The much-heralded advent of China as a global power is no longer a forecast but a reality. Now we, and they, must manage its triumph.
Comment: ang ganda ko
Comment: Zakaria???s article is different from most western media???s China reports. As a Chinese having lived in North America for 18 years, I often find western medias are quite superficial when they talk about China. They only stay at moral criticism, using a few ???human right???, ???democracy??? concepts. They don???t know china???s history and what Chinese think. They are quite self-righteousness, see the world black and white, good and evil. They tend to believe they know other countries better than the peoples having lived on that land for generations. They like to teach other countries solutions and impose their values.
I know China has changed a lot, even in legal and political area. Like Zakaria said, the political changes ???is not enough, but it is not insignificant, either???. We all know China needs more democracy to protect citizen???s rights and environment, to restrain corruptions. But it takes time for such a huge country. We Chinese don???t want to see China become second Soviet Union. Considering China???s huge population and scarce resources (north china does not even have enough water!) if what happened to Soviet Union in 1989 happened in China, that would be disastrous! Western critics may not care; they don???t live on that land.
Zakaria???s article is totally different from what I read or heard of a lot of China reports. It???s fair and objective. Thank you Zakaria, and thank you News Week for publishing such a good article.
Comment: There are two more things that happened to China in 2007, which Zakaria didn't quote but I think are phenomenal: 1) China had the biggest IPO (Alibaba's) that beat Google's; 2) Shanghai Stock Exchange exceeded New York for the first time in terms of volumes. I think the real fear is the United States to slow down, not China to speed up.
Comment: I agree with random_reader. China invented gun powder. They will invent new kind of political system which the western civilization has never imagined before.
So-caled democracy is a great fraud. No individual really posses political power. Masses are only manipulated by power elites. The essence of government is the relation between the ruler and the ruled ever since history began.
Comment: so what is your definition of "democracy"? just elections? i have been living in the states for over 20 years. as far as i concerned, the difference between the donkey and the elephant is like one party called "the party of the united states" with two major different sections.
when i was in zambia, witnessed election there. with hundreds of obervers from europe, or the states, stayed in nice hotels. i was wondering 1) a country's election has to be supervised by others, what kind of "democracy" is that? 2) with incredible amount of poverty, lack of basic accommodations for people, why not spend the money for those badly needed, instead of those ???observers???? 3) i didn???t see any obvious improvement in terms of corruptions, poverty and human rights with those elections happening in africa. the best answer I got from an European observer was ???those have nothing to do with democracy???.
thanks god for that answer. let someone else to have that ???democracy??? and china should walk own way and search for own definitions and contents of true democracy.
Comment: I live in China and can say confidently that its government is absolutely terrified of anyone who dares to criticize it out loud. Folks always seem to either look over their shoulder or reduce their voice to a whisper whenever discussing the government. I've seen it first hand. Anyone who says China is a "TRUE DEMOCRACY" is a complete moron.
Comment: mankind from times bygone ,have always searched for some form of trying to find a perfect way to rule and be ruled, we call it all sorts of Ocracies, we are still on our way to improve governing and being governed at the same time. In the meantime, let's talk about it.
Comment: Advent? :) I'd rather call it the rererenaissance...
Comment: As long as China contents to be solidly as America 's slave labor status - - - the world is OK.
The problem is America can not forever sustain its trade deficit at the tune of 60 billions dollar per month. Currently the US economy depends on its citizens to spend - spend - spend with borrow money - the trouble is the American consumers can no longer borrow any more money... So what give???
Comment: There is no need to repeat what is common knowledge that China has a 10,000 years of civilization; we Chinese have been here long before the USA was founded in 1774. We know what is right and best for China. Western powers sacked China is the days of the opium trade that ravaged China for a couple of hundred years; but today China is whole again; all through the wisdom of our leaders.
In all developing nations their leaders stick to power like banacles and will not let go, but China has for the last three leaderships has achieved seamless and peaceful change; this is what endures for the nation, the mechenism of change of leadership. All those countries that the USA touts as democratic are mere dictatorship. CHINA IS A TRUE DEMOCRACY; forget about that bulshit of Freedom of expression because it does not exist even in the USA.
Yes it is true but soon it will not be true anymore; that China has corruption as its biggest problem. China has realised that there has to be delegation of powers because she is too huge for a clutchful of bureaucrats to manage, therefore China has for the first time since communist leadership, to set for the election of their parliament among their own leaders. In a Communist Party of China of 20 million members, the Party will find legitimate and sufficient representation among their membership to claim to represent the whole spectrum of views of their people. The USA and their people and especially the USA Press has hoped and prayed that China will splinter into a million pieces but no such luck; CVhina will thrive.
As for attacking China don't even think of it ; we are prepared. China cannot be conquered, Iraq has shown that no military power can win a war in these modern day. We are too well armed and prepared to worry about the USA. The USA will be driven out of Iraq with their tails between their legs. The next theatre of possible conflict will be in Central Asia and Africa. In both these areas of possible conflict China has the edge over the USA. Let us see what develops.
Comment: I love my country China.
Comment:
Comment: Regarding China and Chinese, a famous Chinese writer Lin Yu Tang wrote a book name "my coutry and my people", which revealed the deepest cutural and value of Chinese people - love peace, harmony and nature.
Comment: notice how the writer of the article specifically left out the facts about Nixon's effect on China.....when all those people were lifted out of poverty in China, it was DIRECTLY attributed to NIXON. Anything a republican does that is good, is simply not reported......newsweek, we can always count on your liberal bias.
