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China's military increase
Alexis null Updated: 2005-11-24 11:02
China's modernizing and expanding military could be used both positively and negatively. China could just be constructing a great-power military that is primarily used for defense.
Positive activities of China's military could include participation in UN-backed peacekeeping missions. China will likely pursue any course of action necessary to fulfill its foreign policy objectives - that is to protect its sovereignty and security.
It is totally unreasonable to expect any country to live under someone else's gun if they can avoid doing so. No country with the wealth and technological capability to arm itself would ever refrain from doing so. China is no exception.
I feel a lot safer with China as an additional superpower to curb US aggression. When you compare the record of both countries, the Chinese are much less likely to start wars and intrude on the affairs of other countries.
It will be very easy for the US to see China as a threat - similar to the Soviet Union in the cold war. What remains to be seen is whether China actually is a threat to US interests. True, the country is building up its military fast, with an eye toward Taiwan. But historically China's foreign policy has been distinctly regional, even at the height of the country's power.
A military conflict between the US and China would be unlikely, as long as the two states don't find themselves on opposite sides over Taiwan. And as China gains even more strength, we in the US will be asking ourselves if defending Taiwan is worth a war. Regardless of the Taiwan issue, we should be asking whether it is wise to assume the worst - that China will be our enemy - just because it has the potential to match our power in the future.
China isn't interested in growth by war. China, unlike the West, has always looked toward long-term plans and stability, even if there is a short-term price to pay.
Why on earth would China jeopardize its economic growth by attacking anyone with its increased military capability?
As for the US, it can't fight history. The country can't remain the sole superpower forever. America has squandered much of its political capital in the past decade, as its frequent military interventions around the world have not been appreciated. And the Iraq war is the straw that broke America's back as far as favorable world opinion is concerned.
| The above content represents the view of the author only. |
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