How climbing China is different from the previous one global changes leader?

Drobot G.А.

Abstract

This article is based on the theory of international transit of power. It appeals to the peculiarities of changing world leaders based on historical and comparative materials. The author focuses on three historical examples of the change of power – the change of leadership between the United Kingdom and the United States, the failed attempt to change the leadership between Japan and the United States and the result of the Cold War between the USSR and the United States. Statistics show that for 500 years, the economies of the great powers have changed, as has world politics, accompanied by the economies of the great powers, have changed, as has world politics, accompanied by constant conflicts and wars. However, history also shows the peaceful transit of leadership. An example of this is the United Kingdom and the United States. The conflict between the «friendly powers» did not happen during the change of world leadership. Factors such as standard norms, ideology, cultural traditions and political principles contribute to the peaceful transit of power. As the example of the 19 th-Century Japanese-Chinese Wars has shown many times, industrialisation plays a significant role. Factors such as common norms, ideology, cultural traditions and political principles contribute to the peaceful transit of power. As the 19 th-Century Japanese-Chinese Wars example has shown many times, industrialisation plays a significant role. The article analyses the confrontation between the USSR and the United States and compares the relations between the two powers and China. The competition between the United States and the USSR demonstrates a simple fact: even though the USSR was a little stronger than the United States, especially in nuclear weapons, it lost the game with a vast price and long-term consequences for world politics. The Soviet Union was a strong, rich country; however, it was a «strong country with a poor population» in terms of GDP per capita compared to the United States. In this sense, the former Soviet Union sends a message to China: the path the former Soviet Union was taking is not suitable for China.

Keywords

Transit of international power; conflicts; change of world leadership; relations between China and the United States.

DOI: 10.31249/rsm/2021.03.12

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