Comment: Moa Tze Tung did not go to China; it was Nixon who came to China. China is 1.3 billion people and no Nixon or any one in all the world can claim patronage over the success of China. You need to see how the Chinese in South East Asia dominate the economy to know that China is about hard work and vision; nothing to do with anything American
Comment: Read my four comments below and compare them with what Fareed Zakaria has written in the current issue of Newsweek. Come to your own conclusions. I say Mr. Zakaria doesn't truly understand anything about China, as he is limited by his linguistic, cultural and empirical limitations.
Comment: So the kind of Chinese "racism" he is talking about is fundamentally different from the kind of true racism practiced by Western powers when they invaded China and then relegated the Chinese people into their roles as second-class citizens in their own land.
These Western nations enforced their own laws on Chinese soil through the use of unequal treaties and the provisions of the rights of extraterritoriality in Western enclaves called "Concessions." China???s rejection of the guizi is more like the victims' rejection of the bogeymen, while Western and Japanese racism against China has been predatory, vicious, aggressive and unrelenting.
For the likes of emu and the rest to use the word "racism" to describe two vastly different entities merely shows his lack of understanding of that part of our unfortunate history.
That's also why Japan's denials of any wartime wrongdoing are so provocatively demeaning to her war victims in and out of China. Mark Felton's book gave a concise account of how evil this little nation was and is likely to be if people the world over don't watch her closely.
As a matter of fact if you would just think: why did the South Korean president single out Japan when he said during V-60 celebrations in 2005 that it was Korea's misfortune to be Japan's -- and not China???s -- neighbor even though South Korea had also fought a war against China too from 1950-3?
The answer lies in the fact that the Chinese never mistreated the Koreans in the years 1950-3 when they were in the Korean peninsula fighting the Americans and their allies, and they had actually withdrawn all their troops from the North in 1958 after the completion of their post-war assignments.
Now that China has regained her confidence thanks to Mao and his associates, her people can afford to be more open in their demeanor. That's why the Beijing Olympics will be a magnificent opportunity for the Chinese people to demonstrate their natural friendliness.
Remember: China had become such a big and populous country because traditionally its civilization had always emphasized genuine friendliness towards outsiders before the Western colonialists arrived in East Asia beginning in the 19th century.
China's population of 1.32 billion is the best material evidence that a drop of honey had attracted many peoples to acculturate into its friendly culture, bearing fruit and multiplying even today.
Comment: What is strange is just the opposite. The Lone superpower has no potential competitor(s) on its two international borders, and to the east and west it is surrounded by oceans of water which afford unmatched natural barriers to any s from afar, yet hardly a day goes by without this hegemon talking about a ???threat??? from China. If you look at its military expenditures, it spends more than the rest of the world combined. If you look at its military allies, they span all the inhabited continents except Africa. So why is it crying wolf and talking about China being a threat all the time?
That behavior is in fact indicative of the most vicious form of racism in our world today.
What it means is that it regards its pre-eminence over the ???colored peoples??? as its preordained rights, and wants to maintain the status quo forever. Any ???colored??? peoples ending with ???-ese??? aspiring to play even the second or third fiddle isn???t allowed to do so, and if you complain, they???ll comically turn the tables and call you ???racist??? right away.
Like I said repeatedly, do not claim ignorance on this part of world history. You all need to go and do some research online and answer these two questions for yourself:
1. What evil has China ever done to the rest of the world?
2. What evil has Japan NOT done to the rest of the world?
If you do a conscientious search, you'd have your answers to the two Big Questions.
That's why the accusations from the likes of XMAN_VN that China is intent on conquering Southeast Asia are patently absurd.
What he thinks he is witnessing is the natural reaction amongst victims -- so many Western nations including Japan had invaded and humiliated her in the hundred-odd years before Mao stood on the TAM rostrum that when we had less confidence of ourselves, many of us grouped them together and called them "guizi???or ???gweilo??? which literally means "devils." If America had been invaded by eight "yellow" nations in 1900 and its national treasures pillaged or burnt to the ground, and its women raped to death, and its kids bayoneted on a up-down free fall, wouldn't he have reacted the same way about "yellow men" too?
Comment: China has done many, many, many evils towards its minority populations and its smaller neighbors.
Comment: Just as a coin always has two sides, a man as great as Qin Zi Huang (First Emperor of China) did make some mistakes, amongst which burying the scholars was one of the more serious. It gave his critics a handle to shame him into oblivion, almost to the point of obliterating his greatest feats.
Modern-day European leaders have always been envious of their Chinese counterparts because even though they have the semblance of one economic bloc in the EU, they have found it truly difficult to reach a consensus on the use of one official language and to tackle the socioeconomic problems of the entire European continent under one administration.
The closest that Western Europe ever came close to political unification was during the time of Charlemagne who was born in the middle of the 8th century A.D.
It is easy to remember this man because he was crowned emperor by the Pope on Christmas Day, 800, at the time of his decision to revive the Romanesque polity in the name of the Holy Roman Empire.
As king of the Franks, he incorporated into his rule Italy and many parts of Western and Central Europe. He encouraged a revival of the arts, religion, and culture, and so nowadays people tend to connect him with the "Carolingian Renaissance."
I can assure you that the kind of pride the Chinese people have today is quite different from the kind that ???goes before destruction.??? I think we do have the right to be proud of our achievements since the Revolution, especially since what transpired during the century of humiliation stood in such stark contrast with the glorious traditions to which our forefathers had grown accustomed.
So this contrast between what we had owned previous to the nineteenth century, and what we had lost between then and the establsihment of the PRC, was too painful for most of us to contemplate, and that???s why you're witnessing all this prideful determination of the Chinese nation to regain primacy in the world and to revive our civilization.
China is not only a country, she is also a civilization unto herself. To preserve and expand on her cultural achievements is our highest priority.
