Xi Jinping became president of China in 2013, and under his leadership China has radically transformed itself at home and abroad. Former Mexican Ambassador to China Jorge Guajardo draws years of diplomatic experience with China when moderator James Fallows asks the panel to describe China under the leadership of president Xi Jinping: 

Under Xi Jinping, Guajardo says he saw a noticeable shift in how China views its relationship with Mexico. Whereas China used to glean insights and policies from Mexico, Guajardo sees China now as an arrogant power that believes it should be an example to others. 

China’s rise to near-peer status with the US is no surprise to those who were paying attention, says international security expert Mira Rapp-Hooper. But if the international community was expecting China to look more like other world powers, they were wrong:

As China has grown, so has its grip over Chinese society. Instead of liberalizing, the Chinese government continues to consolidate economic and political control.

As China modernizes and grows across sectors, the US has swung dramatically from downplaying China’s capabilities to considering them an existential threat. Elsa Kania of the Center for New American Security, advocates for a measured approach to China that emphasizes proactive domestic policies like strengthening the US’ technology and education sectors:

China is pursuing seemingly contradictory strategies as its society and economy modernize in tandem, says Elsa Kania. The Chinese government wants to maintain tight control over much of the Chinese economy, but also seeks the innovation of tech companies that traditionally thrive under loose regulation. And as Chinese society advances technologically and economically, the government has limited democratic norms.

Elsa Kania thinks that the state-driven approaches China relies on may backfire. Unilateral investment in technologies can often stifle competition. Kania uses the example of artificial intelligence to highlight how China’s control over AI development might result in bad investments. Additionally, when the Chinese government assumes control over the development of technologies, they are also liable for failures.