What do you think the big global challenges of the 2020s will be?
Extreme weather events brought on by climate change will be something nations have to deal with.
Likewise, economic recovery following the pandemic is going to be a priority for pretty much every nation on the planet.
Finally, many countries will continue to struggle with their changing cultural identities as political divides worsen and unrest becomes more common.
But even with these issues at the forefront, countries all over will still have to confront international rivalries. It’s always been that way, with only the source of the perceived threats changing over time.
And if a recent report is anything to go by, the 2020s will be the decade of the world versus China.
NATO Rings the Warning Bells
Recently, NATO published a report that categorizes China as a strategic focal point after highlighting the geopolitical threats that it poses. NATO wants to devote more resources to addressing the security challenges that the country presents. After assessing the country’s capabilities, economic strength, and ideological goals, NATO has determined that China will be of growing importance through 2030.
This all echoes what we’ve been seeing for the past few years. We’ve talked at length in these pages about how China has been trying to assert its dominance in a number of areas. Yes, it’s building up its army and developing more advanced weapons. But it’s also working quietly behind the scenes to undermine its global rivals.
From the increased aggression in the Pacific to the repeated attempts at intellectual property theft from other countries, China has been growing bolder in its actions.
The country has the drive to go after what it wants, and its leaders know that there are more effective ways than through traditional warfare. On one hand, China is bolstering its military, building better jets and ships, and attempting to expand its territory. On the other, it’s taking a more quiet approach to attack its enemies.
We’ve seen it here in America and across Europe with the spread of 5G technology. This next-generation telecommunication technology promises advances like better automation, virtual reality, and of course, faster smartphones. That’s just scratching the surface of what the technology can do, but it’s easy to see just how beneficial it will be to the world as it becomes more widespread.
China sees this too. That’s why it has been working to get its own 5G technology into as many countries as it can. This is mostly done through a company called Huawei, which is suspected of having close ties with the country’s leadership.
And it’s for that reason that many countries are skeptical of allowing Huawei to build network infrastructure inside their borders. That is if they’re not banning it entirely.
Under the Trump administration, the U.S. has taken aggressive steps to keep Huawei out. Over the last year or so, it has convinced other Western governments to do the same. This is unlikely to change under President Biden.
Chief among the concerns is that the technology will be used to spy on citizens and government agencies. Huawei has also been accused of a number of crimes concerning intellectual property theft and bank fraud.
While Huawei has denied these claims, Western governments don’t want to take any chances. In building out IT infrastructure, they’ve contracted with other companies to carry out the work and get up to speed with 5G technology.
It’s a silent war you don’t hear much about in the news, but it’s one that’s no less important to international relations.
Getting Into Position
With China being one of the big focuses of 2020, there are plenty of opportunities for investors to take advantage.
In the U.S. specifically, we can look to our southern border. Mexico’s government has allowed Huawei to build network infrastructure as well as sell products like smartphones, laptops, and tablets.
The U.S. government has already taken action to keep these devices off American networks. Confiscating them won’t work, so another approach is required.
Jimmy Mengel has just released a report that details the plan and the company that’s going to carry it out
You have the chance to get in now before this technology becomes more widespread and the silent war between China and the West really picks up.
