Since the late 15th Century until the mid-20th Century the West, through its technological and hence military superiority has been able to project to the rest of the world the image of a rich, militarily powerful and far better educated civilisation. The rest of the world were quite easily subjugated with few exceptions through colonisation and the conscious projection of the image of superiority. The third world were mentally cowed, mostly by Western technological advancements which gave rise to what we describe today as modernisation with inventions such as electricity, the steam engine, flight, Western medicine and other such aspects of a modern comfortable and secure life of relative abundance. However, with the passage of time and civilisation, absolute domination of the body and mind cannot continue forever. Slavery was abolished by the United Kingdom in 1833 throughout its colonies; and by the United States in 1865 after the American Civil War.

https://johnmenadue.com/why-the-west-sees-china-as-a-threat/