China touts its governance model as Trump tests global norms

BEIJING - As the world digests the implications of the US capture of Venezuela’s leader, China has ramped up its messaging, touting its governance model as a superior alternative to Western capitalism and representing a new path for developing countries to follow.

Writing on Jan 8 in the People’s Daily, the head of the ruling Communist Party’s International Department presented reasons why China’s development path and political system provide new answers for the world.

Mr Liu Haixing, who leads the agency in charge of outreach to foreign political parties, cited the “frequent systemic crises within capitalism” in arguing that the success of the Chinese model has enhanced the influence and appeal of socialism.

“The historical evolution and the competition between the two ideologies and social systems – socialism and capitalism – are undergoing a major shift on a global scale that increasingly favours socialism,” he wrote.

Mr Liu argued that China’s rise has shattered what he calls the “Western-centric” logic that equates modernisation with Westernisation. “It sets a benchmark and provides a brand-new alternative for developing nations seeking to achieve modernisation while maintaining their independence and autonomy,” he said.

He listed advantages of the Chinese system versus Western democracies ranging from strong party leadership and discipline to long-term economic planning. China is due to unveil its 15th five-year plan at its annual political gathering in March.

Without directly mentioning the US, Mr Liu issued thinly veiled swipes at the world’s pre-eminent superpower and presented China as a beacon of stability for the world.

“Particularly in an era of intensifying geopolitical conflicts and the rise of protectionism and unilateralism, China remains steadfast as a force for peace, stability, and progress in the world, continuously injecting certainty into a world defined by turbulence and transformation,” he wrote.

The message dovetails with Beijing’s response following US President Donald Trump’s capture of

former

Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro

. China’s Foreign Ministry expressed shock and condemnation at the attack, while Chinese President Xi Jinping portrayed China as a “peace-loving, open-minded, inclusive” country in his first international engagement following the US strike.

Since the capture of Maduro, Mr Trump and his administration have doubled down on the so-called “Donroe Doctrine” – establishing US dominance in the Americas and attempting to push out rivals and adversaries from the Western Hemisphere.

The campaign opens a new front against China’s deep economic ties and expanding footprint in the region.

In an interview with The New York Times on Jan 7, Mr Trump laid out a vision of American power

restrained only by his “own morality”

, suggesting that previous presidents have been too cautious to make use of US power for political supremacy or national profit. “I don’t need international law,” he said. “I’m not looking to hurt people.”

Beijing has long viewed the existing world order as unfairly dominated by the US and its allies, and has been pushing for an alternative in which developing countries – led by China – play a bigger role. BLOOMBERG