That's why foreign nations shouldn't have this inordinate fear of us -- it is actually part of the propagandist machinations of neo-imperialist countries to cry wolf preemptively in order to drag our name in the mud. The country has fourteen international boundaries, so it is natural and reasonable for her to raise an army that can defend these borders.
Comment: XMAN_VN is full of xit. The names Paracel and Spratley are Anglicized renditions of islands that had belonged to China before the European came to East Asia. In deciding whether an island belongs to a certain nation, the best evidence comes from historical maps available in Western universities BEFORE oil and gas resources are discovered. All those maps show unequivocally that the islands in the South China Sea had been part of Chinese territory. Vietnam had never laid claim to any of the islands before fossil-based oil and gas were discovered in the South China Sea. The people of this nation isn't particularly noted for honesty and fair play. It had received the equivalent (in today's terms) of 80 billion yuan from the Chinese government in its fight against the French and the Americans before winning its independence. Yet it has shamelessly tried to have the cake and eat it too -- by accepting Chinese aid on the one hand, while serreptitiously nibbling away Chinese territory in the South China Sea.
Chinese is a peace-loving country. If the land grab this nut has been talking about in his post has actually been on China's mind, it would have done it hundreds if not thousands of years ago. Why did China even help Vietnam to achieve national re-unification if conquest was on her mind?
Comment: I feel very disadppointed about your attitude towards china's rise. It is true that it seems like a "miracle" or kind of treatening thing, but if you truely understand what our chinese people have suffered, you will never doubt that we are peace-loving peopel. We china got many people to "feed". we have no intention or energy to care about other thing.
Comment: China has a extraordinary ambition to be the Center of the World. In the forthcoming time, China will threaten to Asia, specially the East Asia Countries. It is targeting to set the rule on its neighbouring countries such as: Vietnam, Mongolia, Myanmar, Laos...and the other Asean countries including 11 countries members. The threatening and dangers from China to East Asia is reality. It has claimed to own the Spartly and Paracel Islands. It is very absurd. Because these Islands have been always belonging to Vietnam and these Islands have never belonging to China. Why China have the such claims. China takes this action as a act of invasition to Vietnam. Vietnamese people will never forget to gain what China has stolen from Vietnam. Furthermore, China is threatening to East Asia's security. It has not only irrational claims of territory to Vietnam, but to other countries such as: Japan, Laos, Myanmar, Mongolia...I call upon the community of the world to have a words to oppose the act of ivasition of China to its bordering countries such as Vietnam and the East Asia countries.
Comment: You know what? You are just like your name XMan. You have probabaly watched too much cartoon films on TV, or some twisted propaganda in your country. "China set to rule East Asia and Japan"? You "call upon the community of the world ... to oppose the act of invation of China to its bordering countries such as Vietnam"? Where in Vietnam has China invaded? "Spartly and Paracel Islands"? Why don't you have a Vietnamese name to these islands? China called them Xi Sha Islands and Nan Sha Islands long before your grandparents were born. Your government also backed up China's claim to these islands in 1960-1970s. Now of course, you don't need China to support your fight against the US, so you just take back on your own words. It is right by many people's saying that Vietnam never believes in anything but immediate interest under their nose. Always say whatever it takes on the moment, always sits on the fence. But never believes in any principle. If you have any principle at all, you should at least learn to honor your own words. You are just one sickle out of your mind.
Comment: Chinese people have a great ambition to rule the world. Firstly, it aims at ruling Eastern Asia countries and its neighbouring countries such as: Vietnam, Mongolia, Myanmar, Laos...the other ASEAN countries such as: Philippines, Indonesia,... At present, China is threatening to Vietnam's, Philippines's security by claiming that it own Spartly and Paracel Islands. This is unable to be acceptable by Vietnam. Because these Islands have been always belong to Vietnam and it has not been belong to China. China has done as a act of invasition to Vietnam. China is threatening to ASIA. Vienamese shall always do its best in the future to gain Vietnam's territory which China has stolen.
Comment: KEEP BUYING ALL THAT CHINESE JUNK YOUR KILLING YOUR COUNTRY, THIER KILLING OUR KIDS WITH TOYS THE SILENT KILLER, ROTTEN FOODS, STOP ALL TRADE WITH CHINA........NOW
Comment: It is really ironic: hundreds or thousands of years ago, China only exported the products such as the porcelains which were poorly constructed and cheap look-like to the Europe (US was not born yet then). All the high quality products were required by the law to be kept and consumed within the central empire, since only the Chinese had the rights to enjoy such valuables. Nowadays, China exports the best goods to benefit the entire world, though it is still blamed by the western politicians for their own political intentions.
When China gains back its role as the superpower, the world will be quiet and harmonious again.
Comment: Poor Diana! The Chinese factories which produce the toys have been strictly following the protocols and standards set by the American companies as required by the contracts. So please ask the American companies why they made such formula. Secondly, the overall foods quality from China is among the best list, much better than those junk food exported by the American companies.
BTW, nobody forces you to buy any specific goods, so you have all the rights to buy the junks from American or any other countries. Just go ahead and play with yourself. ENJOY!
Comment: The author has compiled its cognizent views superbly.
Comment: The author has compiled its cognizent views superbly.
Comment: Glad to see this objective comment on China's change in the past. China's peaceful growth is inevitable, and at the same time not unexpected--any country is striving for development, for better living standard for its people, for a better standing in the stage of the whole world, for its power to speak and many other things. Consequently, it is not against the will of God.
However, it is a matter of fact, we have witnessed competition in the process of every country's struggling for a brighter future, and that has become even fiercer. Just this fiercer competition makes some countries see no friend of China, instead, they see only enemy. Why not we play the game of growth under the guidance of the same world order? It's for the bigger good for the whole.
