What to Do with China?
USA <<Campaign For Liberty>> click here
By Doug Bandow
Published 01/26/10
The U.S. is the world's dominant power. Nevertheless, some Americans see China as a serious security threat. They want to use Beijing as a justification for raising the military budget even further.
It's a foolish policy that could end up getting the U.S. into an unnecessary war.
Earlier this year Adm. Robert F. Willard, head of the U.S. Pacific Command, testified that China's military build-up was "aggressive" and appeared to be "designed to challenge U.S. freedom of action in the region." It was a dramatic example of chutzpah of the sort routinely engaged in by Washington officials.
Look around the world. The U.S. accounts for almost half of the world's military outlays. America spends several times as much as much as Beijing on the military. The U.S. is the only nation which has global reach. Washington has scattered hundreds of thousands of troops on hundreds of installations worldwide. Many are deployed along China's border. Washington is the most important participant in every leading military alliance from Asia to Europe. Occupation forces remain on station in Iraq. Washington is expanding the war in Afghanistan. Only American officials circle the globe telling other peoples how to run their countries.
When Adm. Willard talks about preserving America's "freedom of action in the region," he means maintaining Washington's ability to attack the People's Republic of China. Whether it is good for the U.S. government to possess such power is not clear. "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely," famously warned Lord Acton. He didn't exempt America from the operation of his aphorism. However, whether it's good or not doesn't matter. Washington's dominance is going to fade. With a $12 trillion national debt, annual deficits exceeding $1 trillion, and $107 trillion in unfunded liabilities, Washington cannot afford to forever spend as much as the rest of the world on the military. Especially when defense is so much cheaper than offense. No country has an ability to harm the U.S. other than Russia and China, which possess (smaller and much smaller, respectively) arsenals of nuclear-tipped ICBM's. Terrorists also are a threat, but aren't in the same category as nuclear war.
Washington's ability to attack other nations requires not just ICBM's, but also air wings, carrier groups, armored divisions, and more. Lots of them. Enough of them to overwhelm the defenders. The PRC isn't busy building carrier groups -- one carrier appears to be on the drawing board, but the current America-China balance is eleven-zero. Instead, Beijing is acquiring missiles and submarines which can sink American carriers. The PRC also is developing anti-satellite weapons and other asymmetric warfare capabilities. These weapons aren't cheap, but they are a lot cheaper than what the U.S. is buying and doing. Even today, war with Beijing would be a nightmare. A conflict with nuclear-armed China would be very different than America's other recent military opponents: Afghanistan, Grenada, Haiti, Iraq (twice), Panama, and Serbia. In a few years such a war would be indescribably worse.
But there's another reason to avoid conflict with China. This fantastic and fascinating nation of 1.3 billion people has the potential to become a free society. Many barriers remain to such a transformation. The government in Beijing is authoritarian, recently tightening internet censorship and imprisoning human rights activists. Social unrest, ethnic division, and financial over extension all could lead to crisis. Nationalism is a very powerful impulse, even among the modernizing young. Democracy may be very long in coming. Yet it is impossible to visit the PRC without feeling respect for the present and hope for the future. China has come far fast. Part of that obviously is economic.
The PRC remains poor -- estimates of its per capita income run between $3200 and $3300 annually, putting it around 100 out of nearly 200 nations. (Purchasing power parity yields about $6000, though China's relative ranking remains about the same.) Nevertheless, economic growth has been dramatic, and over the last three decades hundreds of millions of people have escaped immiserating poverty. That is an enormous moral good. If the PRC continues on its present course, prosperity will spread to more and more people. Throughout most of China's history, life has been, in the words of philosopher Thomas Hobbes, "poor, nasty, brutish, and short." For Chinese today that is finally changing. Moreover, the PRC has become much freer in recent decades. Not free, of course. But compare China today to Mao Zedong's China. For instance, the Cultural Revolution was a time of political madness, in which Mao triggered a xenophobic near-civil war. Tens of millions of people died during Mao's rule.
Today, the Chinese people increasingly enjoy the sort of personal autonomy that Americans have come to expect. The economy is increasingly private; the independent sector is expanding. Even religious liberty is advancing, though inconsistently and slowly. Decisions over everything from career to marriage have gone from political acts to personal choice. The dramatic changes in the PRC and the country's great potential become particularly evident to Westerners when they visit China. Go to Beijing or Shanghai, which I've visited several times, and you'd think you were in any major American or European city. It's not just the tall buildings, but the active, busy, and energetic people. I recently returned from a conference in Shenyang, a large city in Manchuria, in China's northeast. Once viewed as part of the PRC's rustbelt, Shenyang appears to be participating in China's rapid economic growth. But more impressive to me is the relatively free personal life that I observed. In traditional communist systems politics was never far behind. From public symbols to personal relations, politics is everything. That is to be expected in societies where expressing the wrong sentiment about the wrong idea or politician can result in imprisonment or death.
