I have just returned from Beijing and found that many Chinese believe that China should be less deferential to the US because they think the United States is in decline. As I show in detail in my new book, The Future of Power, this Chinese view is mistaken and China is unlikely to equal American economic, military or soft power for decades to come.
Nonetheless, overconfidence has led to more assertive Chinese foreign policy behavior in the last two years that alienated the Obama administration. China stage-managed Obama's trip to Beijing in November 2009 in a heavy handed way; it over-reacted to Obama's meeting with the Dalai Lama, and the administration's long expected and relatively modest arms sales to Taiwan. Last week, the Chinese military chose to test its new stealth fighter just as Defense Secretary Gates was calling on President Hu Jintao.
China's new assertiveness has also affected its relations with other countries. Its policies in the South China Sea created fear among the ASEAN nations; and its over-reaction after a ship collision near the Senkaku Islands put an end to the Democratic Party of Japan's hopes for a closer relationship with China.
Beijing alienated South Korea by failing to criticize North Korea's shelling of a South Korean island; irritated India over border and passport issues; and embarrassed itself in Europe and elsewhere by over-reacting to the Nobel Peace Prize granted to the jailed dissident Liu Xiaobo.
This is the backdrop for this week's Washington summit. President Hu Jintao's stated desire to cooperate on terrorism, non-proliferation, and clean energy could help to lead to a reduction of tensions, but powerful domestic interest groups in the export industries and in the People's Liberation Army will limit economic or naval cooperation.
And most important, given the nationalism that one sees in the blogosphere in China, it will be difficult for Chinese top leaders to change their policies too dramatically. Since both countries have more to gain from cooperation than conflict, we must hope that Hu's state visit goes well.
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Steven Chu: U.S.-China Clean Energy Cooperation Is Good for America and Good for the World
We in America share this belief in meritocracy, which is based in turn on the belief that everyone can elevate their status if given the shot. We share other fundamental beliefs and ideals that we should emphasize especially while discussing our differences with this emerging nation. In this way, we can form a more meaningful, lasting partnership.
Henry Kissinger said last week that "In 4,000 years...China has never had a history where it has to dominate the world." Nevertheless, it exerted powerful influence throughout the ages. How? Through soft power. We should bear this mind in our dealings with China, and cultivate this longstanding Chinese tendency to exert its influence in peaceful ways--through its art, culture, philosophy, and ideas.
Define "win".
The US has the stronger economy ? So they can win an economic war ? Again...Define "win"
And what is assertive about attempting to influence the countries and regions adjacent to China ? With US bases in Korea, Japan, Guam, Afghanistan, with naval and air forces "patrolling" China's continantal shelf waters, it is China who should feel threatened by the US. How would Americans feel if the Chinese navy and air force patrolled America's coastal waters and if there were Chniese bases in Mexico and other nearby places , and if the Chinese military budget was bigger than the military budgets of all the next 20 countries combined ?
And all that talk about the undervalued Yuan, one only needs to look at the development of the EURO "value". From 80 Euro cents to one dollar in 2001 the Euro about doubled in value to 1.6 Dollar to one Euro in just a few years and EURO zone exports still climbed.
The reason for China's success is not the undervalued Yuan but competition, capitalism (!), enterprise, and a population longing for a better life and willing to work hard for that.
Prof. BM Jain
Author of Global Power : India's Foreign Policy(Lexington Books, 2008); India in the New South Asia: Strategic, Military and Economic Concerns in the Age of Diplomacy( IB Tauris, London 2010)
It is this kind of self delusion that is, and continues to be at the heart of American foreign policy mistakes. Just as the refusal to acknowledge the danger of Islamo-fascism, perhaps the professor has not watched the news recently.
It is the Chinese that now own the world's fastest (by powers of 100's) supercomputer, the exact technology used for improved military and civilian progress, stealth technology and are graduation engineers at a rate that is also in the 100's times the US.
The day is here, and if the Chinese decided to be "less deferential" to the US, there would be no consequences to them, only to us.
Perhaps the professor also forgets that the US is now the history's largest debtor nation, the Chinese the world's largest creditor.
As soon as they complete the transformation from an agrarian economy to a technological one, they will be the significant consumers of their own products.
Why do you think US companies are so desperate to get into the Chinese market?
US can not make $1 or $2 items unless you are willing to work for $5 an hour or less.
Well, we're working at it. A few more immigrants, a few less jobs, a lot more middle class joining the poor, and you'll have a nice fat portion of the country working for nothing in no time.
On the other hand, China is attempting to do something the US, Europe, and Japan took decades to accomplish. The rape of their lands alone for raw materials is phenomenal, but then you have to consider the literal destruction of much of their internal culture, the gross lack of medical care available for people who are literally choking to death on filth daily, and the fact that all of the wealth being produced within the country isn't actually reaching most of it.
It may take a while. But there will be a breaking point. And if we know anything about Chinese history regarding breaking points, it won't be very pretty.
Remember you only pay a few $ not thousands $.
Just like in the USA, China has everything, the very best and the very worst. There is one big difference though - they want to get rid of the very worst and in many ways are doing that.
Obama's Bogus Explanation For Economic Troubles
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Dear HP,
Do you view the President as some type of phony imposter or something of that nature, that you would feel comfortable in running this type of DISRESPECTFUL headline about him?
THIS IS NOT A CRITICISM, rather an honest inquiry. So many are wondering why MSM feels so totally comfrtable with the disrespect shown to this POTUS on a daily basis.
Are their grounds for impeachement possibly, If so, Inform us about it, that's all we ask.
Not that countries like France, Belgium, U.K., and others are blameless.
What is so ridiculous and hypocritical is a Harvard professor (and former US Assistant Secretary of Defence for International Security Affairs and chairman of the National Intelligence Council) writing a piece calling attention to Chinese hubris.