China – Overt Military or Stealth Political Powerhouse?

The November 23, 2005 issue of Personal Finance (PF) Newsletter included an article titled, “China: The New Masters of Soft Power.”   Of course, “new masters” implies they are at least in the process of replacing some other world power.   Guess which country that might be?   Just in case your not sure, read on.

PF indicated that China may lag the current champ (CC) economically, technologically and militarily, but “its moving fast” to catch up and move beyond.   PF also points out that the CC has “failed to take serious interest in the emerging global struggle for influence” between it and China, “the new kid on the block.”

The CC is also not looking beyond “China’s military developments” to see the potentially more serious threat from China’s “growing economy and its ability to use economic interdependence as a strategic weapon …”. According to PF, China’s GDP is “almost three times” that forecast for the CC.

The PF also points out that China’s ties to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations ASEAN are shifting from the CC to China.   One example cited by PF is South Korea.

In the technology world, PF reports that China has made “remarkable breakthroughs in … supercomputers, advanced communications systems, satellite technology, and nanotechnology.”   Worse yet is their computer expertise at hacking into CC’s military computer systems.

In today’s world, there are two tools in wide use for resolving conflict: violence and politics.   If the political option doesn’t exist, violence is a sure thing.   China’s choice, according to PF, is more political than military, even with respect to the Republic of China (Taiwan).

According to PF, additional evidence of its ignored but growing political offensive include:

• “Trade missions not only to Central Asia and the Persian Gulf but also to Africa and Latin America” to support its rising energy needs.
• China uses the agenda of the CC to gain favor with those that fear the CC’s agenda. According to PF both Russia and China convinced the President of Uzbekistan that the CC was going to overthrow him and start another democracy.   Shortly thereafter, the CC was asked to pull its troops from Uzbekistan.
• While the CC imposes trade sanctions, China ignores violence and genocide to make oil deals with Sudan.

In case you haven’t figured it out yet, the CC is the United States.   Will the administration’s lack of recognition of the growing political power of China add an international aspect to the current list of domestic failures of my boomer generation?