In China there's little public evidence of communism. There's no dictatorial personality cult. There's no sense that someone is listening in to your conversations. Business and travel are generally free. No one demands your papers or asks where you are going -- even foreigners. Computers and cell phones are widely available; car ownership is increasingly common. People engage in a cat and mouse game with the censorship authorities over internet access. Personal interaction also is relatively uninhibited. People are friendly and open. They want a better world for their families just like we do for ours.
None of these change the fact that China is not free. And as much as we can hope for a freer PRC in the future, a number of nations, such as Russia, have been moving backward in recent days. Predicting China's future is not for the faint-hearted. There's reason for the U.S. to be watchful and wary when dealing with a growing PRC. But the two nations have no reason to come into conflict. China will inevitably grow more influential, especially in East Asia; the U.S. will inevitably see its dominance fade, starting in East Asia. Such a loss of influence might be painful, but not critical. America will remain essentially secure even if Washington no longer dominates every continent in every way.
The most foolish policy would be to treat the PRC as an enemy and the Chinese as enemies. That would guarantee precisely the result which Washington wants to avoid, whether the PRC remains authoritarian or becomes democratic. It is time for the U.S. to become a normal country again. Washington's duty is to protect Americans, not order around everyone else on earth. If U.S. policymakers don't recognize reality on their own, the Chinese are the first of many other peoples likely to force Americans to learn this lesson.
Doug Bandow is the Robert A. Taft Fellow at the American Conservative Defense Alliance (www.acdalliance.org) and a Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute. A former Special Assistant to President Ronald Reagan, he is the author of Foreign Follies: America's New Global Empire
http://www.campaignforliberty.com/article.php?view=558
China promises: "PEACE, I'm lovin' it!"
Provoked China will NOT afraid of War.
Well Proven by Korean War 1950-1953.
Can this Unnecessary War be avoided?
Why Antagonize China?(9)
The revitalization of Asian capitalism is the most important positive event
in the world in the last 30 years...
USA: <<The Wall Street Journal>>
By GEORGE GILDER
FEBRUARY 4, 2010, 11:50 P.M. ET
While attempting to appease a long list of utterly unappeasable foes?Iran, North Korea, Hamas, Hezbollah, and even Hugo Ch¨¢vez?today the U.S. treats China, perhaps our most crucial economic partner, as an adversary because it defies us on global warming, dollar devaluation, and Internet policy.
It started last June in Beijing when U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner lectured Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, who recoiled like a man cornered by a crank at a cocktail party. Mr. Geithner was haranguing the Chinese on two highly questionable themes, neither arguably in the interests of either country: the need to suppress energy output in the name of global warming?a subject on which Mr. Geithner has no expertise?and the need for a Chinese dollar devaluation, on which one can scarcely imagine that he can persuade Chinese holders of a trillion dollars of reserves. This week in a meeting with Senate Democrats, President Obama continued to fret about the dollar being too strong against the yuan at a time when most of the world's investors fear that the Chinese will act on his words and crash the dollar.
Meanwhile, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the president's friends at Google are hectoring China on Internet policy. Although commanding twice as many Internet users as we do, China originates fewer viruses and scams than does the U.S. and with Taiwan produces comparable amounts of Internet gear. As an authoritarian regime, it obviously will not be amenable to an open and anonymous net regime. Protecting information on the Internet is a responsibility of U.S. corporations and their security tools, not the State Department.
Yes, the Chinese are needlessly aggressive in missile deployments against Taiwan, but there is absolutely no prospect of a successful U.S. defense of that country. Sending them $6 billion of new weapons is a needless provocation against China that does nothing valuable for the defense of the U.S. or Taiwan. Yes, the Chinese have also spurned America's quixotic effort to herd the gangs of anti-Semitic, anti-American oil-dependent felines at the United Nations to undertake an effective program of economic sanctions against Iran.
A foreign policy of serious people at a time of crisis will recognize that the current Chinese regime is the best we can expect from that country. The Chinese revitalization of Asian capitalism remains the most important positive event in the world in the last 30 years. Not only did it release a billion people from penury and oppression but it transformed China from a communist enemy of the U.S. into a now indispensable capitalist partner. It is ironic that liberals who once welcomed appeasement of the monstrous regime of Mao Zedong now become openly bellicose at various murky incidents of Internet hacking.
