The global economy is at a strategic turning point, and China is no longer what it was fifteen years ago — as highlighted in a lecture by Csaba Moldicz, held early Tuesday evening at MCC Pécs. According to the Head of MCC’s School of International Relations, a technological rivalry between China and the United States is inevitable; the real question is what tools they will use to fight it.
“Technological competition in itself is not a bad thing. Both China and the United States have the right to take part in it — the real issue is what tools they choose to use,” said Moldicz. He argued that a new global order is unfolding, marked by economic and technological competition between both rising and established powers. On the topic of Western sanctions, he remarked: “Sanctions are more tactical than strategic tools. As with all short-term measures, they can be adapted to quickly. And money always finds a way — one way or another.”
The Eastern Shift Is No Longer Fiction
Moldicz pointed out that China’s economic dependence on the U.S. has significantly diminished over the past decade and a half. While it might once have been true that “China couldn’t exist without the United States,” today it is Southeast Asia that stands as China’s largest export market. He emphasized that this economic shift is backed by deeper historical and cultural ambitions. According to Moldicz, China’s long-term goal is to return to the center of the global system — a position it held for centuries.
“Many view China primarily through the lens of communism, but beneath the surface lies a capitalist model driven by intense competition and a strict work ethic,” he added.
China and Russia: Uneasy Neighbors, Not Natural Allies
During the Q&A session, Hajnalka Patik, a student of MCC’s University Program in Pécs, asked Moldicz how he viewed the European narrative suggesting a strategic alignment between China and Russia. Moldicz was clear: “That assumption is completely inaccurate. There are strong opposing interests between the two countries, and recent events only reinforce this. China and Russia are not natural allies,” he said.
Dialogue Beyond the Lecture
The event did not end with the presentation. The lecture sparked a vibrant and thoughtful discussion, with many participants engaging Moldicz afterward with further questions — turning the evening into a meaningful exchange of views on the future of global power structures.
