United States Response to China as a Potential Challenger - Essay Example

and United s Response to China as a Potential Challenger In world blurred by super power mentality, need to have an upper hand economically and militarily is right at the top of many nations’ agendas. China has been aggressive enough to realize a steep economic rise, and has proved a potential challenge to rival United States’ global dominance. It has accumulated more than $3.6 trillion in terms of convertible currency reserves (Heffner). They have an improved balance of trade and have since be a threat to American industries. It has attained an alarming buying power, and estimates from the World Bank suggest it would surpass that of United States in the nearest future (Thompson). Its relationship with other nations could not be better, winning allies and economic partners are far easier than United States. It has generated a great deal of wealth from increased trade, and exports more to United States than any other nations, lends more to United States and also creates a potential market for a great deal of U.S. products. China has had advanced space technologies lately with growing aerospace industry that earns it a great deal of international power and space supremacy. With fat stockpile of money, they have the potential to perform better in this area and outdo many other nations. The persistent rise of China in the international system bothers the United States. Therefore, how counter the increased engagement of China is what bothers the U. S. to respond has been a frequent question. China’s rise is a threat to U.S.A economically, an element that will boost its international dominance, military prowess, and probably earn it confidence to bend international rules and regulations with attained international supremacy. How to respond will be very dependent on the area of concern, how it affects the well good of United States and the world, in general. Handling international relations is a delicate affair especially when nations feel threatened in terms of military ability. Proponents of the balance of power theory can help us address U.S. approach towards China, with her growing dominance in the world. With the money at her disposal, China will invest more and grow economic wings that will spread the world over. They will gain more control of international market, and their dominance and presence will convince the vast majority of the world about their reliability and tendency to serve as suppliers of products and services. With improved and better balance of payment, they will realize surpluses, and they will likely channel such funds to the military. They will advance in weaponry and intensify their military ability. The key tenet of Balance of Power Theory is the need to have a strike balance between military capabilities among nations (Sheehan 31-35). United States is well advanced in it military in fact far more than any other nation. China is just upcoming but at an alarming rate. However, with time and finance, an element that is proving not to be a problem anymore, China will gain ordinate power and dominate other nations. There are chances of possible abuse of such position as it may take advantage of weaker nations. Military strength would allow China to challenge others especially those who do not prove to be allies. U.S. key agenda would be suggestions to establish military equilibrium between rival nations. The idea of dictating on China military capabilities are subject to involvement of other stakeholders of United Nations. In world fond of liberalism and freedom of choices, limiting tendencies upon China would violate their sovereignty as an independent state. The driving power behind China’s ability is the extensive economic establishments that are funding their military projects. There would be a need for U.S. to find in place economic alliances with other nations to outdo China. U.S. can handle the challenge by making more allies who would prove to be useful in fostering economic advancement. This would generate more revenue that would be directed to military advancement. That does not necessarily mean that United States will be gearing to engage in war. That only yields confidence and assures the citizen that they would be safe and defended in the event of a conflict. Balance of power would only be realized fully if China just sits down and becomes an observer. The nation is on its feet engaging in rampant advancement in technology and industrialization. United States would need to shift attention to other paradigms that would open doors to new developments through revolutions that would boost the nation economically (Kuhn 12). There is need for creativity to come up with new ideas. That would lead to innovations that would find market the world over. A new paradigm would shift attention from one area of production to another. Technology is diverse enough to realize new niches in the market. Development of new software and hardware would lead to extra sources of funds to the economy. The nation would realize more funds that would earn her dominance in the international arena. China is working to find new doors of technology every day. The sustainability attained from this boosts its prospect of being a tough challenger in the international level. A switch to new areas of production would help the U.S. handle this challenge. China is behaving in a manner that has left the nationalists term it as a cyber-bully, anti-democratic, a non-friend to free markets and a breaker of international laws (Carfano). Many have not tolerated China’s tendency to steal intellectual property through the internet. A great deal of knowledge, which is copyrighted, is finding way into the hands of Chinese hackers. They use the ideas stolen to create new goods and services at the expense of their owners. This earns such a nation an undeserved advantage over others. The cyber challenge posed by China calls for extensive measures to protect this information. With a heated debate about censorship of the internet, there would be needed to get a consensus to ensure that owners of the knowledge, ideas, and materials shared online receive credit and financial compensation. United States should find better methods of information storage to ensure safety and eliminate the vulnerability to hackers. Subtle information should be shielded. Theory of international relations has had tenets that shape many foreign relations (Forde 140-159). Realism would serve as a useful proponent in addressing this phenomenal. It serves to illuminate the needlessness of war especially after the World War II. United States have in many times confirmed that China violate international regulations that may provoked war. Many anti-war campaigners have condemned wars many a time and insisted that no one wins through violence. There would be need to address the tension between these two nations in a manner that does not comprise the peace. Engaging other members of the United Nations would be appropriate. It is apparent that both nations need each other economically. The United States imports a lot of products from China while China borrows technologically from United States. A war would jeopardize chances to prosper for both sides. It would create divisions among nations. This would open doors for contagious war that might pull over to other nations. There would be a loss of property and lives, in the end. This would hurt all aspects of the economy and would not offer a solution for the differences. Addressing China as a challenge would need rationalization of the whole matter. There would be needed to weigh out the options and possible consequences. Liberalism and idealism would help address China as a challenger to U.S. Most of the challenges posed by China are provoked by United States approach in addressing global affairs (Forde 140-159). The financial policies at home plus other affairs determines how the entire nation is perceived. U.S. has a tendency to have a low regard for other nations and end up bending the rules and provoking outrage. It has dominated the world for long, as a giant economic power and an exporter of democracy, a position it has abused for long. Liberalism has it that nations have respect for one another. They tend to have a mutual understanding in an environment dominated by democracy. Any domestic practice in one-nation matters to the other and nations are guarded in implementing foreign and domestic policies. A change of attitude by United States would better the relationship it has with china. China would look at U.S. as a genuine friend and there would be more corporation between the two nations. It would address the challenges posed by homegrown hackers who pose a threat to U.S. security system. Business transactions would be conducted without fear of exploitation and blackmail. The two democratic nations would help each other address international and domestic challenges. The dimensions of challenges posed to United States by China are diverse, and provoke justified attention whenever they come up. Posing economic threats would be acceptable, but challenges to do with security have to be addressed by borrowing from the many school of thoughts available including theories of international relations, shift of paradigms, balance of power theory and many others. REFERENCES Carfano, James Jay. Wake Up, America: China Is a Real Threat. 7th Feb 2015. 5th march 2015 . Forde, Steven. "International Realism and the Science of Politics." International studies quarterly (1995): 140-159. Heffner, Thomas. China Is a Serious Threat to the U.S. Economy. 9th Feb 2015. 5th March 2015 . Kuhn, T.S. The structure of scientific revolutions. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1970. Sheehan, Michael. The Balance of Power: History & Theory. New York: Routledge, 2000. Thompson, Loren. Five Reasons China Wont Be A Big Threat To Americas Global Power. 6th July 2014. 5th March 2015 . Read More