After a 20th century that was technologically successful but unable to give results in terms of human development in most countries, the course of the third decade of the 21st century threatens to be shaped by the destructiveness of populism, nationalism and trigger-happy leaders. These evils are threatening societies both of the rich North and of the struggling South. Be it Africa or Latin America, the United States or the United Kingdom, the specter of populism, with its simplistic and ear-sweetening statements, has lured many voters onto the wrong path. In the meantime, problems that require urgent attention, such as widespread poverty, inequality and global warming, far from being tackled, have become even more menacing to social stability, peace and human survival itself.

Within this context, the mindset of the countries with the two largest economies — the US and China — is of paramount importance. Nothing positive for humanity will take hold if these two countries are not working together toward meeting the aforementioned challenges. Their joint production accounts for more than 40 percent of world GDP, their technological achievements are setting the pace for the rest of humanity and their cultural trends are followed by people across the globe.

For a country like my own — Costa Rica — no external factor would play a larger role in determining our economic and sociopolitical path ahead than the quality of the relationship between China and the US. If these two countries mend their differences, they will trade more, grow faster and better meet the needs of their less privileged inhabitants. At the same time, instead of zero-sum conceptions of world relations and Cold War mentalities, the chances of the world reaching meaningful agreements regarding climate change, world poverty reduction, financial cooperation and inclusive foreign investment will be much more likely.

Unfortunately, zero-sum games seem to be the defining trait of many US politicians. They see threats instead of opportunities in China's economic and technological success. They seem to think that if China develops rapidly the US will be diminished, that if the US does not import and use high technology from China, US companies will perform better, or if the US closes its market to China, the country with more than 1.4 billion people and very competitive in the rest of the world will experience a debilitating economic crisis.

Perhaps when richness was built by conquering overseas territories, looting their treasure and slaving their inhabitants the zero-sum game was relevant to define what country went ahead and which one stayed behind. Perhaps when the military superiority ensuing from economic superiority led to wars of domination, there was reason to prevent other countries from becoming rich. But the US should not fear China's prosperity on those grounds. For historical reasons it has not been China's culture or ambition to colonize Africa, the Americas, Oceania or other parts of Asia.

When those lands were being taken by the European powers China was the richest country in the planet and had sophisticated ships that, yes, voyaged the seas but in search of trade opportunities. Quite on the contrary, China has been the victim of foreign aggression on multiple occasions. The Japanese several times, the French, the British, etc. all tried, and for a time managed, to conquer parts of China or force it into unequal treaties exacted by force.

Nowadays China seems to want to use its high degree of competitiveness and economic might not to conquer militarily but to trade. China does not seem to want to become the world's policeman, the ultimate counsellor and judge on democracy and human rights or the supreme superintendent of trade routes. We don't see China sending its naval forces to oversee the freedom of navigation in the sea between Cuba and the US, or sending warships, for instance, to the eastern Mediterranean when Israel and the Palestine are having a military conflict. Therefore, a reason to want to obstruct China's economic prosperity cannot be founded on military fears.

Nor, evidently, the argument regarding the lack of liberal Western democracy, would be the justification to confront China.

On the other hand, in terms of social development, something that worries the West in connection with the Global South, China is the place to take lessons from. It has lifted about 800 million people out of abject poverty in the last 40-plus years. So, if world stability and peace require massive poverty reduction China must be seen as an example to follow and not as a dangerous adversary.

I am optimistic and I come from an optimistic small country where the "pura vida", or pure life, concept has been coined and where its meaning prevails. So, I am hopeful that those leaders of powerful countries that have been phagocytized by an outdated zero-sum mentality move into creating win-win hopeful synergies for humanity.

The author is a professor at Instituto Empresarial University in Spain and was special advisor to the president of Costa Rica from 2018-2022. The views don't necessarily represent those of China Daily.

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