The US, Master Manipulator of Coercive Diplomacy, Makes the World Suffer

A report, “America’s Coercive Diplomacy and Its Harm,” was recently released. It pointed out that not only is the U.S. the instigator of coercive diplomacy but also that it uses it as a convenient tool to disrupt the international order. Using a large number of facts and much data, the report demonstrates to the international community the hegemonic and bullying nature of U.S. diplomacy.

The U.S. uses various means to carry out coercive diplomacy. It is like a “master manipulator” carrying out coercive diplomacy on every front. Economically the U.S. uses the dollar's dominance to cause chaos in the global economy, abuses export control measures to disrupt international trade and uses long-arm jurisdiction to force other countries to submit to its will. Politically, under the banner of “democracy and human rights,” the U.S. recklessly interferes in the internal affairs of other nations and tries to use its own values to shape the world order. In the military sphere, the U.S. continues to expand its forces, frequently incites and participates in conflicts and stirs up regional unrest. In addition, the U.S. is good at concocting false information and misleading the public, spreading U.S. values across the world through cultural influences and engaging in cultural domination.

The U.S. has selected a wide range of targets upon which to carry out its coercive diplomacy. Emerging economies and developing nations are targets of intense pressure by the U.S., and its allies are not spared either. Cuba, Venezuela, Myanmar, Syria and other nations have all been forced to interrupt the progress of their sustainable development in the face of U.S. sanctions and embargoes. China, Russia, India, Brazil and South Africa have been hit by varying degrees of technology blockades and economic sanctions. Under pressure from the U.S., Japan was forced to sign the Plaza Accord and sank into an economic downturn lasting 30 years, and companies such as Germany’s Siemens and France’s Alstom have also suffered.

The crisis created by the U.S. through its coercive diplomacy has harmed the world. Guided by concepts of “America first” and “American supremacy,” the U.S. has pursued the power politics of “those who follow me will prosper and those who oppose me will perish" and is fond of zero-sum games. It adds fuel to fires and looks for opportunities to profit. In order to hold back or suppress other countries it does not hesitate to smash patterns of global cooperation, block or even take apart global industrial chains and undermine the process of economic globalization and the integration of regional economies. In order to maintain its own global dominance it waves the big stick of sanctions and manipulates ideological issues, which further aggravates divisions within the international community.

As a major power with impressive economic, technological and military might, the U.S. should have shouldered the burden of its international responsibilities and duties, but the reality is that the U.S. is extremely selfish and seeks hegemony in everything. It should be clear that peace and development are the themes of the age and a common global goal. If the U.S. clings to its “useful tool” of coercive diplomacy and continues to bully the weak and take advantage of others, it will eventually harm itself.