A U.S. flag is seen during a welcoming ceremony in Beijing, China, November 9, 2017. REUTERS/Thomas Peter
Ngaire Woods, Project Syndicate: Why a Sino-American Cold War Won’t Happen
Rather than a superpower standoff, the world is more likely to be heading toward an international system led by four powers. In this scenario, the US, China, Russia, and Germany dominate their respective regions while seeking the upper hand in international negotiations.
OXFORD – It is often said that the US and China – superpowers at economic, geopolitical, and ideological loggerheads – are heading toward a new cold war. And the rhetoric – at least from one side – has come to resemble that of Winston Churchill’s 1946 “Iron Curtain” speech, one of the inaugural events of the Cold War. Just this month, US Vice President Mike Pence accused China of predatory economic practices, military aggression against the United States, and attempts to undermine US President Donald Trump.
But despite the media hype, a new cold war is not inevitable – or even likely. To be sure, Chinese leaders, fearing disorder and any weakening of the Communist Party of China’s legitimacy, are determined to prevent the US from forcing changes on China’s political and economic system. China will continue to pursue reforms at its own pace and in its own way. For Chinese President Xi Jinping, a top priority is to merge the CPC with the machinery of government in order to reduce corruption and burnish the state’s ideological credentials. Any attempt to interfere in this process would be crossing a red line.
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WNU Editor: The above commentator has confidence that China's government objectives and policies are primarily internal and that a Cold War against the U.S. will not happen .... I have a different point of view. China is now embroiled in boundary disputes with almost all of its neighbors, and it is using its military to assert its claims. China is also using its economic resources and the weapon of debt to put other countries under its sphere of influence, and to support its policies against the U.S. and its allies in the region. This is not going to change .... if anything it is going to accelerate.
3 comments:
Agreed - cold war is going to happen, and I would argue it was already way underway when China started to militarize the South China sea. The difference is that Trump - instead of talking about a "pivot to Asia" (as Obama did, while gutting the military!), but is actually doing something, e.g. freedom of navigation exercises and calling China out.
Oh and here is something fun / breaking news, for all Avenatti fans:
Avenatti ruled personally reliable for back-pay of $4.85mn, according to judge. Additionally, Avenatti's law-firm has not paid rent for their office for four months(!) and is now being evicted.
Bye, bye parrot-brained lawyer. And this guy was preparing to run for presidency on democrat ticket -- this is the state of the democrat party. A smut lawyer who gives even lawyers a bad name, and I remember how our own parrot (Fred) jumped on board and rooted for that guy.
Looking bad, eh, Fred? How much more winning can you take? 6 more years of cleanup to get rid of all those mobs, porn lawyers and hypocrites in your party
Will a US-China Cold War happen? With all due respect it is already happening. Asking the question is a bit like asking "will the sun rise in the east and set in the west?"
Unlike in Cold War where the Soviets respected us and even feared us in some cases, we are now in a Cold War with both Russia and China arguably the number one and number two military powers on the planet who are backed up by a vast network of allies that are broad and deep. To add to this, not only do Russia and China not respect us but they hold us in utter contempt. This coupled with the tact that we lack any reliable allies to speak of puts us in a very bad position here. The goal actually should be to try and do what we can to end this immediately, When in a hole, the best thing to do is to stop digging!!
At a minimum, the leadership class should try explaining to the American people why a fight to the death against major world powers where victory is problematic at best and even should we somehow win ascertaining what precisely of value we gain is questionable at best is something we really need to do. This is especially so seeing that are obvious avenues of diplomacy that could be pursued that have virtually no costs coupled with huge upside potential that could be pursued.
Essentially explain to the American people why these avenues aren't being pursued when they have such potential. Essentially preserving the careers or egos of disgruntled losing politicians is not a sufficient reason nor is the need for someone to play war with the lives of others are fat defense contracts sufficient reason either.
And suddenly after the bomb scare no one thinks about the left's mobs and intimidation tactics,the scandalous Avanetti and the hypocrite Elisabeth warren or the migrant caravan. Such coincidence.
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