Yan Yilong on American Hegemony (Part 1)

“Internationally, the main contradiction [China faces] is between the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and American hegemony.”

Today’s edition is a guest post by Jacob Mardell, a friend and former colleague of mine at MERICS. Jacob is currently an editorial coordinator at the media NGO n-ost, as well as an independent consultant and analyst on Chinese foreign policy. – Thomas

The following analysis of China’s international situation is not unorthodox, but it is remarkably explicit: American hegemonic power is incompatible with Chinese ambitions. 

Yan Yilong (鄢一龙) is not a particularly senior or well-known figure, but his theories feel deeply resonant with official Chinese foreign policy. As Beijing is often wont to, Yan views international relations almost exclusively in terms of opposition to American hegemony. 

The commentary runs to almost 20,000 characters, or around 13,500 words in translation – I’ve distilled it down to the highlights, but there are still enough of these to warrant a second, shorter newsletter tomorrow, which will deal with Yan’s strategic recommendations and the model of Chinese globalisa…