Wolfram Elsner

The 21st century is characterized by a global geostrategic constellation associated with the decline of the US hegemony and the rise of China. Wolfram Elsner examines this rise-decline constellation and its historical background in Eurasia over 5,000 years, dating back to the times of the ancient Silk Roads and the ancient Middle Kingdom. The relatively short, yet often regarded as "normal," global dominance of Western European and Anglo-Saxon states, with their colonial character, is coming to an end. The current rise of China is presented as a restoration of historical normality. This new constellation is expected to occupy the world for the coming decades. Can a major hot war between the declining power and the rising power be avoided? Can a realistic perception of China be achieved, and can equality, respect, and cultural diversity be realized? Can peaceful coexistence, non-interference, and cooperation be relearned and reinstated in international law?.