Many famous people were born in the Year of the Snake. There is the Polish astronomer and mathematician Nicholas Copernicus (1473-1543), an important figure in the “scientific revolution,” who established that the Earth revolved around the sun, and not the other way around. Then there is the greatest German literary figure, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832).
But let’s talk about years, not people. One of the traditions of the Year of the Snake in China is transformation. There have been many bad “snake” years. One remembers the Great Depression and the Wall Street Crash of (October) 1929. Another year I would like to mention is 2001. It was the year the 9/11 terrorist attacks took place in the United States. It was also the year China joined the World Trade Organization, which helped accelerate China’s economic development and integrate its economy into the global economy.
Looking back at the past year, two trends stand out to me. One is the deteriorating situation in the Middle East. The region is witnessing a genocide committed by the State of Israel, witnessed in real time on television screens around the world. And the United States is complicit in this genocide, and its global standing is falling sharply, even in some parts of the West. On the other hand, apart from the West and a few countries allied to the United States, China’s position has improved around the world, because it has supported ordinary people against the Israeli and American ruling elite.
The other development is the continued rise of the BRICS, along with China’s growing economic status around the world. In 2024, several important countries joined the BRICS, and Indonesia became the first country to join the group in the first days of 2025.
The rise of the BRICS scares the American elite because it symbolizes the loss of its global economic dominance due to the decline of the US dollar as the main international reserve currency. Although the fall of the dollar is a continuous process, in 2024 the process accelerated.
So what about 2025? I think it will be a good year for China. Of course, we must take into account Donald Trump’s return to the White House after four years and his threat to impose high tariffs on imports from China, as well as other countries.
If Trump imposes punitive tariffs on Chinese goods, I think it will cause more damage to the United States than to China. If we look at recent history, we can clearly see that the spirit of independence and self-reliance of the Chinese people is very strong. They will not buckle under the pressure of punitive US tariffs.
Self-reliance is an important part of Chinese culture, which has influenced China’s development. The other features include the emphasis on education and harmonious problem solving. Despite the bad periods in China’s history, the resilience, fighting spirit and industriousness of the Chinese people have helped it overcome many crises. Three factors stand out in all this.
The first is the Chinese people’s love for peace. Contrary to what the Western media says, I consider China a peace-loving country. Unlike the United States, which has been at war throughout its history, China avoids war. The century of humiliation taught him that it is better for a country to be strong than weak. However, that doesn’t mean he wants war.
The second factor is China’s emphasis on reducing pollution and moving towards a green and sustainable economy. China’s leadership in the green revolution over the past few years has been extremely impressive. The country is now the world leader in electric vehicles (EV) and solar and wind energy. This is a remarkable achievement and demonstrates that China is sensitive to the dangers that climate change poses to our world.
Some Western countries have recently accused China of “overproduction” of electric vehicles, which are important for building a green and sustainable world in the future.
Published in Amanecer, January 20, 2025.
