On June 20th , Mr. Claudio Rojas Rachel, the former Consul General of the Republic of Chile in Shanghai, was invited to give a lecture on Strategic Maneuvers and Breakthroughs in the Global Chessboard. Xu Qige, the counselor, attended the event.
Rachel pointed out that since the beginning of the year, the world situation has witnessed a new round of turbulence. The tentative contacts between the United States and Russia, the subtle warming of China-EU relations, the publicization of the contradictions between the United States and Europe, and the protraction of the Russia-Ukraine conflict have sketched a complex picture of major power games. In this global game, where will the future situation lead, and how should each country make its moves?
Rachel further noted that the current international situation is facing three critical points. The first is the risk of policy upheaval after the US election, with its diplomatic strategy possibly shifting from "wavering" to more extreme unilateralism. The second is that if the global arms control system continues to fail, the new arms race will push the world to the brink. The third is that non-traditional security issues such as climate governance may become the "icebreaker" for major power cooperation, such as the cross-border investment boom in African green energy projects.
Rachel emphasized that for policymakers, a balance must be maintained between "risk hedging" and "opportunity capture": they need to build a safety net through multilateral mechanisms while seizing the initiative in emerging areas such as artificial intelligence rules. As the public, it is necessary to understand that the "weather forecast" of international relations has changed from "local clear" to "global thunderstorms", and the ability to withstand risks in individual life will become an essential skill. At historical turning points, there are no bystanders, only adaptors.
Wu Chen majoring in Spanish said that Rachel clearly presented the logic of the games among countries from various aspects, including military threats, differences in geopolitical values, financial order, and national interests. The world today is no longer dominated by a universal hegemony but shows a trend of multi-polarization. All countries are competing for their own interests and discourse power. In such an era, we need to be more sensitive to international dynamics and cultivate international awareness.
