The geopolitical conflict between China and the West

For decades, Western observers assumed that China will eventually become an open, democratic society. Furthermore, many policy makers expected that China will eventually depart from its mercantilist approach in both trade and investment policies. The increasingly assertive, if not aggressive foreign policy of China has made it very clear that China is different and will remain different. The West “got China wrong” (The Economist, March 2018). Today, the rise of China is seen with skepticism in many OECD-countries. The geopolitical conflict between China and the West appears to be the most pressing issue in international relations for years to come.
 
Against this background, the future of international relations, including trade and investment flows, will very much depend on policies of both developed as well as developing countries towards China.