Publication: Dünya Sisteminin Hegemonya Döngüleri ve Çin’in Tek Kuşak Tek Yol Girişimi
Abstract
Bu çalışma, Çin’in 2013 yılında başlatmış olduğu Tek Kuşak Tek Yol girişimini, Çin’in kapitalistdönüşümünün siyasal ve ekonomik dinamiklerini içerecek şekilde, kapitalist dünyasisteminin hegemonya döngüleri ile bağlantılı olarak analiz etmeyi amaçlamaktadır. Buamaçla Giovanni Arrighi ve Kojin Karatani’nin geliştirdiği hegemonya döngüsü tezlerikarşılaştırılmalı olarak işe koşulmuştur. Arrighi’nin açıklama modelini takip edersek,bu girişim, Çin merkezli daha eşitlikçi ve muhtemelen kapitalist olmayan olası yeni birhegemonya rejiminin öncülü olarak ele alınabilir. Karatani’nin tezinden yola çıkarsak isebu girişim, dünya tarihinin hegemonik bir devletin var olmadığı merkantilist-emperyalistaşamasına geçilmesinin bir belirtisi olarak görülebilir. Buna göre ABD merkezli, sermayeninuluslararası serbest hareketine ve ulus devletlerin siyasal egemenliğine dayalı hegemonyarejiminin pratik olarak ortadan kalkmış olduğu koşullarda, merkantilist ekonomi politikalarıve ulus-devletlerin bir araya gelerek oluşturdukları emperyal karaktere sahip bölgeselişbirlikleri ortaya çıkmaktadır. Çin’in Tek Kuşak Tek Yol girişimi de böylesi bir bölgesel siyasalbirliğin kurulmasına ve başta Çin sermayesi olmak üzere bu bölgesel birliğe katılan ülkelerinsermayelerinin birikimine ve kârlılığını sürdürmesine katkı yapmayı amaçlamaktadır. Baştadünya sisteminin merkez ülkeleri olmak üzere, tüm dünyada merkantilist-emperyalistpolitikalar yaygınlaşır ve bu karakterdeki siyasal hareketler iktidara gelirken, Çin de busistemik baskı karşısında kendi payına düşen rolü oynamaktadır. Sonuç olarak bu girişim,yeni bir hegemonya kurma çabasının değil, aksine bir hegemonyanın olmadığı ve yakınzamanda muhtemelen yenisinin kurulamayacağı bir dünya sistemine uyum sağlamaarayışının bir parçasıdır.
This study aims to analyze the China’s One Belt One Road initiative in connection with the hegemonic cycles of the capitalist world system, including the political and economic dynamics of China’s capitalist transformation. For this purpose, the theses of the hegemonic cycle developed by Giovanni Arrighi and Kojin Karatani were employed. If we follow the explanation model of Arrighi, this initiative could be considered as the precursor of a Chinabased more egalitarian and possibly non-capitalist new hegemonic regime. If we take the Karatani’s thesis, this initiative can be seen as a sign of the transition to the mercantilistimperialist phase of the world history wherein a hegemonic state does not exist. According to this thesis, the US-centered hegemonic regime, which is based on the international free movement of capital and the political sovereignty of nation-states, has practically disappeared. Under these conditions the mercantilist economic policies are becoming widespread and at the same time imperialistically characterized regional blocs formed by the nation-states are arising. China’s One Belt One Road initiative aims to contribute to the formation of such a regional political bloc and to the accumulation and profitability of the capital of the countries participating in this regional cooperation. While mercantilistimperialist policies are becoming widespread throughout from the core countries of the world-system to the others and the political movements in this line are coming into power, China just plays its role in the face of this systemic pressure. As a result, this initiative is not an attempt for a new hegemony, but rather a move for adaptation to a world system in which there is no hegemony, and a new one will probably not be established.
This study aims to analyze the China’s One Belt One Road initiative in connection with the hegemonic cycles of the capitalist world system, including the political and economic dynamics of China’s capitalist transformation. For this purpose, the theses of the hegemonic cycle developed by Giovanni Arrighi and Kojin Karatani were employed. If we follow the explanation model of Arrighi, this initiative could be considered as the precursor of a Chinabased more egalitarian and possibly non-capitalist new hegemonic regime. If we take the Karatani’s thesis, this initiative can be seen as a sign of the transition to the mercantilistimperialist phase of the world history wherein a hegemonic state does not exist. According to this thesis, the US-centered hegemonic regime, which is based on the international free movement of capital and the political sovereignty of nation-states, has practically disappeared. Under these conditions the mercantilist economic policies are becoming widespread and at the same time imperialistically characterized regional blocs formed by the nation-states are arising. China’s One Belt One Road initiative aims to contribute to the formation of such a regional political bloc and to the accumulation and profitability of the capital of the countries participating in this regional cooperation. While mercantilistimperialist policies are becoming widespread throughout from the core countries of the world-system to the others and the political movements in this line are coming into power, China just plays its role in the face of this systemic pressure. As a result, this initiative is not an attempt for a new hegemony, but rather a move for adaptation to a world system in which there is no hegemony, and a new one will probably not be established.