Beyond Economic and Military Power: How Does China Influence the World? - Adam Seagal

Описание: Over the past seven and a half decades, China has transformed from an isolated, agrarian nation into a global superpower, and simultaneously impacting the international order with remarkable speed and ambition. Now, as the PRC approaches its 75th anniversary, under Xi Jinping’s leadership, China has embarked on what it terms a “New Era”—one marked by assertive goals across economic, military, and technological spheres. This milestone prompts a critical reassessment of China’s evolving strategies and objectives, as well as the profound implications for the United States and the world.

How is China wielding its tools of influence within this shifting world order, and how might the U.S. navigate this complex dynamic—balancing competition with areas of shared interest? Join us on Thursday, November 21st, from 12 to 1 PM (ET), for a timely discussion on China’s trajectory under Xi Jinping’s “New Era.” Our expert panelist, Dr. Adam Segal, Director of the Digital and Cyberspace Policy program at the Council on Foreign Relations, will examine China’s cyber strategies and technological advances and more.

0:00 Introductions

1:07 Overview of the era of technology, how does it relate to tech goals China may have

1:29 Technology is the main concern of Xi Jinping; he is focused on innovation

3:12 Proliferation of cyber and AI policies

4:09 Q for Adam: Contrast China’s approach with the U.S.

4:50 A from Adam: There are broad typologies, where they mirror each other. U.S. is bottom-up development in tech whereas China is top-down, state-driven

5:53 EU, China, and U.S. all see that they have to adapt their models – deregulation

7:10 Q for Adam: How has U.S.-China relations evolved in cyberspace?

7:33 A from Adam: Volatile, since the 2012 Snowden case China has been cautious to distance itself from U.S.

9:45 From China’s perspective, U.S. has doubled down on it so it makes it hard to cooperate

10:27 Q for Adam: Global South, how has China’s approach affected them?

11:00 A from Adam: Belt and Road Initiative, digital projects are good substitutes – Huawei, 3G and 4G through Africa and South America

11:52 Alibaba has built extensive infrastructure in the Global South

13:38 Perspective of Global South: it might as well benefit from development if China will conduct espionage anyway

14:24 Q for Adam: What about the TikTok debate?

14:42 A from Adam: More concerned over misinformation than data collection

16:24 Q for Adam: Are there specific areas in cybersecurity or AI where you see a future for cooperation between U.S. and China?

16:37 A from Adam: Very hard to say in the cyberspace. There was a year when there was an agreement, but then China went back to its original position on security

18:37 China is trying to deter U.S. from interfering in the Taiwan Strait

19:11 U.S. tried on multiple occasions to work out a legal framework with China in cyberspace, but it did not amount to a firm agreement

20:10 Two resolutions in the UN, one signed by China and the other by the U.S. – they both said that they should not use AI for nuclear command systems

21:03 Q for Adam: How does China’s economic power compare to its cyber power?

21:27 A from Adam: Definitely an extension of its economic power

22:27 All technological power has a soft power impact; it depends on how they are implemented

23:21 Q for Adam: How has the Trump administration’s approach to China’s cyber and tech influenced global dynamics? What do you foresee?

23:27 Administration is fairly communicative and consistent about confronting China in the cyber sector

24:27 Biden administration is similar to this in that sense

26:19 Q and A