Page 13 - The Economist20171214

Leaders The Economist December 16th 2017 13

Sharp power

China is manipulating debate in Western democracies. Whatcan theydo aboutit?
HEN a rising power chal- not included in speaker line-ups at conferences, or academics
W lenges an incumbent one, avoid study of topics that China deems sensitive, individual
war often follows. That pros- cases seem small and the role of officials is hard to prove. But
pect, known as the Thucydides the effect can be grave. Western professors have been pressed
trap after the Greek historian to recant. Foreign researchers may lose access to Chinese ar-
who first described it, looms chives. Policymakers may find that China experts in their own
over relations between China countries are too ill-informed to help them.
and the West, particularly Because China is so integrated into economic, political and
America. So, increasingly, does a more insidious confronta- cultural life, the West is vulnerable to such pressure. Western
tion. Even if China does not seek to conquer foreign lands, governments may value trade over scoring diplomatic points,
many people fearthat it seeks to conquerforeign minds. as when Greece vetoed a European Union statement criticis-
Australia was the first to raise a red flag about China’s tac- ing China’s record on human rights, shortly after a Chinese
tics. On December5th allegationsthatChina hasbeen interfer- firm had invested in the port ofPiraeus. The economy is so big
ing in Australian politics, universities and publishing led the thatbusinessesoften dance to China’stune withoutbeingtold
government to propose new laws to tackle “unprecedented to. An Australian publisher suddenly pulled a book, citing
and increasingly sophisticated” foreign efforts to influence fears of“Beijing’s agents ofinfluence”.
lawmakers (see page 20). This week an Australian senator re-
signed over accusations that, as an opposition spokesman, he What to do?
tookmoney from China and argued its corner. Britain, Canada Facing complaints from Australia and Germany, China has
and NewZealand are also beginningto raise the alarm. On De- called its critics irresponsible and paranoid—and there is in-
cember10th Germany accused China of trying to groom poli- deed a danger of anti-Chinese hysteria. However, if China
ticians and bureaucrats. And on December13th Congress held were being more truthful, it would point out that its desire for
hearings on China’s growinginfluence. influence is what happens when countries become powerful.
This behaviour has a name—“sharp power”, coined by the China has a lot more at stake outside its borders today than
National Endowment for Democracy, a Washington-based it did. Some 10m Chinese have moved abroad since 1978. It
think-tank. “Soft power” harnesses the allure of culture and worries that they will pick up democratic habits from foreign-
values to add to a country’s strength; sharp power helps au- ers and infect China itself. Separately, Chinese companies are
thoritarian regimes coerce and manipulate opinion abroad. investing in rich countries, including in resources, strategic in-
The West needs to respond to China’s behaviour, but it can- frastructure and farmland. China’s navy can project power far
not simply throw up the barricades. Unlike the old Soviet Un- from home. Its government frets that its poor image abroad
ion, China is part of the world economy. Instead, in an era will do itharm. And asthe risingsuperpower, China has an ap-
when statesmanship isin shortsupply, the Westneeds to find a petite to shape the rules of global engagement—rules created
statesmanlike middle ground. That starts with an understand- largelybyAmerica and western Europe and routinelyinvoked
ingofsharp powerand how it works. by them to justify theirown actions.
To ensure China’s rise is peaceful, the West needs to make
Influencing the influencers room for China’s ambition. But that does not mean anything
Like many countries, China has long tried to use visas, grants, goes. Open societies ignore China’s sharp powerat theirperil.
investments and culture to pursue its interests. But its actions Part of their defence should be practical. Counter-intelli-
have recently grown more intimidating and encompassing. Its gence, the law and an independent media are the best protec-
sharp power has a series of interlocking components: subver- tion against subversion. All three need Chinese speakers who
sion, bullying and pressure, which combine to promote self- grasp the connection between politics and commerce in Chi-
censorship. For China, the ultimate prize is pre-emptive kow- na. The Chinese Communist Party suppresses free expression,
towing by those whom it has not approached, but who none- open debate and independent thought to cement its control.
theless fearlosingfunding, access orinfluence. Merely shedding light on its sharp tactics—and shaming kow-
China has a history of spying on its diaspora, but the sub- towers—would go a longway towards bluntingthem.
version has spread. In Australia and New Zealand Chinese Part should be principled. Unleashing a witch-hunt against
money is alleged to have bought influence in politics, with Chinese people would be wrong; it would also make Western
party donations or payments to individual politicians. This claims to stand for the rule of law sound hollow. Calls from
week’s complaint from German intelligence said that China American politicians for tit-for-tat “reciprocity”, over visas for
was using the LinkedIn business network to ensnare politi- academics and NGO workers, say, would be equally self-de-
cians and government officials, by having people posing as re- feating. Yet ignoring manipulation in the hope that China will
cruiters and think-tankers and offeringfree trips. be more friendly in the future would only invite the next jab.
Bullying has also taken on a new menace. Sometimes the Instead the West needs to stand by its own principles, with
message isblatant, aswhen China punished Norwayeconom- countries acting together if possible, and separately if they
ically for awarding a Nobel peace prize to a Chinese pro- must. The first step in avoiding the Thucydides trap is for the
democracy activist. More often, as when critics of China are West to use its own values to blunt China’s sharp power. 7