Comment: I read Zakaria's article and found it to be a high-quality piece of reporting. I also went through all the reader comments and found them to be well-intentioned and insightful. Yes, people are interested in debating what China's rise means for the rest of the world because in many ways it has something to do with almost everyone. I agree with someone who said that China's rise is one of the most important events in the past 100 years.
As a Chinese, I think China's rise is no threat to anyone else, but an opportunity businesses around the world can bank on. My corporate experience has demonstrated this. China has now become the word's #2 or #3 market for all the 3 Fortune 100 companies and the growth is still on track (20% growth is norm for most industries for MNCs.) Sooner or later, China will be an even bigger market than the US for many manufacturered products, if not for many service products. The world has to base their strategy on this trend to avoid making any mistakes.
Comment: Frankly speaking, I'm a Chinese in Guangzhou and have never left China. What long-term China policy would be made depends on how American view China. A communist regime? A vast market with a population of 1,400,000,000? Or an eastern ancient culture? I dare swear no durable China policy would be made if American just consider China as a common country disregarding its scale and culture. The secret why China is successful in globalization is that they are willing to learn from all over the world. China doesn't have any plan to replace the USA as the No.1 country. With increasing self-improvement, China may naturally surpass the US. When it learn more and more, maybe one day it would become the center of human civilization. For America, the best way to get along (or compete) with China is to learn from China. Arrogant leads to ignorance. Try not to put your philosophies on others. More than 3,000 years ago, an ancient Chinese named Jiang Ziya said, the world belongs to the people all over the world. It means that the world doesn't only belong to any person, country, or culture. It also means that the world doesn't belong to any fairy.
Comment: Frankly speaking, I'm a Chinese in Guangzhou and have never left China. What long-term China policy would be made depends on how American view China. A communist regime? A vast market with a population of 1,400,000,000? Or an eastern ancient culture? I dare swear no durable China policy would be made if American just consider China as a common country disregarding its scale and culture. The secret why China is successful in globalization is that they are willing to learn from all over the world. China doesn't have any plan to replace the USA as the No.1 country. With increasing self-improvement, China may naturally surpass the US. When it learn more and more, maybe one day it would become the center of human civilization. For America, the best way to get along (or compete) with China is to learn from China. Arrogant leads to ignorance. Try not to put your philosophies on others. More than 3,000 years ago, an ancient Chinese named Jiang Ziya said, the world belongs to the people all over the world. It means that the world doesn???t only belong to any person, country, or culture. It also means that the world doesn???t belong to any fairy.
Comment: An unbiased analysis that will certainly clear up a lot of misunderstanding between the both sides of the Pacific.
Comment: Very clear analysis form both the aspects of China and the US, as a Chinese I am confident that the peaceful rise of China should be more welcomed and I believe it will be a double-win for both China and the US. Good luck China! Good luck 2008!
Comment: Very detialed analysis form both aspects of China and the US, as a Chinese I hope China could experience a peaceful rise mentioned in this article. Good luck China! Good luck 2008!
Comment: Mr. Zakaria has again lived up to his well deserved reputation. Although an excellent article, no one can formulate an all knowing and encompassing opinion on such limited information. I believe that Mr. Zakaria made many excellent points which the leaders of both countries would be wise to consider in future dealings with each other. Given all the problems this planet has, the United States should welcome another "Superpower" and assist in grooming it to become an ally instead of a perceived threat.
Comment: Good points! It takes all sorts to make a world, but I still hope many American citizens are as wise and composed as you.
Comment: Why the questions? The US has never had problems dealing with authoritarian governments - even murderously tyrannical governments - as long as it was expedient. Once the only question was - are they anti-communist? Now the question is - is it good economically? Democracy has always been an afterthought. Ask the ghost of Salvador Allende.
Comment: I am from mainland China. After reading this story and all the comments, I feel that the story is very objective itself, giving a depth analysis for common American readers and another perspective to us mainland Chinese. However, as a country that is repeatedly inavaded, governed or harassed by foreign forces in recent 200 years, we Chinese feel not that sure that we would be a superpower someday like the U.S. We seldom imagine it! It is so unrealistic to 99% Chinese. Miserable history is one major cause, in addition, to individual Chinese, we are just seems liberated from darkness and poverty for not long (only several decades or so). As a result, ordinary Chinese are not used to the title "superpower" or "potential power," which would be interpreted rather as good will from western guests visiting here.
At the same time, our industry is fast developing, our trade vein flows everywhere in the world, our living condition is chaning...and we begin to openly talk about social issues, we start to organize charity groups, we can go to churchs freely, we happily see those corrupted officials sentenced to jail, we are worried about food safety, we can sue anybody of we are in disagreement, sometimes they are annoyances, we know the official must be corrupted, we are blocked to visit foreign sites, we cannot afford the soaring prices of flats in large cities, we cannot afford expensive medicine in hospitals...These are ordinary Chinese life. I hope you can understand China a little more through my description of ordinary Chinese life. We are all human beings. We love peace and pusuit liberty and freedom.
Comment: I am from mainland China. After reading this story and all the comments, I feel that the story is very objective itself, giving a depth analysis for common American readers and another perspective to us mainland Chinese. However, as a country that is repeatedly inavaded, governed or harassed by foreign forces in recent 200 years, we Chinese feel not that sure that we would be a superpower someday like the U.S. We seldom imagine it! It is so unrealistic to 99% Chinese. Miserable history is one major cause, in addition, to individual Chinese, we are just seems liberated from darkness and poverty for not long (only several decades or so). As a result, ordinary Chinese are not used to the title "superpower" or "potential power," which would be interpreted rather as good will from western guests visiting here.
