Why Every American Should Care About China

ABC NEWS ^ | 08.06.08 | BoB Woodruff

[Dr. Marten]

Why Every American Should Care About China

The Emerging Superpower Is Forging Relationships Where the U.S. Isn't

 

By BOB WOODRUFF, GABRIELLE TENENBAUM, SUSAN SCHAEFER and MEENA HARTENSTEIN
Aug. 6, 2008

 

When the Olympics begin Friday in Beijing it will be a "coming out" party of sorts for China.

Beijing hopes this will be a bright spot in what has otherwise been a tough year -- the country was hit by a devastating earthquake and rocked by scandals over tainted food and medicine and toxic toys.

There have been protests, both within China and in other countries, about its human rights policies in Tibet and Darfur.

Even the Olympic torch relay, normally a celebratory event, sparked demonstrations around the world.

Now billions of eyes will be focused on a nation that has become so important to so many, yet remains misunderstood. Many people, perhaps most vocally in the United States, fear China's growing power and influence around the world. But it is unavoidable.

"The rise of China is the single most important geopolitical event of the 21st century," said John Thornton, professor and director of Global Leadership at Tsingua University in Beijing. "And the implications of that rise are enormous."

After 300 years of relative isolation, China has decided an integral factor in its success will be its strategic relationships around the world.

Beijing now sees any country as a potential ally, and almost no country is disqualified for bad behavior -- except those that support total independence for Taiwan.

[Dr. Marten]

Ping!

[flowerplough]

Why Every American Should Care About China:

China is big and is pissed off about the various indignities and atrocities they’ve suffered thru the last few centuries. China wants Taiwan, China wants respect and deference from the West, and China wants Japanese blood.

[max americana]

I still don’t care.

[CDHart]

Good article.

Carolyn

[Wil H]

When the Olympics begin Friday in Beijing it will be a "coming out" party of sorts for China...

.....With a face full of zits and wearing braces..

[NurdlyPeon]

China wants Taiwan, China wants respect and deference from the West, and China wants Japanese blood.

And the people in hell want ice water.

[redstateconfidential]

[ETL]

From the Sino-Russian Joint Statement of April 23, 1997:
"The two sides [China and Russia] shall, in the spirit of partnership, strive to promote the multipolarization of the world and the establishment of a new international order."
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Central_Asia/HI29Ag01.html

New Pentagon Report: China's Growing Military Space Power
By Leonard David
Special Correspondent, SPACE.com
March 6, 2008

GOLDEN, Colorado — A just-released Pentagon report spotlights a growing U.S. military concern that China is developing a multi- dimensional program to limit or prevent the use of space-based assets by its potential adversaries during times of crisis or conflict.

Furthermore, last year's successful test by China of a direct-ascent, anti-satellite (ASAT) weapon to destroy its own defunct weather satellite, the report adds, underscores that country's expansion from the land, air, and sea dimensions of the traditional battlefield into the space and cyber-space domains.

Although China's commercial space program has utility for non- military research, that capability demonstrates space launch and control know-how that have direct military application. Even the Chang'e 1 — the Chinese lunar probe now circling the Moon — is flagged in the report as showcasing China's ability "to conduct complicated space maneuvers — a capability which has broad implications for military counterspace operations."

To read the entire publication [29.67MB/pdf], go to (U.S. Dept of Defense) :
http://www.defenselink.mil/pubs/pdfs/China_Military_Report_08.pdf

Russia, China flex muscles in joint war games
Reuters: Aug 17, 2007

CHEBARKUL, Russia (Reuters) - Russia and China staged their biggest joint exercises on Friday but denied this show of military prowess could lead to the formation of a counterweight to NATO.

"Today's exercises are another step towards strengthening the relations between our countries, a step towards strengthening international peace and security, and first and foremost, the security of our peoples," Putin said.

Fighter jets swooped overhead, commandos jumped from helicopters on to rooftops and the boom of artillery shells shook the firing range in Russia's Ural mountains as two of the largest armies in the world were put through their paces.

