conflict between China and America

Taming the Asian Tiger

Introduction : The Inter Press Service in USA , reported that one of the top priorities of the American President George W . Bush , as soon as he took up office for the second term in the White House , was to develop 'appropriate strategies for dealing with threats posed by China , Russia and the emergence of a number of aggressively anti-American regimes (IPS , 1 ) Does President 's agenda reflect thorough analyses of the latest developments in China or it does it stem from a lack of understanding and a deep sense

of mistrust , of the successful Communist phenomenon called `CHINA ? Why the latter seems to be a more plausible reason will be analyzed in this essay . Some of the causes and the events that led to the conflicting interests , and the fall-out of these events in their cultural and political contexts , will be discussed , to argue that the US has in more than one way been responsible for the escalation of the situation

The Hot Bed of Politics : The aftermath of 9 /11 , WTO bombing and connected disasters , made the President George W . Bush declare War against Terrorism . China was listed as one of the emerging `potential threats ' to the US security and freedom . When asked why he thought that America was dealing with an enemy in China , Republican senator , Fred Thompson detailed three counts . 1 ) China was a large country with tremendous potential , and they were growing economically . 2 ) China was building up its military arsenal in general , and concentrating on in it build up towards Taiwan , in particular (ally of the US . 3 ) Most important of the three , was that they were undergoing changes in their leadership , and having social problems , which cause anxiety (Thompson 2 . China for its part has always held the view that Taiwan was a part of Greater China , which had to be returned to motherland China as a legitimate part of its territory , severed during the unfinished civil war . The Chinese Ambassador to the US , Yang Jiechi , articulated that Chinese just like the Americans , jealously guarded their own sovereignty and territory , integrity and dignity . And if people understand these principles that they apply not only to the United States , but to China and to other countries , then they can understand the emotions of the Chinese people (Jiechi , 3 . The earliest origins of strained relationship may be traced to some historical events in the twentieth century

Prior to 1939 , three powers competed with each other for the control and exploitation of China , viz . US , Japanese and European . Finally , though the imperialistic US forces were successful in their bid , the aims of US were rendered fruitless by the Chinese Revolution of 1949 . The US stooge Chiang Kai Shek fled to the island of Taiwan , and ever since , the America foreign policy for the Pacific Region has been centered round `stopping Communism in its tracks . The Korean War and the splitting of the nation into two , and the humiliating defeat of America in the Vietnam War have all been viewed as an infringement on the valid and legitimate powers that China wields over the region . The US has seized the opportunity to pointedly criticize the appalling atrocities of the Tin an men Square , in 1989 as Human Rights violations , and subsequently executed sanctions against China , dropping it from the most favored list of nations

- China for its part defended the incident as an internal security matter not to be trifled with by outside power . However , it silently went about the reformation process in a number of fronts under primer Deng Xiaoping . China has perceptibly changed since then , as demonstrated by the obvious opening of a ) China 's economy , b ) as newss and magazines , c ) non-governmental organizations , d ) the courtroom more recently holding of the World Beauty Pageant contest in China Ironically , the opening of its doors to the modern world and ceding in part to the American demands , has opened up a hoard of opportunities in the economic front for China , making it stronger then ever before putting America in a very piquant situation . The bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade , Yugoslavia , in 1999 by the US , was another provocation that justifiably evoked widespread protests and resentment in China and the Chinese world over . The US , has however brushed it aside as an accident . Can such indifferent attitude be expected to foster friendly relations , between two nations already wary and watchful of each other

