Chinese President Xi Jinping met with over 40 foreign business executives in Beijing on March 28, 2025, emphasizing China’s role as an economic leader amid global uncertainty.
“Going with China is going with opportunities. Believing in China is believing in tomorrow. Investing in China is investing in the future,” Xi declared, framing China as a stable and prosperous alternative to other global powers.
As the United States under President Donald Trump continues implementing its “America First” policy, China is portraying itself as the responsible global power. However, critics warn that this narrative masks Beijing’s aggressive geopolitical ambitions.
China’s Global Strategy: Stability or Opportunism?
Xi’s rhetoric about multilateralism and international rules echoes his past statements:
“We should adhere to multilateralism to uphold the authority and efficacy of multilateral institutions. We should honor promises and abide by rules. One should not select or bend rules as he sees fit…”
Yet, analysts argue that China’s real objective is to weaken democratic institutions while demanding adherence to global rules that serve its own interests.
Peter Mattis, President of The Jamestown Foundation, criticized Beijing’s contradictory stance:
“Beijing has benefited enormously from the international system, especially when other powers are restrained by rules it claims are biased, and so chooses not to follow.”
China’s Territorial Claims and Business Interference
China’s dismissal of the 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling on the South China Sea dispute and its criticism of Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison’s business decisions highlight its authoritarian grip over private enterprises.
Following CK Hutchison’s agreement to sell Panama Canal port assets to a BlackRock-led consortium, Chinese state media accused the company of betraying national interests. A government-controlled newspaper declared:
“Great businesspeople are all eminent patriots… to do otherwise risks historic infamy.”
As a result, CK Hutchison lost USD 2.57 billion in stock value in a single day.
Trump’s Erratic Foreign Policy Strengthens China’s Influence
Meanwhile, Trump’s policies have created new opportunities for China to expand its global footprint.
- Unpredictable Tariffs: Trump’s irrational tariffs on allies like Canada, Greenland, and Panama have strained diplomatic ties while allowing China to position itself as a stable alternative.
- Cutting Global Media Funding: The defunding of Radio Free Asia (RFA) and Voice of America (VOA), which monitored China’s human rights abuses, was seen as a win for Beijing.
- Dismantling USAID: The shutting down of US international aid programs left a power vacuum in Asia, with China quickly stepping in to expand its influence in Cambodia and Nepal.
Bay Fang, CEO of Radio Free Asia, warned:
“The termination of RFA’s grant is a reward to dictators and despots, including the Chinese Communist Party. It disenfranchises millions who rely on our reporting and benefits America’s adversaries at our expense.”
China’s state-run Global Times celebrated the move, mocking the US media agency as a “discarded dirty rag.”
Global Concerns Over US Reliability
Trump’s erratic diplomatic decisions have alarmed allies:
- NATO & Europe: Trump has threatened to withdraw support from Ukraine, forcing Europe to take on more responsibility against Russian aggression.
- Asia-Pacific Allies: US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth attempted to reassure Japan and the Philippines of American commitment. However, past Trump criticisms of Japan’s military spending raise concerns about US reliability.
- Annexation Talk: Trump has hinted at “annexing” Greenland, drawing comparisons to Russia’s Ukraine invasion and China’s Taiwan ambitions.
Singapore’s Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen summed up global concerns:
“The US image has changed from liberator, to great disruptor, to a landlord seeking rent.”
Xi’s Global Strategy Gains Traction
With Trump’s self-centered foreign policy alienating allies, China is filling the void by:
✅ Expanding economic influence in Asia & Africa
✅ Positioning itself as a champion of international order (despite contradictions)
✅ Strengthening ties with strategic partners amid US unpredictability
However, experts like Anne-Marie Slaughter, former US State Department official, caution:
“Trump’s power grab is eroding not only American democracy but also the post-1945 international order. A return to great-power spheres of influence looks increasingly likely.”
While Trump claims:
“I think President Xi would like to get along, and I think Russia wants to get along with the United States – we’re a much different country than we were just a few months ago.”
The reality is starkly different:
🔴 China is exploiting US unpredictability to expand its global influence
🔴 America’s global reputation has plummeted under Trump’s leadership
🔴 Allies are questioning whether the US can still be trusted
As China presents itself as a “stabilizing force”, the world must decide:
➡️ Is China a responsible global leader?
➡️ Or is it simply filling a power vacuum left by Trump’s chaotic policies?