CYIL vol. 13 (2022)

MAX HILAIRE CYIL 13 ȍ2022Ȏ response to the Trump administration’s abrupt withdrawal from the TPP. 136 The remaining 11 members of the TPP signed a second agreement, the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which replaces the TPP. The group comprises Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam. China, South Korea, and Taiwan have applied for membership. China has been investing heavily in European and American companies, which will not only give it greater influence in international economic relations but also influence in the economic policies and internal politics of these states. Although the EU has rejected some of China’s bids to take over sensitive industries, China has continued its aggressive campaign to infiltrate Western companies. Chinese tech company Huawei has been blocked from providing 5G technology to U.S. Government agencies for fear it may give China easy access to U.S. intelligence. The U.S has also pressured EU countries, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand to do the same. However, several EU states have defied the U.S. and are purchasing the technology, anyway. The U.S. and the EU accused China of conducting economic espionage on their territories by breaking into the computer networks of major U.S. firms to steal their intellectual properties. 137 China has also been accused of breaking into US Government agencies’ networks and stealing the personal information of thousands of employees. China’s ambition to become a dominant world power is irreversible. However, its economy is contracting, and its economic growth is projected to decline considerably in the years to come. Simultaneously, the U.S. retreat from multilateral and regional agreements provides an opportunity for China to continue to expand and build a network of alliances that will only give Beijing greater leverage in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Trump’s withdrawal from the TTP makes it even more urgent for Asian countries to seek a trade agreement with China. This will allow China to set the rules for regional and international trade at the exclusion of the United States. Hence, in the future, if the US wants to trade with those nations it will have to play by the rules established by China. China started to play a more visible and assertive role in international affairs long before Trump became president. It established its first foreign military base in Djibouti; deployed hundreds of peacekeepers in UN missions in South Sudan and Mali and participated in the international naval patrol in the Indian Ocean against Somalia pirates. 138 China now contributed about 12% of the UN budget, the second highest after the US, which pays 22%. China has sent several missions to space and is preparing to launch its first moon mission within a year. China and Russia are working jointly to establish a research station on the moon that should be operational by 2030. 139 Since US law prohibits the United States from cooperating with China in space exploration, China has developed its independent space mission to the detriment of the United States. China continues to champion its five principles but its newly won recognition as a dominant economic power will necessitate it to become more engaging internationally. This will require China to play a greater role in 136 BROWN, R. C. A New Leader in Asia Free Trade Agreements?” 35 UCLA Pacific Basic Law Journal (2117), p. 3. 137 GOLDSTEIN, P. “Intellectual Property and China: Is China Stealing American IP?” at https://law.stanford. edu/2018/04/10/intellectual-property-china-china-setaling-america-ip/. 138 “ China’s Role in UN Peacekeeping ,” BACKGROUNDER (March 2018), Institute for Security & Development Policy-www.isdp.eu; CABESTAN, J.-P. “China’s Involvement in Africa’s Security: The Case of China’s Participation in the UN Mission to Stabilize Mali,” 255 The China Quarterly , (July 218), p. 713. 139 DOU , E. China and Russia in Open Moon Base, Expanding Space Cooperation, WASH. POST (Mar. 10, 2021), at https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/china-russia-moon-base-space/2021/03/10/aa629748 8186-11eb-be22-331d87530_story.html.

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