The exercises take place against a backdrop of mounting rivalry between the West, and Russia and China for influence over Central Asia, a strategic region that has huge oil, gas and mineral resources.

Russia's growing assertiveness is also causing jitters in the West. Putin announced at the firing range that Russia was resuming Soviet-era sorties by its strategic bomber aircraft near NATO airspace.
http://in.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idINIndia-29030120070817?pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=0

From National Public Radio (NPR):
"Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has been visiting countries such as China, Iran and Russia as part of an effort to build a 'strategic alliance' of interests not beholden to the United States. He considers the United States his arch enemy.":
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5729764

[isrul]

the single most important geopolitical event of the 21st century

Since it's only 2008, that's a bit of a stretch.

[SamuraiScot]

Would this article read any differently if it had been written for Bob Woodruff by the Chicom government? I'm trying to find differences, but not coming up with any. Can anyone help?

Helping China split into two or three countries would be the best thing we could do for the world.

[Impy]

Someone should put China in it’s place.

[indcons]

:China is big and is pissed off about the various indignities and atrocities they’ve suffered thru the last few centuries. “

Like what? Compared to whom? The Tibetians? Inner Mongolians? Are you referring to the atrocities committed by the most beloved ChiCom, that maniac Mao?

[indcons]

Ping

[KC_Conspirator]

Would this article read any differently if it had been written for Bob Woodruff by the Chicom government? I'm trying to find differences, but not coming up with any. Can anyone help?

Me neither.

This is a crap article, total crap. So they cite China's influence with other communist, fascist regimes such as Angola as "forging relationships". This is nothing more than cold war policies that China is still engaged in.

Goober author also cites America hating Fareed Zakaria from "Newsweak" to bolster his fawning of his fellow travelers. So here is a quote from this America hating piece of filth in the article.

"You can't stop China's rise," he said. "All you can do is make sure that the U.S. is fully positioned to take advantage of that rise. Those are our options -- we can either ride this wave or we can drown in it."

Why is this different from Nikita Kruschev banging his shoe on a podium saying he will bury the US?

[cavador]

"Beijing now sees any country as a potential ally, and almost no country is disqualified for bad behavior -- except those that support total independence for Taiwan"
Not so Tibet.They face continual beatdowns at the hands of the Chicoms.
Also on the Chicoms hate list is their whipping boy,the Falun Gong.If they beatdown enough people,perhaps the Chinese populace will tire of the whole damn thing and overthrow the Chicoms.The crap will hit the fans within 10 years.

[henkster]

Diplomatically, China covets dominion over all of Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific, with the role of Japan, South Korea and even India being “tag-alongs.” They clearly will want the US Navy out in a decade.

Politically (internally) they have opened the eyes of a billion people to the possibilities of “the good life” of material comforts. They will be under increasing internal pressure to keep the people happy with material goods in order to keep them repressed politically, although China does not have any real tradition of being an open political society.

Economically, in order to keep the lid on domestic tranquility, the Chinese have to continue to fuel their economic boom. That will drive their political/diplomatic imperial expansion. Sooner or later, I see China clashing with Russia over the raw materials located in Siberia. The Chinese and Russians have a longer tradition of hatred than they do of alliance. If there will be a major war in our future, the clash could be between those two nations over Siberia.

Just me spinning some fantasies here. Like I can predict the future; those Powerball numbers I pick still haven’t panned out either.

[LibWhacker]

The left is hunky-dory with us forging relations with dictators — as long as they’re communist dictators.

[Biggirl]

“Why Every American Should Care About China:

China is big and is pissed off about the various indignities and atrocities they’ve suffered thru the last few centuries. China wants Taiwan, China wants respect and deference from the West, and China wants Japanese blood.”

....And China for a change SHOULD GROW UP, get with the 21st century, and PUT IT’S BAD PAST EXPERENCES BEHIND IT.

[Biggirl]

Team USA, HUMILIATE China in the summer Olympics.