China as a threat to the US - Research Paper Example

China has become so strong economically and militarily that it has caused debates to erupt regarding whether or not it would ever go into a war with other powerful countries in the world in genral and the US in particular. However, the fourth generation’s leadership in China considers nourishment of a peaceful environment its most sacred goal so that the Chinese people can be pulled out of poverty. The US has been facing the issue of dealing with a politically repressive yet economically rising China since the late 1990s.

There have been frequent debates about the containment and engagement policies. China can be considered as a threat to the US because of a number of reasons that include but are not limited to “A RISING ECONOMIC POWER ARMED WITH A ONE-PARTY DICTATORSHIP AND INCREASING MILITARY CAPABILITIES, FEAR OF A COLLAPSE OF CHINA, AND THE VISIBLE STRENGTH OF CHINESE NATIONALISM” (Zhao 85). China is, indeed, a threat to the US on economic grounds. The main concerns of the stakeholders and the policymakers in the US with respect to China include “CHINA’S EFFORTS TO MAINTAIN AN UNDERVALUED CURRENCY, ITS MIXED RECORD ON IMPLEMENTING ITS WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION (WTO) OBLIGATIONS, ITS RELATIVELY POOR RECORD ON PROTECTING INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS (IPR), AND ITS EXTENSIVE USE OF INDUSTRIAL POLICIES” (Morrison para. 2)..

In case the Sino-American tensions keep rising, the whole world in general and Asia in particular would be divided into a new cold war. If that happens, it would result in sustained growth of the prospects of conflict and confrontation thus posing threat to the growth of China’s economy. Alternately, “A DEEPENING U.S.-CHINA ENTENTE WOULD BRING WITH IT INCREASED POSSIBILITIES FOR STABLE, SUSTAINED WORLDWIDE ECONOMIC GROWTH, THE PEACEFUL RESOLUTION OF OUTSTANDING REGIONAL DISPUTES, AND THE SUCCESSFUL MANAGEMENT OF PRESSING GLOBAL PROBLEMS INCLUDING TERRORISM, CLIMATE CHANGE, AND THE PROLIFERATION OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS” (Friedberg 36).

China is likely to resuscitate as a threat to the US after the removal of the threat of terrorism because of her rapid economic growth. China understands that the major powers in the West are the driving forces behind the development of the current international system. China is very much likely to take measures to develop such international norms that address her own interests. Thus, it is very important for China to take a more active role in the creation of the new world order. Taking everything into consideration and visualizing the matter in a broader frame, it becomes apparent that “CHINA IS MORE LIKELY TO POSE A THREAT TO U.S. INTERESTS IN EAST AND SOUTHEAST ASIA THAN TO U.S. GLOBAL INTERESTS, AT LEAST FOR MANY DECADES” (Ross and Feng 11).

In spite of the fact that China poses threat to the US both economically and militarily since it is a nuclear power also, it is unlikely for China to erupt into a war with the US. War happens when the challenger that starts overtaking the dominant power is dissatisfied. The combination of overtaking, dissatisfaction, and parity happens to