In the Footsteps of the Kaiser: China Boosts US Power in Asia

The American Interest ^ | September 26th, 2010 | Walter Russell Mead

[neverdem]

Is China the best friend of American power?

Beijing’s recent missteps in Asia — moving ahead with reactor sales to troubled Pakistan and crudely threatening Japan over the arrest of a Chinese fishing captain — are swiftly solidifying America’s Asian alliances. The new Japanese government came into office hoping to rebalance Japan’s foreign policy and reduce tensions with China. That dream is now dead. And China’s deepening relationship with Pakistan, intended in part as a counter to America’s nuclear opening to India, is driving Asia’s other emerging nuclear power closer than ever into the arms of America (and Japan). South Korea, once drifting peacefully toward China, has moved back towards the United States following China’s support for Pyongyang after the sinking of a South Korean naval boat.

In all this there is one clear theme. America isn’t containing China. China is containing itself. As China’s economy grows and its military develops new capacities, it is looking for ways to turn that potential power into actual power over events. In the past, China has tried to attract its neighbors into its orbit with sweeteners like trade deals and aid.

But these measures apparently strike a new generation of Chinese policy makers as unsatisfactory. China is too great a power to play nice, they think. So they assert their territorial claims more and more boldly, and blow up disputes with Japan out of all proportion...

[neverdem]

Japan seeks damages as China trawler row lingers

[therightliveswithus]

I was reading this article yesterday. China’s going to either become aggressive and powerful or peaceful and powerful.

[Bernard Marx]

China’s going to either become aggressive and powerful or peaceful and powerful.

Or aggressive/peaceful by turn, depending on what its leaders calculate will achieve their goal of regional -- and then worldwide -- hegemony.

[Niuhuru]

I think China will be peaceful so long as no one is seen as acting as a colonial power dictating to the Chinese or put them in a situation where they will lose face in front of the entire world. I believe that it’s in the best interests of the rest of the world to ensure that China does not feel threatened, while at the same time, not letting China throw their weight around in diplomacy.

[familyop]

"In the past, China has tried to attract its neighbors into its orbit with sweeteners like trade deals and aid."

Throughout that recent "past," some of China's leaders have threatened to nuke US cities.

[SunkenCiv]

The new Japanese government came into office hoping to rebalance Japan’s foreign policy and reduce tensions with China. That dream is now dead. And China's deepening relationship with Pakistan, intended in part as a counter to America's nuclear opening to India, is driving Asia's other emerging nuclear power closer than ever into the arms of America (and Japan). South Korea, once drifting peacefully toward China, has moved back towards the United States following China's support for Pyongyang after the sinking of a South Korean naval boat.

Thanks neverdem, you're hittin' 'em out of the park tonight!

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[SunkenCiv]

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