Nonetheless, with millions of Islamists on its borders and within them, China is nearly as threatened by radical Islam as we are. China has a huge stake in the global capitalist economy that Islamic terrorists aim to overthrow. And China, like the U.S., is so heavily dependent on Taiwanese manufacturing skills and so intertwined with Taiwan's industry that China's military threat to the island is mostly theater.
Although some Taiwanese politicians still dream of permanent independence, Taiwan's world-beating entrepreneurs have long since laid their bets on links to the mainland. Two thirds of Taiwanese companies, some 10,000, have made significant investments in China over the last five years, totaling some $200 billion. Three quarters of a million Taiwanese reside in China for more than 180 days a year.
With Taiwan, greater China is the world's leading actual manufacturer and assembler of microchips, computers and network equipment on which the Internet subsists. Virtually all U.S. advanced electronics, as eminent chemist Arthur Robinson reported last month in his newsletter Access to Energy, are dependent on rare earth elements used to enhance the performance of microchips and held in a near global monopoly by the Chinese firm Baotou Steel Rare-Earth Hi-Tech Company in Mongolia.
The U.S. is as dependent on China for its economic and military health and economic growth as China is dependent on the U.S. for its key markets, reserve finance, and global capitalist trading regime.
It is self-destructive folly to sacrifice this core synergy at the heart of global capitalism in order to gain concessions on global warming, dollar weakening, or Internet politics.
How many enemies do we need?
Mr. Gilder is a founder of the Discovery Institute and author of "The Israel Test"
(Richard Vigilante Books, 2009).
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704041504575045573110641044.html?
The China International Search and Rescue Team (consisted of 50-member team, including 25 rescuers and 15 medical workers) arrived in Port-au-Prince two days after the 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck on Jan. 12. The Team had retrieved more than 20 bodies and helped treat about 2,500 injured people, 500 of whom were seriously hurt. On January 26, 2010 the rescue team was replaced by a new 40-member medical team (included internists, surgeons and anti-epidemic experts) from China. Chinese medical team worked at a makeshift hospital that the team had set up in Port-au-Prince Jan. 27, 2010. The team stayed in Haiti for weeks to provide basic medical care and anti-epidemic work for survivors of the Jan. 12 earthquake.
Chinese police, U.S. soldiers conduct first joint patrol in Port-au-Prince
on January 29, 2010 under the command of
United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH).
The Chinese UN Peacekeeping Police has served in Hiati for years.
The Chinese Police has built a very good relationship with Haitians.
The Chinese is highly respected and well received among Hiati general public.
US military used UN Chinese Police image to better their appearance in Haiti
China International Search and Rescue team
the team started work immediately on arrival
Chinese medical team performed diagnosis for a pregnant woman
Team returned to Beijing following almost two weeks of search and rescue operations
Team member enjoyed a family re-union after arrival at Beijing.
The Medical Team Anti-Epidemic experts at work:
Epidemic Prevention were dirty but essential tasks.
Chinese medical team provided medical services at a makeshift hospital
During Jan. 12 earthquake eight UN Peacekeeping Chinese Police died.
They were in a meeting at UN Headquarter Building which collapsed.
Honourable eight UN Peacekeepers left Port-au-Prince by air to China.
The Honourable 8 UN Peacekeeping Police gave their ultimate sacrifice.
The honourable eight UN Peacekeepers arrived Beijing on Jan 27, 2010.
Starting in February several makeshift hospitals were set up in Haiti.
Haitians lined up to receive the most needed medical care.
Haitians lined up at a drug tent to receive free medicine according to the prescriptions.
Anti-Epidemic experts busy testing the quality of water supply in Haiti.
Bellerive, wife of Haiti President, came to show appreciation to the
China International Search and Rescue team before their departure.
In her mind she could count on China for help during the earthquake.
For sure, China will NOT send an army to invade and occupy
another country in the name of providing Natural Disaster Relief.
On 6 February 2010 BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8501660.stm
"Mr Clinton apologised for the delay in delivering and co-ordinating relief efforts."
With over 15,000 military personnel in a tiny area of Port-au-Prince
Holding on all Earthquake Relief materials from all over the world and for
4 weeks (since Jan/12) USA could NOT speed up sluggish aid deliveries, WHY?
USA had no heart for the dying and starving Haitian at Port-au-Prince.
They are saying "A friend like this you do NOT need any enemy."
