Chinese official discourse has remained markedly cautious on global leadership. Rather than embracing the concept directly, Beijing has tended to approach it obliquely, signaling a strategic calculation about the costs, risks and responsibilities that leadership entails.In international politics, global leadership is not merely about power or status. It is a relational process, resting on an exchange in which leaders must offer material incentives, sustained commitments or compelling visions in return for recognition and consent from followers. Leadership, in this sense, is never cost-free.
For a rising China, leadership thus becomes a dilemma. China’s growing power brings demands for greater influence in regional and global affairs, but also exposes Beijing to mounting economic burdens and strategic risks.
