Posted on Jun 5, 2015
Calling All Geo-Politics Fiends. In the foreign policy/ geo-political world there is presently a raging debate on China. Contain or manage.
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So I am in the camp that says to manage rather than contain. If we are dead set on containment then conflict is inevitable. If we help manage China's rise, however, we can allow it to be another responsible global power that takes some of the load of the United States. Imagine two world powers ensuring free passage of oceans, responding to global crises in tandem, and ensuring a world order where big countries don't bully small ones (Russia and Ukraine, and ironically China and Phillipines/Vietnam, Japan). In other words "Speak Softly and Carry a big stick". Our stick would be shoring up allies and planning for contingencies but not outwardly presenting that as the initial step. We are currently doing that with troop stagings in the Phillipines and increasing cooperation with India, the other big boy in China's backyard. So what are your thoughts?
http://www.defenseone.com/politics/2015/06/what-pentagon-sees-india-vice-versa/114496/?oref=defenseone_today_nl
http://www.defenseone.com/politics/2015/06/what-pentagon-sees-india-vice-versa/114496/?oref=defenseone_today_nl
India
Politics
China
Edited 9 y ago
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 8
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There's a good book called "the Pentagon's new map". It was originally written in the early 2000's but for a while the author would update and print new editions. I have a copy of the third edition. The author is/was a naval analyst and he makes a point similar to your idea of managing China's growth.
He talks about China's gradual introduction of capitalist reforms as its economy grows to large to effectively centrally manage. According to him this (very) gradual relaxing of central control and greater trade allows for us to export our culture and ideas to into China further accelerating democratic/capitalist reforms within the country. He doesn't envisage China becoming another America, but believes in the potential of itI becoming another Europe.
China on the other hand has been building connections in the developing world. A few years back Reuters had an article on China's projects in Africa. Most notably China seems to be trading engineering and technical expertise and training for preferential trade treatment and long term contracts in infrastructure and natural resources.
He talks about China's gradual introduction of capitalist reforms as its economy grows to large to effectively centrally manage. According to him this (very) gradual relaxing of central control and greater trade allows for us to export our culture and ideas to into China further accelerating democratic/capitalist reforms within the country. He doesn't envisage China becoming another America, but believes in the potential of itI becoming another Europe.
China on the other hand has been building connections in the developing world. A few years back Reuters had an article on China's projects in Africa. Most notably China seems to be trading engineering and technical expertise and training for preferential trade treatment and long term contracts in infrastructure and natural resources.
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MSgt Ken "Airsoldier" Collins-Hardy
Speaker: Tom Barnett, Senior Managing Director, Enterra Solutions. LLC Location: Middlebury College, Rohatyn Center for International Affairs Date: Apr 1, 2008
SPC Fernando Acevedo – You are the Man! Thanks for the book title. It'd slipped my mind for weeks now. The #1 RP Benefit – a blending of common and opposing interests.
UChannel. (2008, July 30). "The Pentagon's New Map". Retrieved on March 2, 2017 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hg7pZi6peD4.
UChannel. (2008, July 30). "The Pentagon's New Map". Retrieved on March 2, 2017 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hg7pZi6peD4.
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I have wondered for years why we've been sending our manufacturing jobs and dollars to China of all places. I mean sure, in the short term it costs less to produce. I got that.
But when I see the excess that the Chinese government went to in the 2008 summer Olympics, and I realize that with their inherent advantage in manpower, all the Made In China crap we buy at Wally World is at least indirectly going to fund the military spending for China.
Considering that the Chinese government doesn't necessarily like the US too much, I think this is a very short-sighted practice for American businesses and citizens.
But when I see the excess that the Chinese government went to in the 2008 summer Olympics, and I realize that with their inherent advantage in manpower, all the Made In China crap we buy at Wally World is at least indirectly going to fund the military spending for China.
Considering that the Chinese government doesn't necessarily like the US too much, I think this is a very short-sighted practice for American businesses and citizens.
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CPT Ahmed Faried
simple. Politically we tend to think in 2, 4 and 8 year cycles and often times we put party over country. The Chinese have an outlook that is in the distant future and they marshall the full resources of their nation to push the wheel towards it (i suppose that is the "benefit" of a communist nation).
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1LT Nick Kidwell
China has a long history and a pervasive culture of 1) preparing for war and 2) its people giving of themselves sacrificially for what they perceive as the greater good.
Not a bad thing in itself, but if the goal is to economically, politically, and militarily control the world, then it can be a dangerous combination.
I have great respect for the Chinese people, but it's clear that we underestimate the possible goals of the Chinese government.
Not a bad thing in itself, but if the goal is to economically, politically, and militarily control the world, then it can be a dangerous combination.
I have great respect for the Chinese people, but it's clear that we underestimate the possible goals of the Chinese government.
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CPT Ahmed Faried We need a strong bi-lateral relationship with China. China will soon as the world's largest economy and even if we chose Containment, the strategy will not work over multiple generations. It is a factor of population and standard of living.
The world will be different 30 years from now when the largest companies are in Asia and not the US and Europe. We need to figure out how to play in the sandbox now.
The world will be different 30 years from now when the largest companies are in Asia and not the US and Europe. We need to figure out how to play in the sandbox now.
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1LT Nick Kidwell
I find it interesting that in the not-too-distantly futuristic Sci Fi series Firefly, most people spoke American English and Mandarin Chinese fluently. I suspect the creator of the show was making a point.
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