China is NOT our pal

[tw]

Which China is not our pal? Appreciate what has changed. This can only be discussed without extremist rhetoric that so fills so many Cellar discussions. And by realizing there is no one China.

The China so involved with aggravating the silly Spy Plane incident or that obstructed travel of an American survey (spy) ship is not the same China that makes international decisions. And not the same China that is responsible for shoddy construction and resulting denials in Sichuan province. China is a large country. (Because GM wants to screw consumers means the US government also wants to screw consumers? That is the conclusion when people are told what to think by nationalist extremists rather than learning for themselves.)

But appreciate what has happened recently in China. A new administration took power. China may now have its own version of George Jr in power. And China is causing new concern to nations on about half of its borders.

Conflicts are restarting in the Parcel and Pratley Islands. What was thought to be a settled dispute between Japan and China on a shared natural gas field is now hot again. Vietnam fisherman are being arrested and held because China is declaring ownership of the oceans virtually down to Malaysia and Philippines. And then Taiwan is ripe for confrontation now that America's military strength has been so diminished as to (maybe) no longer sail aircraft carriers through the Taiwan Straits.

Due to an increased in wealth and since America now appears toothless due to fiasco in Iraq, a virtual surrender in Afghanistan, and now refighting Afghanistan all over again - a new government in China now eyes domination of the western Pacific. This sector of China has told the US that we can have the eastern Pacific and they will take care of the Western Pacific. Even Australia and Japan are reconsidering their political relations with America due to this new Chinese government attitude.

It is no accident that China snubbed Obama at the Copenhagen conference. Many in the world are saying America is only good for one more Iraq war. And then will begin a decline just like the UK.

From what they see, that is a valid conclusion. A conclusion that would result in serious and unnecessary confrontations. The problem is, those 'Cheney like', nationalist type Chinese appear to dominate new government. With contempt for America because of the foolessness and wasteful squandering America has demonstrated and performed from 2000 through 2008.

As The Economist noted on 6 Feb 2010:

If China misjudges its own strength and underestimates America's, such unpredictability could become especially dangerous.

Especially true since America has squandered so much military and economic power since 2000. Even subverted many of its trump cards - science. First indicator of that self imposed damage. The American economy has suffered its first decade without growth in 70 years. America has become so dependent on Chinese production. Many Chinese simply see same - but in larger percentages.

Appreciate after so much accomplished in so little time, Chinese wacko extremists will entertain their egos for the same reasons American extremists so love torture.

Again from The Economist:

Rather than ganging up on China in an effort to "contain" it, the West would do better to get China to take up its share of the burden of global governance. Too often China wants the power due to global giant while shrugging off the responsibilities, saying that it is still a poor country. It must be encouraged to play its part - for instance on climate change, on Iran and by allowing its currency to appreciate. ...

Already the Obama administration has shown itself too ready to resort to trade sanctions against China. If China now does the same using a political pretext, while the cheapness of its currency keeps its trade surpluses larger, it is easy to imagine a clamour in Congress for retaliation met by a further Chinese nationalist backlash. That is why the administration and China's government need to work together to pre-empt trouble.

Trouble can be averted if moderates / centrists / people who do not preach political agendas and egos on both sides are working together. Extremists on both sides will hype propaganda to subvert a solution. Ie "all Chinese are evil" is an attitude easily promoted by Limbaugh to the ignorant - just like he did with Saddam's WMDs.

What will be the first indication that trouble is pre-empted? Russia (in cooperation with France and US) has laid down a gauntlet – a world challenge. How the world deals with Iran - in particular whether China joins the rest of the world in a solution - may predetermine whether this new Chinese administration is another George Jr / Cheney danger to the world. Or whether the world will see a responsible (not extremist and nationalistic like Israel’s Likud) China.