Why China’s gains from multipolarity have yet to outpace US dominance

The current geopolitical trend is actually a different one that goes against the narrative of US decline. If the international system is experiencing a rapid transformation, this is because “de-Sinicisation” of world trade is accelerating.

Chinese trade practices are also in the crosshairs of countries in Southeast Asia. Thailand is mulling anti-dumping actions against a host of Chinese goods, and Indonesia is preparing to do the same for textiles.

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Why the EU, US are concerned about China’s overcapacity

In some cases, Chinese carmakers could be able to absorb the costs of the new trade barriers or bypass imposed duties by manufacturing electric vehicles in third countries, but the stakes are higher.

Every nation wants to maximise its own national interests, and this also applies to a multipolar world. That’s why Chinese partners in the Global South will safeguard China-dominated supply chains if they believe doing so benefits them.

Turkey and Thailand are two cases in point when it comes to the increasingly ambivalent nature of trade relations between China and its non-Western interlocutors.

Even though Turkey levelled an additional 40 per cent duty on vehicles imported from China, Turkish electric vehicle producer TOGG is reportedly interested in a joint production venture with Chinese carmaker Guangzhou Automobile Group. It’s also worth mentioning that Ankara is negotiating with the Chinese regarding the construction of a nuclear power plant.

Overall, the international system may be more multipolar than a few years ago, but it remains extremely fluid. Moreoever, through its global transport and infrastructure scheme, China has tried to create a system of trade dependencies, but this has not translated into an automatic