Tribune News Network
Doha
General David H. Petraeus, Partner at KKR and Chairman at the KKR Global Institute, shared his insights on the return of a multipolar world, China, and the conflict in Ukraine during his discussion with John Micklethwait, Editor-in-Chief of Bloomberg, at the third ‘Qatar Economic Forum, Powered by Bloomberg’.
In relation to the rise of China and the growing tensions between the West and China, Petraeus emphasized that this issue, along with Russia’s resurgence and the invasion of Ukraine, has brought about a new era of great power rivalry. He highlighted the complexity of decoupling with China, noting that despite the trade friction, the US and China had their highest trade volume in history last year. Instead, he mentioned the concept of “de-risking,” a term used by the European Union to describe efforts to mitigate potential risks associated with the relationship.
Regarding Taiwan, Petraeus expressed his belief that a direct conflict is still unlikely. He emphasized the importance of deterrence, which relies on both a potential adversary’s perception of capabilities and the willingness to employ them. He stressed the need for the West, its allies, and partners to enhance capabilities, resilience, and deterrence in the Indo-Pacific region while avoiding unnecessary provocation.
