Analysis of Shifting Global Dynamics and Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction

This report examines the evolving relationship between the United States and China, analyzing the underlying economic drivers of geopolitical tension through the framework of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The analysis indicates that China’s developmental progress, which aligns with several key SDGs, challenges established global economic structures, thereby provoking a response from the United States that potentially undermines global stability and the broader 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

China’s Economic Trajectory and its Impact on SDGs

Advancements in Decent Work, Economic Growth (SDG 8), and Poverty Reduction (SDG 1)

China’s economic development over the past two decades has led to significant progress in achieving core sustainable development objectives, particularly those related to labor and poverty.

• Wage Growth: Hourly manufacturing labor costs in China have increased from under $1 around 2005 to over $8, surpassing every other developing country in Asia.
• Improved Labor Conditions: This wage increase reflects an absorption of surplus labor and an expansion of public provisioning systems, enhancing workers’ bargaining power and contributing directly to the targets of SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth).
• Poverty Alleviation: The dramatic rise in wages is a primary driver in lifting a substantial portion of the population out of poverty, a core objective of SDG 1 (No Poverty).

Reducing Global Inequalities (SDG 10)

China’s changing economic position is altering the dynamics of global trade and challenging historical inequalities between nations, a central theme of SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities).

• Challenging Unequal Exchange: The previous global economic model relied on a significant price disparity between core “Global North” states and peripheral “Global South” states, allowing for a net appropriation of value. China’s role was central to this as a source of cheap, productive labor.
• Improving Terms of Trade: As Chinese wages and prices have risen, its export-to-import ratio with core nations has improved. This reduces China’s exposure to unequal exchange and diminishes the ability of core economies to appropriate value, thus contributing to a reduction in inter-country inequality.

Technological Sovereignty and its Contribution to Global Goals

Fostering Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure (SDG 9)

China has made unprecedented advancements in technological development, directly contributing to the targets of SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) and other related goals.

1. Infrastructure Development: China has built the world’s largest high-speed rail network.
2. Clean Energy Leadership: The nation leads the world in renewable energy technology and electric vehicles, supporting SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy).
3. Advanced Technology Sectors: It has achieved significant progress in commercial aircraft manufacturing, medical technology (supporting SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being), smartphone technology, and artificial intelligence.

This progress demonstrates a successful implementation of industrial policy to build resilient infrastructure and foster innovation, achieving a level of technological sophistication typically associated with high-income countries at a fraction of their GDP per capita.

Enhancing South-South Cooperation and Partnerships (SDG 17)

China’s technological rise has the potential to restructure global partnerships and empower developing nations, fostering the spirit of SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

• Breaking Technological Monopolies: The traditional global arrangement depends on the “Global South’s” reliance on the “Global North” for essential technologies. China’s sovereign capabilities break these monopolies.
• Creating Alternative Suppliers: China can offer other developing countries access to necessary technologies, such as capital goods and medicines, at more affordable prices.
• Empowering the Global South: This shift provides developing nations with greater autonomy and reduces their dependency, fundamentally challenging the imperial arrangement and fostering a more equitable global partnership model.

Geopolitical Tensions as an Obstacle to Sustainable Development

Threats to Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions (SDG 16)

The response from the United States to China’s development, characterized by economic and military pressure, poses a direct threat to SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions), which identifies peace and security as fundamental to sustainable development.

• Economic Warfare: The U.S. has imposed trade restrictions and sanctions designed to undermine the Chinese economy and cripple its technological development.
• Military Posturing: The U.S. maintains hundreds of military bases globally, many near Chinese territory, and its military spending vastly outweighs China’s. In contrast, China has not engaged in international warfare for over 40 years and maintains only one foreign military base.
• Destabilizing Actions: These actions risk military escalation, the destruction of industrial capacity, and the diversion of resources from development to defense, thereby undermining global peace and security.

Conclusion: Development Trajectories and the Future of the SDGs

The analysis concludes that China’s development path shows significant alignment with key Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 1, SDG 8, SDG 9, and SDG 10. This progress challenges the established global economic hierarchy that has historically benefited core capitalist states. The resulting antagonism from the United States, manifested as economic warfare and military pressure, represents a substantial obstacle to global stability. These actions directly threaten the foundations of SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions) and undermine the collaborative spirit of SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), jeopardizing the collective pursuit of the 2030 Agenda.

Analysis of the Article in Relation to Sustainable Development Goals

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

   The article discusses several interconnected global issues that are relevant to the following Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

   • SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

     The article extensively discusses labor conditions, wages, and economic development in China. It highlights the “dramatic” increase in wages for Chinese workers over the past two decades, which is a core component of decent work. The narrative also revolves around China’s overall economic rise and its impact on the global capitalist system.

   • SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

     This goal is central to the article’s discussion of China’s technological advancement. The text explicitly lists China’s achievements in building modern infrastructure and developing sovereign technology, stating it “has used industrial policy to prioritise technological development in strategic sectors” and now “leads the world on renewable energy technology and electric vehicles,” among other innovations.

   • SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

     The article is framed around the concept of inequality between the “core states” (Global North) and the “periphery” (Global South). It argues that China’s development challenges this global power imbalance by increasing its wages and improving its terms of trade, thereby “reducing its exposure to unequal exchange” and the “core’s ability to appropriate value from China.”

   • SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

     This SDG is addressed through the article’s focus on military tensions and the threat to peace. It discusses the “constant threat of military escalation,” “warmongering,” and comparative military spending between the US and China. It argues that the US poses a threat to world peace, citing its history of invasions and its network of foreign military bases, contrasting this with China’s lower military spending and lack of recent international warfare.

   • SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

     The article touches upon global trade, finance, and systemic issues that underpin international partnerships. It discusses how “trade restrictions and sanctions” and tariffs imposed by the US undermine the principles of open and equitable international trade. The entire analysis of the “capitalist world system” and “unequal exchange” relates to the systemic issues that SDG 17 aims to address for a more equitable global partnership.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

   Based on the article’s content, the following specific SDG targets can be identified:

   • SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

     • Target 8.5: “By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men… and equal pay for work of equal value.” The article’s focus on the significant rise in Chinese manufacturing wages from “less than $1 per hour” to “more than $8 per hour” directly relates to improving the value of labor and achieving decent work.
     • Target 8.1: “Sustain per capita economic growth in accordance with national circumstances…” The article describes China’s development as “unprecedented,” achieving high-income country technological status “with almost 80 percent less GDP per capita than the average ‘advanced economy’,” highlighting a unique path of sustained economic development.

   • SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

     • Target 9.5: “Enhance scientific research, upgrade the technological capabilities of industrial sectors in all countries, in particular developing countries…” This is directly supported by the article’s list of China’s technological successes, such as its “high-speed rail network,” “renewable energy technology,” “microchip production,” and “artificial intelligence.”
     • Target 9.b: “Support domestic technology development, research and innovation in developing countries…” The article notes that China’s progress is a result of its own “industrial policy” and efforts to “develop sovereign technological capacities,” which has allowed it to break “Western monopolies” on technology.

   • SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

     • Target 10.1: “By 2030, progressively achieve and sustain income growth of the bottom 40 per cent of the population at a rate higher than the national average.” While not using this exact phrasing, the article’s central point about rising wages for Chinese manufacturing workers reflects this principle in a global context, where a large population in a developing nation sees significant income growth, thus reducing global inequality.
     • The article’s argument that China’s development “poses a fundamental challenge to the imperial arrangement and unequal exchange” directly relates to the overarching goal of reducing inequality among countries.

   • SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

     • Target 16.1: “Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere.” The article addresses this by highlighting the “constant threat of military escalation” and “warmongering” as actions that directly oppose the goal of peace and security.
     • Target 16.a: “Strengthen relevant national institutions… to prevent violence…” The article implicitly discusses this by comparing the military postures and spending of the US and China, suggesting that high military spending and a vast network of foreign bases (as attributed to the US) are contrary to promoting peace, while China’s lower per capita spending is less threatening.

   • SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

     • Target 17.10: “Promote a universal, rules-based, open, non-discriminatory and equitable multilateral trading system…” The article identifies actions that undermine this target, such as the “trade restrictions and sanctions on China” and “tariffs imposed by the administration of US President Donald Trump.”
     • Target 17.11: “Significantly increase the exports of developing countries…” The article’s discussion of China’s “dramatic improvement in China’s terms of trade” reflects progress toward this target, as it means the country receives more value for its exports, challenging the system of “unequal exchange.”

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

   Yes, the article mentions several explicit and implied indicators that can measure progress:

   • For SDG 8:

     Indicator: Hourly manufacturing labor cost. The article provides specific data points: “Around 2005, the manufacturing labour cost per hour in China was… less than $1 per hour. In the years since, China’s hourly labour costs have increased to more than $8 per hour.”

   • For SDG 9:

     Indicator (Implied): Sovereign technological capacity in strategic sectors. Progress is indicated by the qualitative list of achievements: “world’s largest high-speed rail network,” leadership in “renewable energy technology and electric vehicles,” and advanced capabilities in “microchip production, artificial intelligence, etc.”

   • For SDG 10:

     Indicator (Implied): Terms of trade (export-to-import ratio). The article indicates a positive change by stating that during the 1990s, “China’s export-to-import ratio with the core was extremely high,” but “Today, this ratio is much lower.”

   • For SDG 16:

     Indicator: Military spending per capita. The article provides a direct comparison: “China’s military spending per capita is… 1/10th that of the US alone.”

     Indicator: Number of foreign military bases. The article gives concrete numbers: “China has only one foreign military base… By contrast, the US has hundreds of military bases and facilities around the world.”

   • For SDG 17:

     Indicator (Implied): Prevalence of unilateral trade restrictive measures. The article explicitly mentions the existence of “trade restrictions,” “sanctions,” and “tariffs” imposed by the US on China as a measure of deviation from an open trading system.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

   SDGs	Targets	Indicators Identified in the Article
   SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth	8.5: Achieve decent work and equal pay for work of equal value.	Hourly manufacturing labor cost (rose from $8/hr in China).
   SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure	9.5 / 9.b: Enhance research, upgrade technology, and support domestic innovation in developing countries.	Sovereign capacity in key tech sectors (high-speed rail, renewables, AI, microchips).
   SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities	Reduce inequality among countries by challenging systems of unequal exchange.	Terms of trade / Export-to-import ratio (described as moving from “extremely high” to “much lower” for China).
   SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions	16.1 / 16.a: Reduce violence and promote peace by comparing military postures.	– Military spending per capita (China’s is 1/10th of the US). – Number of foreign military bases (China: 1, US: hundreds).
   SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals	17.10: Promote a universal, rules-based, and equitable multilateral trading system.	Existence of unilateral “trade restrictions,” “sanctions,” and “tariffs.”

Source: aljazeera.com