Recent history has shown us that a unipolar world is far worse than a bipolar one. I’m not calling for another Cold War. I believe a multipolar world would lead to a more balanced and humane global system.

China is slowly emerging as the counter to American unilateral hegemony. Architects of the post Cold War strategy have always been aware of that rise and many U.S. actions since 1991 have been aimed at preventing China from becoming a real rival. The view was best expressed by Zalman Khalilzad in a very important booklet published by the Rand corporation in 1995 called "From Containment to Global Leadership: America and the World after the Cold War”. In it Khalilzad strongly recommended that the US preclude the rise of another global rival for the indefinite future, prevent "hostile" hegemony "over critical regions" and preserve American military preeminence. "It is a vital U.S. interest to preclude such a development, i.e. to be willing to use force if necessary for the purpose," he wrote.

He cited China as the main potential rival, followed by Russia and the European Union. (You can see more on Khalilzad's contribution to American strategy in weekly.ahram.org.eg/2002/617/re2.htm).

The United States’ disastrous invasion of Iraq and its war on terror have curbed China’s role in oil-rich Iraq and probably the Gulf Arab states for now. But in the rest of the world, including the Arab world, China reaches out for energy. China has some of the best experts in the Arab world who speak the language fluently. They are employed as diplomats in its embassies across the region.

They have a very different approach than American diplomats. They take their time to understand local historical narratives without being dismissive or disrespectful. Most American diplomats disregard local narratives “as conspiracy theories" and irrational "Muslim rage" while the Chinese diplomats are more conscious of the anti-colonial Arab mindset.

China is getting a far better grasp of the Arab World than America ever has. I just wrote that a multipolar world could provide more balance and humanity in international politics than a unipolar one. But even China's rise alone would provide hope for weaker countries that they have alternative. Most of the South resent American control.

Of course this not the solution. The emergence of China's influence could provide some balance but as long as strong powers, whether it is America, Russia, or the European countries use their military and economic power to bend international law, undermine the United Nations and humanitarian conventions, most of the world will continue to suffer to varying degrees under an American monopoly or the struggle between aspiring superpowers.