Big problem here... China is helping us right now. They and Japan are financing 90% of our country's debt. The only threat that China poses is war with Taiwan. One of my professors from mainland China believes war is imminent (sp?) and will happen before 2010. China will become more liberal politically with time and yes a lot of that has to do with their economic situation. With the passing of Mao, there has been a passing of communist/socialist ideals and movement toward a free-market system. China will be a competitor many years down the road, but as for now, their currency needs to be revalued, in which case they are likely to lose 30% of their value when they do adjust, and they still rely heavily on manufacturing and cheap labor. As long as the United States can continue being one of the most competitive countries in the world, and the most productive, then we will remain on top. I wouldn't worry about China until they reduce communist ideals, allow more direct FDI, resolve disputes with Taiwan and Japan, and start enforcing anti-piracy laws. Only then will they become anything close to an economic/political superpower.
Yeah, those are my thoughts too, essentially. I still want to read the article. I feel like China could become a threat if they wanted to, but it doesn't seem likely to happen. In th exceprt from Kaplan;s essay, he mentions a Navy rivalry with China.
Nice blog, BTW. I'll add it to my blogroll.
Commenting by HaloScan