At the same time, our industry is fast developing, our trade vein flows everywhere in the world, our living condition is chaning...and we begin to openly talk about social issues, we start to organize charity groups, we can go to churchs freely, we happily see those corrupted officials sentenced to jail, we are worried about food safety, we can sue anybody of we are in disagreement, sometimes they are annoyances, we know the official must be corrupted, we are blocked to visit foreign sites, we cannot afford the soaring prices of flats in large cities, we cannot afford expensive medicine in hospitals...These are ordinary Chinese life. I hope you can understand China a little more through my description of ordinary Chinese life. We are all human beings. We love peace and pusuit liberty and freedom.
Comment: The question is will the US be tolerant of a powerful yet authoritarian China enjoying enormous clout in the international community. Germany and Japan after world war II were democratic countries. Britian and America both were democracies when the US replaced Great Britain as the world's most powerful country. A peaceful world will depend upon how far China will open up its political sysmtem by introducing genuine liberal democracy. Unfortunately, the paradox is that the ruling Communist party will never allow greater democracy by risking its own monopoly of power in China. Here in lies the significance. The rise of facist Hitler and Mussoloni were responsible for the World War II.
Comment: There is no question that China is the country to watch out for in 2008. No doubt China will be the next super power, enjoying enormous clout in any major international issues. But the leaders of China should open up their political system by introducing genuine democracy in the country. But the paradox is that the ruling communist party will go out of its way to ensure its monopoly of power in China by dragging its feet on the most important modernisation programs of all: formation of a rules-based democratic society. Here in lies the significance. How long the western powers, led by the US, will tolerate powerful yet dictatorial and authoritarian China. The rise of Germany, Japan after world world II were all accompinied by introducing liberal democracy in these countries. Similarly both Britain and the US were liberal democracies when America replaced the former as the world's most powerful country.
Comment: I salute to Zakaria not just for his precise and balanced description of China today, for his great understanding and insight of China,, but also the suggestions he has given to world leaders, especially those in China and the United States. The rise of China, a country with 1.3 bilion people, or a fifth of world's total, is in the interest of all human kind. Who doesn't want a fifth of the world's population to be blessed needs to see a pyschatriast.
Comment: Frankly, I did not finish reading the whole thing, because I kind know what the article is going to say. However, what I want to say here is that there is no force (able) to stop China to rise up AGAIN. Also, I do strongly believe, a rising China is good for the world given her rather rational culture and history. And, a rising China would also make us better (is. less aggresive...).
Comment: For China to be compelled to major world agreements such as the Gatt agreements and Kyoto there going economic power must be reflected in growing political power.
Its a two edge sword with China often believing not to interfere in countries political affairs where it invests billions of dollars.
In Africa for example foreign investment in troubled countries results in Beijings position of the soverignity overriding abuses in human rights. The Paradox is giving China more political power around the world could result in a more responsible approach taken by China with regard to trade dealings and its bilateral and unilateral agreements.
australia for example when it comes to giving foreign aid places a high emphasis on corporate governance with conditions attached to the aid. For China with economic strength comes political responsability.
Comment: For China to be compelled to major world agreements such as the Gatt agreements and Kyoto there going economic power must be reflected in growing political power.
Its a two edge sword with China often believing not to interfere in countries political affairs where it invests billions of dollars.
In Africa for example foreign investment in troubled countries results in Beijings position of the soverignity overriding abuses in human rights. The Paradox is giving China more political power around the world could result in a more responsible approach taken by China with regard to trade dealings and its bilateral and unilateral agreements.
australia for example when it comes to giving foreign aid places a high emphasis on corporate governance with conditions attached to the aid. For China with economic strength comes political responsability.
Comment: For China to be compelled to major world agreements such as the Gatt agreements and Kyoto there going economic power must be reflected in growing political power.
Its a two edge sword with China often believing not to interfere in countries political affairs where it invests billions of dollars.
In Africa for example foreign investment in troubled countries results in Beijings position of the soverignity overriding abuses in human rights. The Paradox is giving China more political power around the world could result in a more responsible approach taken by China with regard to trade dealings and its bilateral and unilateral agreements.
australia for example when it comes to giving foreign aid places a high emphasis on corporate governance with conditions attached to the aid. For China with economic strength comes political responsability.
Comment: China just proved the fallacy that "democracy does not guarantee prosperity"
Comment: I remember as a kid during the 1980's, Americans used to have the same anxieties about the Japanese. But look what happened with that supposed threat. And in retrospect the Japanese had (and continue to have) a far greater shot at overtaking the U.S. as the world's greatest superpower. They actually contribute high-quality electronic and biotech products to the international market. Can the same be said for China? Toothpastes made with anti-freeze, pet foods laced with poisons. Childrens toys that, if they're not already overflowing with lead, are actually laced with the date-rape drug. And due perhaps in part to their isolationist nature, the Chinese authorities seem to have no inclination towards correcting these issues.
To their credit, the Chinese people seem to possess a very pragmatic and rational culture. They're not hell-bent on bludgeoning their daughters to death for not wearing scarves on their heads, or chopping off eachothers heads and blowing themselves up in praise of Allah. If they (the Chinese) can adjust their product lines to meet U.S. and E.U. standards of quality, then we may see a fellow superpower who, like Japan, is a cooperative partner and welcome friend on the world stage, which could only be good for all parties involved.
Comment: I am a Chinese student .I cannot stand your bad attitude towards my great mother country,you are not fair at all! Yes I agree that you America is a superpower today,but who can tell the futrue ?Maybe Chinese people will do a better job than what you Americans have done .As a member of Chinese Communist Youth league ,I will make every efforts to study and to make our country more strong and harmonious .
Comment: Your knowledges on China/Chinese and Japan/japanese are so poor. Or you may just have been so screwed about your mind or not have the decency to be a fair man/woman.
