China's Rise and Expansionism Myth: Why History Might Not Repeat

Will a more powerful China inevitably turn into an aggressor? The "China threat" thesis prevalent in Western policy circles assumes that expansionism is the natural byproduct of growth. But history doesn't give us much reason to treat that outcome as a certainty.

Debunking the China's Rise and Expansionism Inevitability

Historically, at its moments of peak strength, China hasn't consistently converted its power into the kind of overseas colonialism or conquest that defined the rise of Western great powers. While Western expansionism was often driven by a specific set of geopolitical incentives, China's trajectory has followed a different pattern of internal consolidation and regional hegemony.

The Western Lens on Global Power

There are three often-cited reasons suggesting why China might eventually turn toward expansionism. The first involves the securing of resources for its massive economy. However, critics argue that this view suffers from mirror-imaging, assuming China will act exactly as the United Kingdom or United States did during their respective industrial ascents.