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Has Chinese Power Peaked in Asia?

Beijing finds itself in a precarious geopolitical position. November 14, 2025, 3:00 PM Comment icon View Comments ( )

A silhouetted figure with a military hat is seen in front of a high red wall at night.

By virtue of its size, contiguity, economic weight, and crucial role in the world economy, China will always enjoy considerable influence in Asia, particularly Southeast Asia. But for those same reasons, China will also always arouse anxieties in Asia and indeed the world. Deng Xiaoping’s approach of hiding China’s power and biding time stems from his awareness of this paradox. Big countries need to reassure small countries on their periphery. Deng recognized this and acted on it.

But by the end of the Hu Jintao era, Deng’s wisdom

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