Comment: Really, I just have to say that you are being brain-washed by what you read/know of China/Chinese and/or Japan/Japanese. You may be interested in politics, but, you do need to be educated again. Your head obviously gets hot rather too quickly. I am not going to debate with you, because you are not ready for it and I do not want to waste my time.
Comment: You do not understand the essence of politics, just as your name shows. Japan is American???s dog and is under the strict control of US, either militarily or economically. You are too simple, sometimes naive.
Comment: I do not think you understand the essence of politics. You even do not understand that Japan is just a *** under the strict control of US.
Comment: I am an immigrant from China. My motherland peaceful rise is a good thing and very important to the peace of the world. HHK
Comment: 12/25/2007
What an interesting article for Christmas day 2007.
Yes, a lot of this is the hype of the American press. The press is causing xenophobic reactions on the part of people, who seem to fear what they do not understand. Most people, who have never been able to visit China, really don't know what???s true and what is not. But I know this. There are more than 4,000,00 millionaires in America. There is only a fraction of this in China, while the population is nearly four times that of the U.S. The U.S. leads the world in this category. No other nation on either continent is even close.
If the growth that has happened in China is real, than it is the most miraculous 30 year expansion in the history of the world. The question would obviously be, who helped China do all of this so quickly? What secrets about capitalism do the Chinese know that the real of the world does not know? Is there really the ???God??? factor in the Chinese miraculous turn around?
What's really wrong with America is greed. It will also become a problem in China. The rich have the money and they also want the control. This is the major obstacle to peace in the world.
Christ is the most reliable answer. To a growing degree, He seems to be missing in America as well as in most of China.
Merry Christmas!
Comment: I am Chinese , our country love peace and harmony, we just need peace rising, some of the news is fake, I know, because I am Chinese, I hate the fake news. I hope some American can go to China, and see what it the big change , That is the big differenr between what the news broadcast. I hope you like it.
Comment: I'm an American living in China and some of the comments I have read from Chinese citizens is both laughable and predictable. To begin with, only a farily educated, and here in China that means "wealthy," person would even have access to this site and be able to respond to it in intelligible English. As someone who lives here it disturbs me to no end how different the rhetoric is from the reality. Most Chinese I have met are incredibly "classist" and hold poor people in utter contempt while talking about how China is "rising." There is an incredibly tiny minority here getting wealthy while most folks aren't much better off than they were 30 years ago. China's "wealth" is a mirage.
Comment: ?????????????????????????????????
Comment: China wanna a piece and power development, nothing can't change our mind.
Comment: Excellent commentary with good insight. Americans need to look at the rise of China with a half-full attitiude, by possitively impacting its course in a collaborative manner. There will be crisis and opportunies. tests of our collective wisdom.
Americans also need to be confident of themselves. The US resilient and healthy (relatively speaking, of course) political system and the high quality of its citizenship is unmatched in the world. Keep it up.
Comment: I agree with you. Mr. Zakaria mostly focus on the hard-power of China. But as a Chinese, I clearly see the distance between US and China in the soft-power field just as you mention above. China has a long way to go.
Comment: Possible basis for future Chinese conflict, Energy. Against whom? Russia. Over the energy held by former Soviet republics. What can the U.S. do? Develop and share energy saving technology.
Comment: share alt energy with each other, or waste 50,000+++ American lives and ????? in funds we don't have!
I''ll share>>>this is far more profitable to all involved worldwide.
Comment: Possible basis for future Chinese conflict, Energy. Against whom? Russia. Over the energy held by former Soviet republics. What can the U.S. do? Develop and share energy saving technology.
Comment: Possible reason for a future conflict, Energy. Against whom? Russia, over former Soviet republic's energy. What can the U.S. do? Develop and share energy saving technology with China.
Comment: The only reason China scares the USA as a Super power, is they are rebuilding there country, a concept America has not grasped-yet-if at all!! We don't rebuild, we outsource! They are owed money, we owe far more than we can ever steal??? They are a nation, we are a corupteration [spelled right]. Plain and simple. There money goes to China, ours goes to Dubui. We spend 2+ BILLION a DAY in Iraq and only a few bucks comes back to American soil??? Got the point yet??? They invest in themselves! We invest in air and lip service, to someones pocket who does not even live here.
Comment: 1
Comment: You've made a good point.
Comment: What about "Tainted Financial Products"?
I haven't heard Americans apologize to the world. In stead, once again they claim to be "victims". Sooner or later they will find an excuse to blame the sub-prime mess on China.
Comment: Nice posting jeffinvade... you're an idiot. It is true we have a long way to go in rebuilding trust from our global community. And we need a good president to help that along. It will be in the United States' best interest to work with China to foster an equal relationship. China wants to be a "developing" country in areas that suit its purposes and join the "superpower" community. It can't go both ways. Everybody loves to bash the U.S. on his foreign policies, but I don't see any other countries doing more than the U.S. in that regard. Nobody can argue that the U.S. has made some bad or even terrible decisions regarding foreign policy, but are those critics being objective in looking at what their countries are doing? What is your country doing to help those in Darfur or Libya? I'm not supporting the decisions the U.S. made with Iraq, just pointing out that many countries sit back and do nothing. I think now and then that invading Iraq was payback. I'd love to see the U.S. cut back it's involvement in these backward countries, this stupid war is costing us billions to try to turn around a country that doesn't want to be turned around. I agree with you that our version of democracy isn't the only solution. And yes, we could learn some things from countries such as China and others.
Comment: OK, so what does the US has done in Darfur or Libya? Zero, absolutely nothing, it's only paying lip services and has done absolutely nothing. The US is complaining because it doesn't want China to buy expensive oil from Sudan. The US wants to steal it but afraid it might get its a55es kicked again if it send its military to Sudan. Who told the US to meddle foreign affairs in other countries? The US has just done that in the past but if it tries to do that again, see what will happen! It will get its fat rear kicked again. You just watch.
