What if China offered to send an army of construction workers to Ukraine to rebuild the cities that are currently being reduced to rubble by the Russians? If there’s one thing China’s good at, it’s putting up lots and lots of apartment blocks in short order. It might also help to resolve China’s domestic over-capacity problems.
Could Ukraine’s government refuse such an offer? Another question might be: Does anyone have a better solution?
Difficult to see the Americans rebuilding Ukraine, especially given the degraded state of their own domestic infrastructure. The European Union might help, but they don’t look to have the leverage to persuade Putin to cooperate, whereas China just might.
FANCIFUL NONSENSE?
No doubt most strategic hard-heads and realists will think this is fanciful nonsense. They’re probably right. But if someone doesn’t take the lead on brokering a negotiated settlement In Ukraine it’s hard to see how this all ends – other than badly, possibly very, very badly.
Yes, it is difficult to imagine China taking on this sort international role. But if Xi wants the People’s Republic to be recognised and respected as an influential global power, then this is a chance to put his money where his mouth is.
After all, this is precisely what the Americans did in the aftermath of the Second World War when the Marshall Plan underwrote the highly successful resurrection of Europe – something that reinforced American dominance for the next half century or so, too.
Constructive Chinese leadership might work wonders for its rather diminished soft power, give “socialism with Chinese characteristics” a good name, and possibly even make its relationship with Australia a good deal better.
After all, what justification would there be for a continuing strategic alliance against the country that brought peace in our time? Who knows, maybe we could even think of developing a collective response to the climate problem, which remains the greatest challenge of the century. Now that really is a bit fanciful.
Mark Beeson is an adjunct professor at the University of Technology Sydney and Griffith University. This commentary first appeared on Lowy Institute’s blog, The Interpreter.