With the rise of the Internet, the Chinese public has paid more attention to the country's grass-roots affairs. This is a normal thing. It shows that the public's interests have become concrete, and people have a greater chance of realizing them. Meanwhile, international affairs seem to be marginalized.

However, the competitive international arena has not changed. Nonetheless, the situation is getting grimmer. China, often seen as the world's second biggest power, has gradually become the one to bear pressure from the West. The way the West competes with China has changed profoundly.

The West is going through a difficult period. It is aging. There's no new driving force for its economic development and its confidence has taken a hit. Meanwhile, China's speedy rise makes it hard to respond.

The West does not have a ready-made means of dealing with China. Now, it resorts to any possible means. Both China and Russia are in the midst of a democratic process. So far, the West has got unexpected results by playing the human rights card, which is its main method of confronting China and Russia.

Promoting the Western political system to the world is supported in the West. In non-Western countries, it has the least opposition compared with other ways of expanding the West's influence. In almost every country, there are intellectual elites supporting the Western political system, who can influence the rest of society.

If the Western political system can be promoted worldwide within a short period of time, the West's strategic dilemma can be completely changed. The West has already completed the chaotic process of democratization, but newly emerging countries have to face political uncertainties if they are to adopt the same process. Once China and Russia meet such uncertainties, it will be a new chance for the West.

The West doesn't even need an elaborate plan to go for this end. Many in the West would like to do it. Madonna, the pop megastar, defended the punk band Pussy Riot's anti-Putin stunt during a show in Moscow on Tuesday. She apparently enjoyed doing so.

We should not simply condemn the West, but behave ourselves. Indeed, China has various problems and governments at various levels need to make improvements in every aspect. Globalization has increased the urgency for China to solve its problems. Only when we have done so, can we compete with the West in the long run.

Currently, the fate of a country lies in its ability to solve its own problems. What comes first in competition between world powers is one's own problem-solving capability.

The Chinese are focusing on their domestic problems. But as a whole, they should be able to observe this changing world.

We need to have an understanding of where we are in the world. China should have long-term strategic stability, which should not be upset by short-term troubles.

The nation is at its most promising point in modern times. But it is a time when China may easily lose its way. The public has been paying special attention to the country's concrete issues, and we also need a broader view of China's strategic development.