Comment: That's exactly what Bin-Lauden said to us during our asst in the early 80s as we armed and trained and funded. We the guilty were told by him that when Russia is gone "WE WERE NEXT" I asked why, he stated "Your country has been interfering in our politics making rules for us to live by and you don't" "we live here you don't so stop making rules you don't have to live by" and he made good on his threat against the one man responsable for most of there grief-Bush, and against the one man who made us a Great Debt Free Country, which was feared the most by the WORLD, because we owed nobody.
Comment: I know I know Debt Free for a min, but it did happen in my lifetime, and it would make me a, proud, Veteran to see again, instead of one who is ashamed to be! Alive longer than my kids!
Comment: China was a superpower, from 1000bc all the way to 1860s, its GDP is the larger than any other countries. So today's rise is just a revival. As a believer in gradualism, I believe the current trend of rising china will continue for at least another 15-20 years. By then the U.S. will have to kiss chinese ass....
Comment: China was a superpower, from 1000bc all the way to 1860s, its GDP is the larger than any other countries. So today's rise is just a revival. As a believer in gradualism, I believe the current trend of rising china will continue for at least another 15-20 years. By then the U.S. will have to kiss chinese ass....
Comment: Zakaria writes about china and quotes only Americans. This the fundamental flaw in media that I see every day. Same group of thinkers being authoritative voice about certain issue or owing the information. During 90's same group of people wrote books, published articles about the rise of Japan and possible conflict with her. Now seems like every thing said about Japan is being replaced with China and they are writing books and articles to prove it/
Comment: This article was about the China, yet all the experts quoted were Americans. This type of thought process only packages what America think about China rather than accurately reflecting the Chinese thinking. I remember during early 90's many analysts' Japanese scare and its rise to superpower. Many books were sold and article written. Seems like same people are now recycling old theory with new title and guess what writing more mooks and anticles.
Comment: Long live China
Comment: ????????????
Comment: to CPCm: as the Chinese, we'd better be very tolerant to all critics including irritative comments because they help us to realize the problems. I have been living in the U.S. for many years. I know Americans nearly know nothing outside of the U.S. An example is that more than 90% of Americans can not correctly figure out the location of Afghanistan on the map. How can you expect an American to have any basic understanding about China? American media is very biased. They only reported defective Chinese toys, but ignored the news that the U.S. dumped thousands tons of electronic rubbish in China every year. In American media, America is always the best in the world and other nations are degraded. Certainly it helps Americans to feel happy and American politicians to cover their incompetence. That is not too bad. If you also lived in the U.S. for several years like me, then you will not criticize Promisous. Instead, you will feel pitiful about Americans like Promisous.
Comment: anyway merry christmas to all,
Comment: to Promisous: have you ever truely been to China? or where did you get all these disgusting comments. yes, there are lots of problems in China, but the truth is that it is getting better now and it will be better and better. you want China to rosovle all these problems through one night? i hope you go to China and experience China by yourself, maybe you can get another different opinion.
Comment: Objective and Relevant by Xueheng Zhang from Shanghai, China
Comment: Objective and Relevant By Xueheng Zhang from Shanghai, China
Comment: This is certainly a good piece of reporting, balanced, objective and forward-looking. It shows the facts of China as it emerges onto the world stage. But more importantly, it shows the direction the world wishes China to go forward to, and China itself is obviously responding to that wish. As a Chinese, I give a thumps-up to this story. But I am also amazed to know that some extremist idiots, like this Larry Houle (2nd comment), still close their eyes to the simple facts and whine like a nasty loser. What is that "China is a threat to democracy and freedom throughout the world"? Who has China threatened in this world? Point me one. "The Government of China absolutely has no right to rule"? Then who has a right to rule in China? The United States government? George W. Bush and Dick Cheney? Like they rule in Iraq now? Please, give me a break. "It is one of the most ruthless and criminal governments in the world?" Who is this Larry Houle talking about? Ask any nation in the world and they probably might use this phrase not on the Chinese government but on the government in his own home country. It is time for these blind-sighted new conservative zealots to open their eyes to the truth in the world today. You are not going to win by waging a war on any nation that happenes to live in a different social system. You can only win by truly believing in the fair competition and by opening up to the globalization. The winner leads the globalization, like the US has done in the past decades and like China is now taking up from hehind. China is winning its future not by challenging the world order, but by joining it. China is going to win alongside with the US and EU and most industrialized nations. It is good to know that the United States has a more rational thinking and more objective media like Newsweek. Extremists shall not, and will never, prevail.
Michael Meng
Comment: There are Americans that are ignorant self-interested, and stupid. Some are all of that at once. China and Russia will become America's best friends when our government here changes. We have been poorly governed since 9/11, and the Energy Monopolists have run us like a fascist state. The America you see today is a victim of this, not any outside nation. Blinded by hate after the attack of 9/11, Americans put their trust in people who used it for personal gain. The party of greed will be defeated in the next election. If they no longer hold the White House, and no longer have fillibuster power in the Senate, they will be ignored for at least a generation. You will see more of the traditional America.
What I worry about for China is that the development has backlash, pollution. Be careful to not allow growth to poison you as it did us here. We polluted so bad that in the 1970's a river even burned. Industrial waste dumped into rivers poisons the river for years. Be careful with your blessings. I wish you peace and prosperity and a Merry Christmas.
