Does China Really Want to Establish Itself in a Position of Unquestioned Preponderance in the Region - Essay Example

?Does China really want to establish itself in a position of unquestioned preponderance in the region and seeks to displace the United s as the dominant player in East Asia? Introduction China has shown rapid growth of economy since the second half of the 20th century. The US presently sees China as a threat because of a lot of reasons. One of the key issues in the defense planning of the US is to sort out the way to respond to the military modernization effort made by China. According to the Department of Defense (DOD), “China’s rise as a major international actor is likely to stand out as a defining feature of the strategic landscape of the early 21st Century [and China’s military] is now venturing into the global maritime domain, a sphere long dominated by the U.S. Navy… I have moved from being curious to being genuinely concerned [about the military programs of China” (Mullen cited in O’Rouke). Another major reason because of which China is evolving as a potential threat to the US is its growing economic power. China is a major exporter of goods and products all over the world. Even the US imports a large share of both raw and manufactured goods from China. China’s developmental strategies and growing importance in the global political scenario creates grounds for the question if China really wants to emerge as a super power in Asia and replace the US as the most dominant player in the East Asia. This paper expands on the answer to this question relating China’s motivation behind growth to its history and policy. Why US see China as a threat: The origin Influence of history on China’s eagerness for development Because of its unique culture and geography, China is a very special country with immense potential to rise in terms of power. The unique history of China provides an additional reason for believing that the country will seek some kind of preponderance in the region. Period from 1839 to 1949 is remembered as the “Century of Humiliation” (Kaufman 1). It was a time period in which the government of China lost control over its territory’s large portions because of foreigners. This makes a major component of the founding narrative of modern China. Many Chinese today think of the Century of Humiliation as a period that showed the strong behavior of Western powers toward China. China was weak and vulnerable during the Century of Humiliation. This adds urgency to its pursuit of power and its desire for regional preeminence. China has been riven by rebellions causing assassination of millions of people throughout the 19th century. The imperial government’s compliance with the foreign demands and resistance to the the growing presence of foreigners frequently fanned these uprisings. The Century of Humiliation has left deep scars in the memory of China as a nation. A prime reason behind China’s eagerness to become powerful is to deter such conditions from happening in the future. Drive for annexation of Taiwan to the mainland For China, the situation regarding the sea is of more significance as compared to that regarding the land. The West also challenged Japan like China, but the rulers of Japan were more adept at reestablishing their military and political system as compared to China’s. Japan’s military defeated China’s military in the mid-1890s and took control of different portions of Manchuria and Taiwan. Japan’s encroachment into the Chinese territory increased further in the first half of the 20th century. So in order to establish itself as a country of unquestioned preponderance in East Asia, it is imperative that China makes a strategy to annex Taiwan with it, drive America out of the way, and also, be stronger than Japan. “[T]here remain several vesitges of [the Century of Humiliation] that, in the minds of many Chinese, must be rectified before China’s recovery will be considered complete. The most important of these – and the only one that is non-negotiable – is the return of Taiwan to the mainland” (Kaufman 1). This is likely to result in constricted military presence of the US and diplomatic influence in the western pacific. Gaining access to the Arabian Sea With respect to the most urgent challenges on the American national security Agenda, terrorism, proliferation of the mass destruction weapons, nuclear ambitions of Iran and North Korea, and the egregious attitude of the lesser rogue states are of prime importance. China has not been as helpful as the eager American officials. Pakistan gave a base to China at Gwadar in Baluch territory’s midst. “China’s expanding reach is a natural and acceptable accompaniment of its growing power—but only up to a point…To counter what China is doing in Pakistan, the United States should play hardball by supporting the movement for an independent Baluchistan along the Arabian Sea and working with Baluch insurgents to oust the Chinese from their budding naval base at Gwadar. Beijing wants its inroads into Gilgit and Baltistan to be the first step on its way to an Arabian Sea outlet at Gwadar” (Harrison cited in Cartalucci). What China really wants Although China is emerging and evolving as a threat to the US because for many reasons, yet China does not really want a conflict with the US. China really wants from the US to maintain peace and order for the good and self-development of China because of three main reasons: 1. Gaps in the economic strength of China and the US. The government of China has recently introduced a range of micro stimulus plans that elaborate the monetary and fiscal strength of the government to not only absorb the losses but also to stimulate the economy should that be required. The leap China took from poverty because of the immensely successful market reforms since 1978 has covered a lot of weaknesses in the economy of China, particularly in comparison to the economy of the US. The renewed intervention of the Chinese state which commenced in 2003 has exacerbated these weaknesses (Scissors). “Many seem convinced that China is at the cusp of surpassing the U.S. economically. But Americans should not lose track of their huge advantages over the Chinese—in income, in natural resources, and in surprising areas such as labor” (Scissors). 2. China still has many domestic issues to focus on instead of maintain the international order. Socioeconomic challenges for China presently include but are not limited to attainment of a good standard of living for the people of China, internal stability, policy reform, and territorial disputes. China still qualifies as a developing country. There is huge difference between the standard of living of the people of China and the citizens of the US. In spite of the economic growth of China, improvement of the standard of living of people and solution of the domestic and socioeconomic problems requires reforms and radical changes in governmental policies and their systems of implementation. 3. In spite of growth in the military power of China that has taken place in the recent years, the military power of China is limited. China cannot thus have maritime domain in East Asia. The maritime military capabilities of China can impact the outcome of a potential military conflict between the US and China in the Pacific over Taiwan. Although China is not likely to enter such a conflict with the US, partly because of significant economic linkages between the US and China and the damage such a conflict has the potential of causing to both the countries, yet even without this conflict, military balance between the US and China in the Pacific is impacting other Pacific countries’ day-to-day choices. Conclusion China has gradually evolved as a potential to the US since its recovery from the Century of Humiliation. The Century of Humiliation has made China aware of the potential power and possible impact of the West on the society, economy, and stability of China. Most of the motivation China has for growth comes from its commitment to be self-sufficient and strong enough to deter such a time in the future from occurrence. Since the late 20th century, government of China has introduced some radical changes that have helped the economy of China flourish. China is strengthening its military and access to the Arabian Sea. In spite of all these measures, China does not want to enter into a war with the US. While this is an established fact that China really wants to establish itself in a position of unquestioned preponderance in the region, yet it cannot be said with utmost surety that China seeks to displace the US as the dominant player in East Asia. However, it is in the best interest of both the countries to try to develop their economies without enter into conflict with each other. With the growth of China’s influence and power in the international scenario, China as well as the western powers in general and the US in particular need to have the global system peacefully transformed. Sincere commitment to peaceful transition carries many prospects for international cooperation. Works Cited: Cartalucci, Tony. “Destroying a Nation State: US-Saudi Funded Terrorists Sowing Chaos in Pakistan.” Global Research. 18 Oct. 2013. Web. 2 Dec. 2013. . Kaufman, Alison A. “The “Century of Humiliation” and China’s National Narratives.” 10 Mar. 2011. Web. 2 Dec. 2013. . O’Rourke, Ronald. “China Naval Modernization: Implications for U.S. Navy Capabilities— Background and Issues for Congress.” Congressional Research Service. 5 Sep. 2013. Web. 2 Dec. 2013. . Scissors, Derek. “The United States vs. China—Which Economy Is Bigger, Which Is Better.” The Heritage Foundation. 14 Apr. 2011. Web. 2 Dec. 2013. . Read More