showing... 🤔
You can register with any number, it just defaults to +86
Not a nationalist, I find this a terrifying thought, but 100%. Unless action is actually taken in the U.S., I don't think the West stands a chance. China is already in a much stronger position than I think many Westerners realize, they made tremendous gains during the last Trump presidency. If Trump really does cling to power for the rest of his life, I think we'll see a world where SA, SEA, Africa and parts of Europe are all completely economically reliant on China.
As if it wasn't like that with USA too
I don't think it'll be as bad as mentioned
The near future? Yes. Absolutely. The have the best economic and political system so far, and are now building out their military to step into the role of hegemon.
The far future?
Assuming China can crack down on global coal and oil usage and figure out climate change, they'll be paving the way for communism in a couple of generations. If they can successfully solve these issues, crush the capitalist markets, and still maintain or lower their current level of corruption then communism is inevitable by 2100 at the latest.
This will be the last century of kings and ceos. Either the world ends due to climate change and capitalist greed, or humanity prevails through communism. There isn't another option left.
The PRC definitely has its problems, but I am especially encouraged by their massive restructuring of their energy grid. I don't think Communism will come by 2100, but maybe 2150 or 2200, as there are going to be Capitalist holdouts for a long time resisting progress.
Already!
Earth first, fuck your countries.
I don’t really know anything about China, so I really can’t say.
It would be a good idea to learn a bit, I think, considering that they will play an increasingly large role on the global stage.
the future of neo-colonialism? definitely
Can you elaborate?
Belt and Road Initiative, China owning most of the cobalt reserves and refining resources that oftentimes rely on enslaved child labor, anti-Black discrimination inside Chinese enclaves in Africa (1) (2), mandating Mandarin in Ugandan schools, with Kenya and South Africa making it optional