Comment: Thanks for your comment, Braes. It is true that pollution is a danger China faces today. But probably more dangerous is the attitudes of some businesses and some local government officials in China who think pollution is a necessary payback for gaining industrialization and economic progress. It is not true that you have to tolerate pollution if you want to get rich fast. Getting rich at the expense of environment is not really getting rich. Rather, it is getting into debt for future generations and getting our children into a poorer tomorrow. How to deal with and change this backward attitude is the real fight Chinese people are picking up today and will have to win if we are going to win this battle of protecting our environment. In this process, China needs help from outside, particularly from the US, in terms of technological know-how and a sound mentality towards the nature. You have learned of the cost about ignoring the nature and you can be a very good teacher. We need to work together because polluting China's environment and emitting gases into the air has now become part of a global problem. Pollution in the age of globalization is a problem for all on this dear Earth of ours.
Comment: We don't think that china will become a superpower in the world ,a superpower is not the GDP number 1 or number 2 in the world ,you should compare the normal people's life in china with other countries especially with western countries.bad health system and deepen imbalance between rural areas and urban areas.
equal rights and opptunities.a equal society.but all of it is far from a developed country.
Comment: We don't think that china will become a superpower in the world ,a superpower is not the GDP number 1 or number 2 in the world ,you should compare the normal people's life in china with other countries especially with western countries.bad health system and deepen imbalance between rural areas and urban areas.
equal rights and opptunities.a equal society.but all of it is far from a developed country.
Comment: but china still exists many problems , we don't think that we have a good life and a good society for development. the most we want to get "equal rights equal opptunities" . It's still very poor in rural areas .bad health systems for farmers , bad rural development policies. the deepen imbalance between ruaral and urban areas.
Comment: Part 3; One of the important reasons for the NAFTA Agreement was to encourage US industry to set up in Mexico leading to an economic boom ??? The Economic Rise of Mexico. Instead, because of cheap Chinese slave labor and no labor or environmental regulations (as required by NAFTA) these factories closed and re-located to China. As a result, millions of unemployed Mexicans poured into the United States. Not only that but the enormous importation of product from China is requiring the USA to invest hundreds of billions into transportation infrastructure just to move it inland from the California ports. An absolutely idiotic situation. The re-distribution of part of the Chinese trade surplus back to Mexico will help stabilize and truly lead to its economic rise. This will lead to a dramatic drop in illegal immigration from Mexico to the US. And Mexico importing an equivalent value of US high end technology will be a reciprocal economic shot in the arm for the United States.
As for China, re- allocation of its trade excesses with the West will force the Chinese government to reform politically and economically or die. Its time for the United States /EU to wake up before it???s too late. Its one thing for the West to be despised and hated but treated with RESPECT rather then to be despised hated and treated with contempt
Comment: Part 3; One of the important reasons for the NAFTA Agreement was to encourage US industry to set up in Mexico leading to an economic boom. The Economic Rise of US by enslaving slave labor in Mexico and allowing hundreds of millions of illegal immigrants to come in to build the economy. These people worked like slaves with no benefits and no insurances in the US. Instead, the Americans want to enslave more workers and so they decided to move these factories closed and re-located to China. As a result, millions of unemployed Mexicans poured into the United States so the US can enslave even more cheap labors to build their foreclosure houses. Not only that but the enormous importation of cheap labors from Mexico is requiring the USA to invest hundreds of billions into transportation infrastructure just to move even more cheap labors from Mexico. An absolutely idiotic situation made by Americans. The re-distribution of part of the stolen oil money from Iraq back to Mexico will help stabilize and truly lead to its economic rise. This will lead to a dramatic drop in illegal immigration from Mexico to the US. By the way, America used to belong to the Mexicans, the illegal immigrants from Europe stole it from the Mexicans. And Mexico importing an equivalent value of US high-end technology will be a reciprocal economic shot in the arm for the United States. That way, the US will keep the Mexicans undeveloped and continue to provide uneducated cheap labors to the US.
As for the West, re- allocation of its stolen oil money with Iraq will force the West government to reform politically and economically or die. Its time for the world and Muslims to wake up before the West completely kill and enslave the Muslims. Its one thing for the West to be despised and hated but treated with contempt rather then to be despised hated and treated with more contempt.
A dream is a dream, your dumb a55es.
Comment: Democratization of Globalization
The West must move immediately to dramatically correct the massive trade imbalances that they have allowed China to accumulate. This means the reallocation of $ 350 billion of production out of China and into third world democratic countries. This would be done over a 10 year period i.e. 35 billion/year. (The United States presently sells $28 billion to China and imports $228billion ??? a whopping $200 billion deficit. A real sucker???s deal if there ever was one. A sucker???s deal that is devastating the wages and economic future of the American Middle Class. The EU has a deficit of $150 billion. Sucker number 2.) These countries include Mexico, Central and South America, India, and Africa where the US $200 billion share would be shifted. The EU $150 billion - to Romania, Bulgaria, the Balkans, Ukraine, Turkey, Georgia, Armenia, Africa, India. The only stipulation is that these countries must purchase an equivalent amount of high end production from the US and the EU to modernize their economies. In this way everybody wins. The US/EU dramatically reduces their trade deficit. The $200 billion coming back into the US/EU economy in high end technology jobs translates into an $800 billion economic bonanza. An economic bonanza for the besieged Middle Classes of both the US and EU. The benefits of Globalization goes to the needy hard working poor of democratic nations. And the hard working down trodden Middle Classes of the West. The pouring of its trade imbalance with China by the EU into its Near Abroad will dramatically shift the balance of power to democratic forces of the Ukraine, Turkey etc and drastically reduce the costs of the EU eventually absorbing these counties as member states. Globalization becomes a vehicle not to enrich one greedy, criminal state but to benefit the entire third world.
As previously explained - the transfer of trade wealth from the West to the third world and spreading it around comes back to the West through the purchase of high end technology to be used to modernize these third world countries. Trade becomes a tool to spread freedom and democracy. The Democratization of Globalization.
Comment: The World must move im