Cultural Aspects

The New World of Opportunities Vs The Land of Ancient Civilization : The United States of America is a comparatively young and recent outcome a very victorious colonial experience . America had vast and undiscovered soil , and hence , it was productive compared to the timeless and millennia old exploration of the Chinese land . Thus it attracted people from various European nations with the opportunities to make the maximum use of the potential riches in the form of original , natural wealth . It was then unabashedly exploited by an immigrant population , mostly literate , sometimes even at the cost of wiping out the Native American Red Indian population . With a history no more than three to five centuries old and no deep roots to bind their culture , exploitation of plentiful resources became the new mantra , the driving ideology of the American nation , with profit-making the singular motto , of its people The free spirit and entrepreneurship of the individual led to the technological advances , their use of the technological breakthroughs was focused on commercial success rather than public good . A case in the point is the world 's richest man Bill Gates , who made , at least a part of his money , through the sale of Microsoft Windows Operating Systems software , issuing a `License to Use , for a fee . Compare this with the Chinese technological invention of ` , which is used by majority of the world population even today it is not even patented

Indeed , the successive barbaric rulers have invaded China . The Chinese civilization was impacted by , and also befittingly , adopted by these rulers . They have constantly transformed the nation while getting transformed them-selves . Thereby , they bound themselves to the Chinese culture , for their own benefit and contributed to the development by optimization and redistribution of rare resources . This included knowledge skills and warfare techniques like the making of superior `double-bow ' and other weaponry , making of glass , porcelain , metal ores and metallurgy , making of , silk manufacture , poultry farming etc .Although a gullible section of the world does view `modernity ' as an exclusive trait of the West , real modernity shall seek to free the world from entrapping clutches of racism , hegemonic superiority and condescending `holier than thou ' manner . It shall seek peace , rather than power , respect and free people to practice religious beliefs according to their perceptions rather than judge the religions barbaric base on Christian beliefs pursue a more equitable sharing model , rather than exploitation for the dominance of a few . Samuel Huntington in The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World , points at many significant issues under the contexts of culture . In the US , and the West in general , he argues that since technology is used exclusively for the purposes of exploitation , wealth accumulation , the same being selectively re-distributed this lean ideological conflict acquire larger proportions and undergo metamorphosis into among people with different religions , values , ethnicities , and historical memories Civilizations then become defined by these cultural factors . And nations will re-align themselves , along these lines of civilizations

Nothing can prove to have more evidence of this statement , than the developments in Chinese positioning in recent years . China is making new forays , consolidating previously held ties in two regions , where US has overlooked - Africa and the Latin America . Indeed , the unimpeded rise of the Asian Tiger - the Chinese power , is viewed by the American State as warnings to its own interests the opportunity cost lost due to War on terrorism " and its preoccupation with Afghanistan and Iraq . The Tao-Confucius philosophy , reshaped by the pluralistic good-will to one and all of Buddhist philosophy , permeates the Chinese way of thinking a very fundamental level . This explains why even many of the young Western-educated Chinese youth , are disillusioned with the individual-centered capitalist philosophy of America . The Chinese were the first to invent gun-powder . But it was never used in China , since culturally it was not considered valorous to use it in honorable wars As Pepe Escobar has illustrated in the article `US and Eurasia Part II- Eurasia strikes back , even the European nations feel threatened by the American social model . European society is far from being as mobile as American society : it is deeply rooted (Escobar ,

. 2 . Escobar clarifies that Russia is a military power , Japan and the European Union - Industrial powers . America has no control or hold on these powers . Now China is rising in the horizon , strategically and steadily . Has proved itself to be ideologically and politically stable and consistent non-aggressive and mutually well-wishing . Which is why America feels threatened by China . The episodes and encounters are just a tip of a fraction of the hot cauldron of suspicion and tensions that lie below surface . While there may be no direct war immediately between the two nations , the seething differences and ill-will shall take the toll on innocent , poor , dependent countries , caught in the political cross-fire Solutions can be found if both the nations let of their suspicious move-counter move politics , and work towards peace and stability of the world measures of which have already been demonstrated by China so far but have hardly been forthcoming from the USA

Conclusion : The flaws of a capitalist ideologue pursued in excess recession , the preoccupation of the USA 's War against Terror ' in a prolonged engagement with Iraq , and Afghanistan , on one side , coupled by the strong and steady and healthy growth of China in the other , has lead to conflict of interests between the two . If the rising Chinese power can be recognized , respected and canalized , it may prove to be a boon indeed , to America and to the rest of the world

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