The Chinese “feel that their time has come, they need to take their rightful place in the world, and they ought to be more assertive with regards to their interests abroad,” Wong said. “Then China has to grow its influence without making other countries feel pressured, coerced or squeezed.”
China’s attempt to grow its influence shouldn’t come at the expense of other countries feeling pressured or it risks a backlash, according to Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.
The superpower knows it has to “play its cards carefully,” Wong said during a dialogue session at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington on Friday. A pushback will not be in China’s interests so it “will have to learn how to moderate and adjust” as it develops its ambitions, he said.