Relationship between China and Haiti can be summarized in following photo:
China is one of the Developing Nations on Earth. Every Developing
Nation knows that in case of Natural Disaster events, China will
Provide unselfish and generous help( i.e. Africa Algeria, Asia Tsunami,
USA Hurricane Katrina, Iran,Pakistan and Haiti Earthquake.....)
May the Friendship of all Developing Nations on Earth last forever...
PEACE BE ON EARTH FOREVER...
China wishes to avoid this unnecessary war.
Hoping that her so called "Smart Power"
Not turns into "Stupid or Suicidal Power"
America's looming China challenge
USA <<NEW YORK POST>>
By ARTHUR HERMAN
Last Updated: 7:47 PM, January 26, 2010
A dangerous storm is brewing over the Pacific, as America and the People's Republic of China enter what may be their tensest decade since President Richard Nixon's visit to Beijing in 1972.
The latest flash is the running fight over Internet freedom, with Google this month withdrawing from China in protest against government censorship. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is hitting Beijing over the issue, but it may be the least of our worries.
On Jan. 11 China tested a new high-boost ballistic missile, the HQ-19, which some experts fear is part of China's ongoing program to find ways to disable US military satellites. Another pending issue will fan the flames: arms sales to Taiwan.
Taiwan wants to upgrade its aging military air fleet with Blackhawk helicopters and F-16 fighters. It also holds a contract with the Raytheon Corp. for an anti-missile Patriot Missile System -- with a separate contract for delivery of the missiles. And the Chinese are furious about it.
Yet who can blame the Taiwanese? Over the last decade, Communist China has aimed a vast, interlocking system of hundreds of ballistic missiles at its tiny but longstanding capitalist rival across the Taiwan Straits.
And the implications of this missile buildup go far beyond Taiwan. A Pentagon report last year concluded that Beijing now has the world's biggest land-based ballistic-missile program.
What worries our military is that these missiles threaten not only Taiwan but also our ships at sea -- and the most sophisticated are aimed at our military communication and control satellites. The HQ-19 test is a major leap in that capability.
Throw in the nearly 6,000 computer hackers the Chinese People's Liberation Army employs daily to devise ways to crash FORCEnet and other US military-communications software: In a real crisis, our Army, Navy and Air Force could find themselves fighting blind.
Warning bells have been going off in the Pentagon for several years, but policymakers prefer to ignore them.
The governing assumption has been that Chinese-US relations would only get better as our economies became more interdependent. China experts told us how China and America were becoming more alike, even steadfast partners in globalization. They dismissed China's steady military buildup as a vestige of China's Cold War vulnerability.
Besides, in terms of dollars, China's military budget is barely a seventh of ours. Yes, it has doubled in the last decade, and China two years ago became the world's No. 2 military spender -- but it would still take them decades to catch up to No. 1.
Now, it turns out that while we were playing checkers, the Chinese were playing chess. The largest land army in the world, the largest submarine fleet and the third-largest air force, plus an increasingly sophisticated multiple-warhead ballistic-missile arsenal: Having all that may not give Beijing the power to take what it wants (yet). But it's developing the power to deny:deny us the ability to assist Taiwan and Japan militarily; deny us access to the East Asian land mass and the region's major strategic choke points; possibly even deny us routes to and from Asia across the Indian Ocean as well as access to our own satellite and communications networks.
That positions them perfectly as a rival we dare not ignore -- or displease.
Our Asian partners get it. India and Japan last month signed a strategic-cooperation pact, doubtless in order to plan how to deal with a potential Chinese foe.
And Japan has reversed course on its longstanding demand that we close our military base in Okinawa. Japan's new prime minister now thinks our plans to shift forces to Guam might be a mistake. Guam is a long way from Tokyo -- but also from China.
Unfortunately, we're headed in the opposite direction. While China builds, we're shedding ships, planes, nukes and strategic-weapons programs. As our Navy cuts its aircraft carriers from 11 to 10, it's also committed to sinking its money into 50-plus new hi-tech Littoral Combat Ships -- which are handy for fighting pirates and terrorists but useless against Chinese subs and missiles.
Meanwhile, President Obama's domestic policies give China the whip hand over our economy and a mountain of US Treasury debt. The growing US reliance on China as its economic and fiscal savior is set to breed a lasting resentment and mistrust.
At best, China may become what Japan was in the '80s: the economic challenger Americans love to hate. At worst, an even more drastic revision of US-China relations may be in the offing.
Either way, as the fight over Google and the looming one over Taiwan show, the trend line is far from encouraging.
Arthur Herman's most recent book, "Gandhi and Churchill," was a Pulitzer Prize finalist last year.
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