The bad habits of hegemony

Posted By Daniel W. Drezner Thursday, May 21, 2009 - 12:58 AM Share

My latest Newsweek column is online. It looks at China's recent moves to challenge the dollar's status as the world's reserve currency and what to make of them.

The closing paragraphs:

If these moves do not amount to much, then why all the hubbub? To be blunt, America is out of practice at dealing with an independent source of national power. For two decades the United States has been the undisputed global hegemon. For the 40 years before that, America was the leader of the free world. As a result, American thinkers and policymakers have become accustomed to having all policy decisions of consequence go through Washington. Our current generation of leaders and thinkers are simply unprepared for the idea of other countries taking the lead in matters of the global economic order.
Most of China's recent actions do not constitute a real threat to the United States; indeed, to the extent that China helps to boost the economies of the Pacific Rim, they are contributing a public good. Obama—and Hunstman—need to make the mental adjustment to a rising China, welcoming many of China's policy initiatives while pushing back at those that threaten American core interests. If they can make this cognitive leap, then Sino-American relations can proceed on the basis of shared interests rather than mutual fears.

Go read the whole thing.

EXPLORE:INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, BRETTON WOODS II, CHINA, DOLLAR, GLOBAL GOVERNANCE, GLOBAL POLITICAL ECONOMY

(7)

HIDE COMMENTS LOGIN OR REGISTER REPORT ABUSE

DAVE PORTER

3:09 AM ET

May 21, 2009

Mandarin and high school study in China

In my state of Oregon, less than 1% of the public school K-12 students study Mandarin. I think this is typical nationally. Yet, as you note:

"Over the long run, China will eventually approach the United States in terms of relative power and influence. This is not terribly surprising, however. Both private- and public-sector analysts have been making this prediction in recent years. Indeed, the rise of China is a key theme that runs through the National Intelligence Council's Global Trends 2025 report."

I've not seen one article by an international relations academic or policy expert taking on this failure by our current educational system. Is not the connection between our educational system (the skills and knowledge our future citizens will have) and the future international system important?

You say "Americans had better get used to it." Perhaps, part of the constructive way of getting used to it is to teach our students Mandarin and send them to study abroad in China in large numbers. We could have many high school students studying in China by simply permitting local school districts to use public funds to pay for study abroad in China. Many school districts already pay more per student per year in district than the cost of a year of study in China.

MONEYINABOX

7:24 AM ET

May 21, 2009

Sending Americans to study

Sending Americans to study abroad in China is not a realistic option. Primarily, educational levels here in China, even at the top high schools, are far below what you find in the US. Students in China learn mostly by rote memorization, not by developing logical problem solving skills or independent thinking. It'd do more to stunt the growth of a high school student than enhance it. Moreover, the social aspects of Chinese youth society would baffle a typical 15-18 year old American. I fear they are simply not experienced enough to be able to handle the extreme culture shock of spending half a year in such a different educational environment. I think sending students abroad simply for the sake of trying to be constructive is not the answer. However, I would absolutely agree with offering Mandarin and/or Cantonese in high schools as well as encouraging school systems to devote more energy toward Chinese cultural and historical studies.

SIGIVALD

7:56 PM ET

May 21, 2009

Chinese people learn English

Chinese people learn English to deal with the world market (English being the lingua Franca of world trade, for the most part).

Thus there's no need to schoolchildren in the US to learn Mandarin to do business with China.

The "rise of China" does not mandate changes in the US educational system to force children to learn Mandarin (or Cantonese, for people wishing to do business with Hong Kong and southern China).

Chinese people on the international stage will perforce have better English than any amount of high-school Chinese classes will give American students.

BEHRENS

8:43 AM ET

May 26, 2009

Not the "Chinese learning English" chestnut again!

Whenever anyone brings up the (sensible) idea of improving Chinese-language teaching in US schools, somebody trots out with this foolish claim that it's not necessary, since "the Chinese all learn English."

Newsflash: The Chinese never use English among themselves, they rarely speak fluent English, and as far as languages to communicate with the outside world, English is hardly the only such language. German is also very commonly learned and used among the Chinese (even more so now that the German-led EU has become China's top trading partner). English may be more commonly learned than other foreign tongues, but it's just one among many foreign languages that various Chinese learn.

