Post Scripts: How to deal with China

The United States is just one of several countries that is trying to decide how to deal with China in the coming years. Will we try to ignore China or can it be eventually coaxed into the so-called international community? America is seen by millions in China as a beacon of hope to a new generation of Chinese who live, or exist, in communist or semi-capitalistic society that may not last very long.
This is not to say China is not rising. Try spending a day shopping without bringing home a bag of Chinese-made items. Adopt a baby and it may well be from China. Fifty percent or more Chinese comprise the enrollment at many American universities. China’s Gross Natural Products quadrupled in Deng Xiaoping’s two decades – from 1978 to 1992. Since then it has been growing even faster.
China’s economic advance has led to advanced military expansion, diplomatic sophistication, a relentless search for markets, enormous oil consumption, enhanced foreign trade and nationalism. What is China trying to do and be? As a free society, America trumpets its goals. In contrast, China hides its goals and successes. Their government tends to hide its goals. They claim they honor peace and development but its real aims are to sustain economic growth, maintain a tranquil set of borders (China has14 borders), eclipse the U.S. in East Asia, and regain “lost territory.”
In particular, the Chinese have their eye set on regaining Taiwan since they once owned it and want it back. While Beijing does enormous business with the U.S., it regularly launches anti- American diatribes and while it advocates a world full of arms, it has 800 missiles opposite Taiwan.
Whether China achieves its international goals – particularly outstripping the U.S. and expanding its territory – depends on the future of its political system and whether or not the U.S. and a few other nations tolerate China’s rise. The idea that China is in transition toward “transition from communism to freedom” remains in question.  President Clinton visited China in 1998 and said: ”China is loving to join the thriving communities of free democracies." Well… let’s not count on that yet.
There are many who say China is in transition from communism to freedom. Others say China is “moving to join the thriving community of free democracies.” I wouldn’t bet a nickel of such a thing happening. Even so-called reform can be illusory. We can only hope that reforms come about.  Most of us hope that reforms can undermine communism  and certainly millions of Chinese hope for it.
What may happen is that the Communist Party will buy off the Chinese people with a better material way of life. The second possibility is democracy. The third possibility is that the contradictions of  China today means that the nation is headed for major fracture.
That’s because an authoritarian state and a free economy will not prove compatible and a major explosion lies ahead.
At the present time the U.S. is busy recalling dangerous and defective toys made in China. Perhaps this will wake people up and make us more aware of considering the costs that arise from “inexpensive” goods and, of course, toys.