The world is currently facing serious uncertainties future. Many things happened in the past one decade whether related to the security matter such as transnational crime which is not limited to terrorism and counter-terrorism only but we also deal with social humanity issues such as human rights, poverty, global health and inequality among states. But today’s phenomenon is shifting into global economic growth which is succeeded to point out one influential country, China as an important key player of free trade today.
The international society agreed that China became famous is not only because of their drama over South China Sea dispute. More than that, China turned out to be an outstanding country because of the significant progress to influence the world market through their economic power across the globe. Since the instigation ‘open door’ policies in 1978, China has experienced three decades of considerable economic and institutional reform. These reforms have directed towards changing the domestic industrial structure and increasing the degree of integration of China’s economy and its business into the global economy especially for developing countries. As China accounts for the world’s 15% total output, biggest population, largest standing-army, and currency manipulation tactics, it has the potential to be the world’s power in shifting their investment towards emerging countries in Southeast Asia. This interesting fact is supported by progressive relations between China and the world rapidly.
In fact, people are impressed while some of them are still questioning or even criticizing the real condition of the domestic situation in China when the political system seems to contradict an economic system which led to a big deal at the international level. The dilemma China faces today is not that easy to deal with when we try to recall the Mao Zedong era. Stand as a successor in Chinese history made Mao Zedong became a hero for the betterment of China under the idea of isolation which still holding the value of strong communist. But everything was changed when Deng Xiaoping chose to open the gate in order to be more open by interacting with the world by strengthening the domestic economic power as well as fostering the competitive mentality across the world.
Now, current president Xi Jinping after the transition from the previous leader turns out to be someone different in order to bring China out of the box under his strongman leadership role. Even though his current government communist ideology is still the same with the former leaders to limit the internet uses, the role of media and the participation of NGO’s but when it comes to the idea of economic system, the liberal element stands strong under Xi Jinping effort. China is able to attack the enemies by using their political and economical playbook which are too strategic to fostering the national strength of China in facing global affairs. China is a success to handle the difference between political and economical approaching in the international system. The spreading of power by maximizing the hegemony in balancing Japan, the United States and South Korea power in Asia made China unique and special.
China has made great progress for the past couple of decades and the government seemed to make an effort to solve existing social problems like a gap between poor and rich people. We believe that to change something is not that easy like flipping hand. We believe that to achieve and to gain something big we need to sacrifice something else as well as to change something big we need to be ready with the consequences ahead. China proofs it by managing its system in order to open more chances ahead and playing a role as a new power for the international scale.
China as a new power in Asia through its reformation to be Chinese again has been spreading across Southeast Asia countries. Indonesia generally saw the new emphasis of China on Asia as a classic “balance of power” in countering the power of the US in the Asia Pacific region in both the military and economic sectors, especially for Southeast Asia countries. This phenomenon also related to deeper market integration between China and its neighbors and greater interdependence in order to open many doors ahead through Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) since 2013 under on strong concept “one belt one road” to accomplish economic integration and interdependence.
The rise of China in the last three decades has been nothing short of a miracle since China has gone from struggling to feed its people and finally turned out to be a great power with ever-increasing global ambitions. A powerful China’s economic power has enabled Beijing to build and expand its diplomatic and political influence in Southeast Asia as well as being a key trading partner with all 11 countries in the region especially Indonesia. Indonesia is significant political, diplomatic, strategic and economic interest to China since Indonesia is already being actively courted by China in pursuing their interest. Indonesia is well aware of China’s development that can bring Indonesia’s economy come to a higher level than before especially in a time of economic crisis in the West, China has been major source of trade and investment. We see that Indonesia and China relations are strong in economic sector simply because of the historical background point of view.
