Beijing tones down its rhetoric in bid to defuse ‘China Threat’ theory

Wednesday, January 28th, 2015 

There is evidence that after two years of no-holds-barred projection of Chinese power, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leadership under President and Commander-in-Chief Xi Jinping has softened its diplomatic rhetoric.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in Davos, Switzerland, Jan. 21. /

Recent statements by senior officials have emphasized Beijing’s willingness to abide by international norms laid down by the United States and other Western powers since the end of World War II. Actions and policies, however, show no signs of significant change.

During his keynote speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos earlier this week, on Jan. 22, Premier Li Keqiang said “China has no intention to compete with other countries for supremacy.”

Li indicated that China fully respected “the international order laid down after WWII as well as generally accepted rules governing international relations.”