Will China Eventually Win The 'War By Algebra' Against The U.S. And Become The Dominant Power In The World?

Peter Navarro, National Interest: China’s ‘War by Algebra’ Strategy to Bury America

Over the course of the 2016 presidential debate, the argument that “America vastly outspends China” will likely be used to discount any possibility of an emerging China threat. In fact, it is an argument with considerable statistical appeal.

Consider that while China’s reported annual military expenditures are rapidly heading beyond $200 billion, the United States still spends more than three times that. Moreover, China’s military spending consumes only about 2 percent of its gross domestic product annually while the U.S. number is closer to 4 percent.

This “America outspends China” argument, must, however be tempered by several considerations. For starters, while America projects its force globally, China focuses regionally. Because of these different missions alone, any direct comparison of total military expenditures is highly misleading.

WNU Editor: There are many things that the U.S. can do to stop this .... but Americans prefer buying cheap Chinese made products at Walmart .... and the business and political leaders of the U.S. are more than happy to oblige them without appreciating the long term costs of such an arrangement. But what may save the day for the U.S. (and the rest of us) is China itself .... their political and economic institutions are still young .... they may be enjoying growth today, but no one can predict what will happen tomorrow.