If you want to do business in China (or in Taiwan for that matter), if you want to communicate as scientific colleagues or undertake other high-level communications-- you must speak at least decent conversational Chinese. English alone, simply does not cut it. And as China gains power and prestige (a very historical prestige-- for centuries they've been the top power before), while Britain flails and the United States tries to regain its footing, Chinese only gains in international importance.

In countries like Brazil or Argentina, increasingly they don't use English as a business language-- if they use something other than some "hybrid" Spanish-Portuguese (which they sometimes use with each other, as the languages are similar), then it's increasingly German or Chinese.

IOW, US schools are failing miserably to prepare our students for the future. There are going to be three big languages that Americans will have to pay attention to. One is German (as EU leader and increasing high-tech hub with low levels of debt). Another is of course Spanish (which has a long historical and legal presence in the USA). But the third is definitely Chinese.

We should get wise like the rest of the world, and start instructing languages from an early age, beginning even before pre-school when kinds minds are sharper for languages. After the first language, the others are much easier-- kids could start with e.g. German (especially if their parents are interested in having them pursue a science career), then follow up with Spanish (esp in some states) and then Chinese. Maybe even pick up another later. People in India and Europe routinely speak 4 or more languages without a second thought, and we need to do the same if we're to stay competitive.

APARICIO

2:17 PM ET

May 21, 2009

reminbi-dollar diplomacy

The US foreign policy-maker should plan a reminbi-dollar diplomacy. I mean, at Bretton Woods we had what Gardner called "sterling-dollar diplomacy", with UK as co-protagonist even though, in terms of economic importance, London did not deserved to be there. China today deserves to have a say, everybody knows that. However, I really think US policy makers know this, because if not that means they are blind to what absolutely everyone is repeating: we-need-G2-China-approach argument.

SIMPLESIMON

11:06 PM ET

May 21, 2009

Fearing China

US has nobody to blame but itself for China’s rise. Afterall China was a pariah country in the world just like today’s North Korea until Nixon’s 1972 visit. All the West European and East Asian countries stayed away from China following the US lead until 1972 and embraced China after Nixon’s visit. While US would not give MFN status to Soviet Union (remember Jackson-Vanik amendment?) unless Russia shed Communism, it had no problem giving it to China’s Communist dictators with a capitalist mask. Trade with China expanded by leaps and bounds during 12 years of Republican rule beginning in 1981. After campaigning against butchers of Beijing in 1992 elections, even Clinton became enthusiastic supporter of trade with China once he took lessons in foreign policy from Nixon in early 1993 during a special Whitehouse-arranged meeting. US also promoted China to a super power status by accepting it as a UNSC member.

Access to vast US and European consumer market allowed China to amass huge foreign currency reserves that China successfully used to buy all the military hardware and technology in the world. Foothold in US also gave China an opportunity to spy away the technologies that China can not buy in open market. Now China’s aim is to replace US as world’s only super power. US is going to regret that fateful day in June, 1972 when that genius duo of Nixon-Kissinger embraced China’s Communist dragon to counter Russia’s Soviet bear.

DAVE PORTER

11:31 PM ET

May 21, 2009

Rethink assumptions, please!

In reply to moneyinabox & sigivald, and trying to be as respectful as I can, you are both providing examples, IMHO, of the thinking that forms part of the "bad habits of hegemony:" that the world will continue to revolve around the US, that English will remain the dominant global language of business (and never mind that China's economy may be twice the size of the US economy in 2050), that a US high school student would not be able to handle studying in a Chinese high school, and, even if they could, they would learn nothing because Chinese schools are so bad. Please rethink all those assumptions!

I think international relations academics and policy makers should view investments in foreign language skills for our next generations as they would investments in next generation weapons systems (for national security) or infrastructure projects (for economic development). Apart from the central strategic importance of China (and therefore of Mandarin), we are not going to prevail in Afghanistan without more Pashto speakers, and we could better invest $10 million of the $1.5 billion in Pakistan aid if we sent 1,000 US high school students to study (and learn Farsi, live with a Pakistan family)in Pakistan for an academic year.