The China threat theory was formed at the beginning of the 2000s due to the growing influence of this country. Some scholars argue that continuous economic growth, as well as military and technology improvements that the state has made since the 1990s, may be a reason for it to be considered a superpower. Even though contemporary China does not involve itself in large-scale military conflicts and promotes a foreign policy centered on defense, it is not guaranteed that war cannot be considered an option anymore. This essay analyzes China’s rapid growth and looks at the potential threat it poses from three different perspectives: Marxism, feminism, and constructivism.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the US is considered the only superpower state. However, rapid improvements in China’s infrastructure, military, and economy caused numerous people to believe that China-US relationships will resemble that of the USSR. The type of war that entails two superpower states striving for influence on the global political scene without direct military conflicts. Contemporary China is considered a developing country in contrast to the USA, despite its successful progress. There is no guarantee that China will not attempt to change its status with the help of substantial human, military and economic resources that it possesses. That is the essence of the China threat theory, which implies an inevitable confrontation between China and the USA.
Analyzing the theory from a Marxist perspective is the most reasonable since China adopted communistic views after the end of the Second World War. Initially, its structure significantly resembled that of the Soviet Union, which is a single communistic party that promotes the idea of class equality. This particular governing system’s main objective is to equate class differences and provide similar opportunities for people’s development. The end-goal of this approach is to eliminate the class system; hence, since communistic ideology is incompatible with the democratic values of the US, the conflict is inevitable, and the Cold War may repeat itself.
Constructivism, contrary to realism and liberalism, highlights the social nature of international relations. Hence, such factors as ideology, historical background, beliefs, and values are given priority. Analyzing China’s historical background and its outer politics, it is worth mentioning that the ideas of Confucianism are still incredibly prevalent in the state. They can be considered a philosophy, a religion, and a way of life and promote harmony as the supreme principle. To achieve a harmonious state of society, every member should be involved in work to reach a common goal. This approach can be seen in China’s active participation in conflict resolution in Iran and North Korea. The philosophy also excludes war as a viable option, highlighting its counter-productivity and devastating outcome for both sides involved. Hence, according to constructivists, the possibility of China launching an invasion or military intervention is negligible.
Similar to Marxism, feminism strives to achieve equality between people. However, if the former is determined to eliminate the class system, the latter is concerned with gender inequalities. Feminists oppose nationalism, militarization as well as religious fundamentalism that often undermines their role in society. Being a communistic state, China does not promote nationalism, and its stance on religious fanaticism coincides with feministic views. Moreover, the equality of all people also encompasses the gender one. However, China’s rapid militarization may be a concerning issue for feminists because war and military conflicts are seen as having a masculine origin. Furthermore, the majority of China’s governmental posts are occupied by men, further increasing the possibility of war.
In conclusion, the China threat theory has multiple valid reasons to exist. The rapid growth of China’s military force, as well as the developed economy and vast amounts of human resources, makes it a possible US rival. However, due to the devastating nature of war, China’s population, and the government’s philosophy, the full-scale military conflict is highly unlikely. It is also worth mentioning that China’s outer politics is aimed at cooperation and mutual benefits, rather than severe resources loss.