When I was a child in Greece, I remember my father saying, “Chinese steel breaks –cuts– like bread.” (I’m not sure if he himself still remembers saying it.) In a sense, he wasn’t wrong. A Chinese-made pair of pliers or pincers, if you applied just a bit of pressure, would bend or give way—what we colloquially call “giving up the ghost.” The same went for screwdrivers; their tips would wear down or break rather easily.
And he would always compare those tools with the American ones – the best steel in the world. Made in USA. In the state of Pennsylvania, no less, there stood the legendary steelworks: Bethlehem Steel. It was there that the steel was forged for some of America’s most iconic symbols, from bridges to skyscrapers. With that very steel, the United States prevailed in the Second World War.
In 2007 –a year before the Beijing Olympics– I visited China from London. I was struck by what I saw. I had the distinct feeling that a great power was being born during that very week I spent there. Or rather, that it was striving to become great – to position itself, in some sense, as a rival to the United States. America had always been, for me, the very definition of the pinnacle, in every field. I took notes at the time, observations that have never ‘seen the light of day.’ They’re still sitting somewhere in a box. Perhaps I’ll go looking for them soon. Back then, Beijing was already full of tall buildings and skyscrapers. Steel was everywhere.
What might have been hidden behind all of this? Perhaps Thucydides and Machiavelli? Personally, I have always held a deep respect for China –not because of Sun Tzu’s Art (or theory) of War, nor for its fireworks– but for something far more fundamental. After all, it was there that paper was invented, and thanks to that, we now have books, magazines, and newspapers. And banknotes.
Chinese display of power during the military parade
In the emblematic and grand parade, I watched just a few hours ago from home –broadcast by the Associated Press– I saw, more clearly than ever, a superpower in full form. It became unmistakable just how far this country has advanced. President Xi Jinping exercised absolute control – even wearing a ‘Mao-style’ jacket. The parade, attended by numerous foreign leaders, including Vladimir Putin and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, marked the 80th anniversary of the end of the Great War and the victory over Japan. And of course, every parade is also a golden opportunity for display…
Clearly, the People’s Republic of China will not be the sole superpower in a multipolar world, but it will be a force to be reckoned with. It will not be a mere bystander. The images that have already circulated worldwide speak for themselves: thousands of soldiers, hundreds of tanks and missile-equipped vehicles, and numerous J-35 aircraft flying in impeccable formations – as if put in place with a ruler and chalked with perfect straight lines. Thus, China is a nation governed by a system of bureaucratic capitalism that yields better results than that of the ‘spinster’ Soviet Union, for various reasons not relevant to this article. However, when state planning is reinforced by ‘injections of nationalism,’ coupled with the strategic insights of Thucydides and Machiavelli, it can work wonders in just a few decades.
The Chinese have now mastered the production of quality steel! They have learned how to forge steel properly. The transfer of technology and expertise began during the Reagan era, when America sought to capitalise on China’s cheap labor force. At the same time, Thucydides and Machiavelli are foundational readings in this country, and alongside steel, China has harnessed this strategic knowledge and technology. Today, it is ascending to superpower status, supported by distinct demographic factors, and rising to great heights. The message of strength conveyed by the military parade is unprecedented in the history of humanity.
The West, indirectly and through a series of misguided decisions across various domains, is effectively pushing the transfer of power towards Eurasia. Yesterday, I imagine, officials at the American Pentagon watched in astonishment, as the steel from the pliers that once bent so easily, has now become the foundation for modern intercontinental ballistic missiles like the DF-61 and the DF-5C.
I left this comment beneath the Associated Press video: “An impressive display of the ‘Chinese Mentality.’ Work hard, and let the results speak for themselves. Much respect from me and my country” [accompanied by a small USA flag]. Let us reiterate here, that the West, through its misguided choices, is effectively rolling out the red carpet in Tiananmen Square – under the stern gaze of Mao, as his imposing portrait dominates the scene. It is as if the ‘incompetent / unwilling West’ is preparing to fall and be caught in the steel-clad ‘Thucydides Trap’.
*Dimitris Eleas is a political scientist, writer and independent researcher living in New York. His e-mail is: dimitris.eleas@gmail.com. This is a translation of a Greek text that originally appeared in SLpress of Athens.
