President Xi presides over 70th birthday celebration with focus on a ‘new era’

As China’s position within the global order has evolved and its ambitions towards the Indo-Pacific, in particular, have become increasingly apparent, the Chinese government, driven by an extremely ambitious leader, President Xi Jinping, has identified a number of factors of both "internal" and "external" concern for the rising superpower’s status.  

These "concerns" extend to traditional areas of Chinese focus, namely central Asia, Tibet and the Taiwan situation, and have now seemingly spread to Hong Kong as dissent continues to grow and nearly 200,0000 military police have been deployed to the border.

This commitment to resolve "internal" matters through either the threat or use of force, combined with China’s insistence on unilaterally defined "national interests" being internal matters, casts an ever-growing shadow of concern for many nations throughout the Indo-Pacific.

This combination of domestic and regional concerns has bubbled over in recent months as pro-democracy demonstrations in Hong Kong continue to unfold, challenging China's hold on the former-British colony and raising the potential for embarrassment for the Chinese regime in the lead-up to the 70th anniversary of the creation of the People's Republic of China.

In response, 'leader for life' President Xi Jinping has resolutely resolved to assert China's influence and ambitions in the Indo-Pacific, while also defiantly responding to any external attempts to interfere with the rising superpower's national interests – a key component to this is responding to the ongoing issue in Hong Kong, potential conflict with Taiwan and the growing capacity of the People's Liberation Army to influence regional affairs. 

The Communist Party of China (CPC) and the People's Republic of China (PRC) have used the 70th anniversary of its founding to officially launch and outline the Party's plans for China and the World in the New Era, building on the success of China's economic miracle. 

"The PRC has witnessed profound changes and achieved a miracle of development unprecedented in human history. In just a few decades, China has completed a course that took developed countries several hundred years. China has now become the world’s second largest economy, taken care of the material needs of its nearly 1.4 billion people, and achieved moderate all-round prosperity," the State Council Information Office of the People’s Republic of China document states. 

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Still a 'developing nation' with an offer

Both President Xi and the CPC seek to expand the long-standing narrative that China remains the world's largest developing country – a story which China hopes will continue to provide the world with an opportunity for continuing economic growth and development, despite security concerns.

"China is a part of the world, and China’s development is closely related to the rest of the world. In the early days after the founding of the PRC, China made great efforts to break an external blockade, actively conducting economic, trade and cultural exchanges with other countries," the CPC document stated. 

"Since reform and opening up in 1978, following the trend of globalisation and promoting opening up as a fundamental state policy, China has been seeking development with its door open. China has embraced the world, learned from the world, and contributed to the world, through positive interaction and shared development."

Despite the growing concerns of nations throughout the Indo-Pacific, namely nations who share maritime and land boundaries with the increasingly assertive military power, China seeks to balance its regional and broader global ambitions by reassuring its neighbours of its peaceful intentions and the 'opportunities' it seeks to provide 'compliant' partners. 

"Developing the country while benefiting the world. Opening up has brought funds, advanced technologies and managerial experience to China, changed the mindset of the Chinese people and boosted their creativity, and helped China to modernise. At the same time, China’s opening up has provided a broad market for other countries," it said.

"The opening of China’s investment and service trade has facilitated local economic growth and employment in the countries concerned. China has been an active participant in the international division of labour, resulting in more rational global resource allocation."

China's 'farsighted global vision' 

A key element of Beijing's ambitions is what it defines as its "farsighted global vision" and China's dedication to "the interests of all of humanity". 

A key focus of this is the Chinese government's statements around sustainable local development and the furtherance of "world peace" with the party document seeking to exemplify this, through its recent history of peaceful co-operation and coexistence: "China safeguards world peace through real actions. Over the past 70 years, China has not provoked a single war or conflict, nor invaded a single square of foreign land.

"Since reform and opening up in 1978, China has cut its armed forces by over 4 million. China has been an active participant of international arms control, disarmament and nonproliferation, opposing any arms race and safeguarding global strategic balance and stability. China has signed or joined more than 20 treaties on multilateral arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation, including the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons." 

Your thoughts

Despite Australia’s enduring commitment to the Australia-US alliance, serious questions remain for Australia in the new world order of President Donald Trump’s America, as a number of allies have been targeted by the maverick President for relying on the US for their security against larger state-based actors, which has seen the President actively pressuring key allies, particularly NATO allies, to renegotiate the deals.

Enhancing Australia’s capacity to act as an independent power, incorporating great power-style strategic economic, diplomatic and military capability serves as a powerful symbol of Australia’s sovereignty and evolving responsibilities in supporting and enhancing the security and prosperity of Indo-Pacific Asia. Shifting the public discussion away from the default Australian position of "it is all a little too difficult, so let’s not bother" will provide unprecedented economic, diplomatic, political and strategic opportunities for the nation.

As Australia's traditional strategic benefactors continue to face decline and comparatively capable peer competitors – the nation's economic, political and strategic capability is intrinsically linked to the enduring security, stability and prosperity in an increasingly unpredictable region – particularly that of an increasingly assertive China determined to challenge the traditional 'rules based order'.  

Get involved with the discussion and let us know your thoughts on Australia's future role and position in the broader US alliance structure and the Indo-Pacific more broadly in the comments section below, or get in touch with This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..