We could be witnessing the moment, when China snatches the mantle of global leadership out of America’s coronavirus-stricken hands, establishing the “Chinese century” that experts have long promised us — at least according to American pundits and journalists.
The late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping once summed up the strategy that defined China’s foreign policy for decades: “Observe calmly; secure our position; cope with affairs calmly; hide our capacities; bide our time; be good at maintaining a low profile; never claim leadership.” The idea was for China to gain national strength quietly and patiently, observing global affairs while plotting how to control them.
