Analysis: China’s handling of troubles in Afghanistan, Myanmar and North Korea will differ to the west, and e its identity as a global power
First, it was North Korea. Then, came Myanmar. Now, it is Afghanistan. The three ongoing crises in China’s neighbourhood seem to have little in common. But for Beijing, they pose the same question: how to deal with strategically important yet failing states on its border, and how will China’s response define its identity as a global power.
For many years, China watchers in the west have been looking for clues to how a rising power will exercise its influence on the world stage through its involvement in Africa or its relations with the US. But the way China approaches the three neighbouring countries may provide a clearer picture.
