One of the most widely used measures to subdue rogue countries and bring them into the sphere of normal activity is economic sanctions. These non-violent means of attempting to bring about change are widely used by the United States, the European Union, and the United Nations. Due to the apparent ease with which they can be imposed, they are very popular. However, it is important to remember that these tools are ultimately meant to bring about change in a country and if they don’t have that effect then they are mostly futile. With that being said it is important to understand whether or not sanctions will be effective when dealing with China and its gross violations of human rights.
When looking at whether or not sanctions will be effective it is imperative to avail ourselves of examples in which they have worked or are currently working. One of these places is North Korea. The reason that sanctions are such an effective tool to use against the regime in North Korea is because the people who live there are already living in squalor. Therefore, any additional suffering brought on by the sanctions will not cause the citizens to turn their ire against the U.S. Instead, they will be inclined to blame their leader, because his policies in the past have also led to their suffering.
Another reason why the sanctions against North Korea are correctly applied is because most of the resources of Kim Jong Un’s regime are consolidated at Pyongyang to uphold his rule. Therefore, extensive sanctions must necessarily encroach on the supplies of the capital which is the center of his power. This, coupled with the specific policy goal of stopping nuclear development could eventually induce the regime to give up their weapons.
However, sanctions are not always a feasible option when it comes to punishing countries. In Lebanon, sanctions could have quite the opposite of their intended effect. They have been imposed in order to bring Hezbollah, the regional terrorist group, to its knees. However, Foreign Policy Magazine states that, “the weakening of the state will in no way weaken Hezbollah, which is armed to the teeth and coming off an eight-year adventure in Syria.” Instead, there will be regions of sectarian instability. Hezbollah will then capitalize on this and assert their dominance in the Southern region of the country. Additionally, because the people of Lebanon do not regularly live in third world squalor, the loss of their resources will come as a shock which will drive them into the arms of our enemies.
With this being said, it is important that we do not impose extensive economic sanctions upon China. We should only confine ourselves to sanctioning national security threats such as Huawei. Additionally, we should impose smart sanctions. These types of sanctions are less extensive, cut off key commodities, and are less likely to affect the average Chinese citizens.
However, a more important means of stifling China’s ambition is through our assertion of military predominance. This can first be done by aiding our natural allies in the South China Sea such as Taiwan, with military ships. It would naturally be the next step in stopping what Secretary of Defense Mike Pompeo called, China’s unlawful actions in the South China Sea. Additionally, it is important to enter into formal military alliances with China’s neighbors. This is of the utmost importance, because when combined, Vietnam, Japan, and India (who are all disgruntled by China) contain more wealth and people than China. This would be a powerful antidote to Chinese dominance in the region.
Another reason for the extreme importance of the military over economic measures is that it would be a huge blow to the prestige of the Chinese government. Chinese citizens will unquestioningly follow their government because it is powerful and they perceive it to be so. Propaganda has been a major focus of the communist party since Mao Zedong took power. He stated that,
“We should carry on constant propaganda among the people on the facts of world progress and the bright future ahead so that they will build their confidence in victory.” Military measures by the U.S. and powerful allies would certainly dim that confidence.
Extensive economic action would merely drive the Chinese people further into the arms of their government and fuel increased aggression. On the other hand, Military assertions coupled with “smart sanctions” which are less extensive and don’t drastically affect citizens would severely hurt the reputation of the communist party and prevent them from expanding their influence.
Your humble servant,
Silence Dogood
