China and Internationalism
Apropos of the previous post about the rise of China, John Ikenberry had a very good treatment of the issue from a liberal internationalist perspective in the January/February issue of Foreign Affairs that's well-worth reading if you're interested in this subject.
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I don't think so.
That's a good one. What rules did this wonderful system follow in Iraq and Afghanistan? Somalia? Lebanon? Gitmo? el Ghraib? In the economic depravations of the World Bank in third world countries? And what evidence is there that China would want to be part of this evil system? Let's hope they don't.
This idea of Western exceptionalism, which is really American exceptionalism, is a myth that the rest of the world doesn't buy into according to the polls. Certainly China won't buy into it. "China" is "Tsung Kuo," the "Central Kingdom," a five thousand year old empire that does things its own way. They don't have a high regard for "farsighted U.S. leadership," believe it or not, the same leadership that has created huge debt and death & destruction in so many places.
Will the US let China run the World Bank? The International Monetary Fund? Will it forget about using NATO for its foreign military exploits, and rely on the UN? Of course not.
April 24, 2008 2:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
I have to say that I was somewhat taken aback by Ikenberry's serene confidence that in the nuclear era we have transcended the threat of great power war. He says "war-driven change has been abolished as a historical process." That's an awfully optimistic view.
April 24, 2008 3:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
As I said before the 21st century is not going to be the "Chinese," century. The Chinese do not have any domestic auto and computer industries that can compete with the Europeans and Japanese. In the news we hear about Toyota over taking GM and the US air force buying planes from EADS, while the Chinese have developed a bad reputation for making unsafe toys and poisoned pet food. Is this a really rising power? I believe the US political establishment has bostered China's standing in the world because the they liked its no holds bar capitalism unlike the European and Japanese economies which are more protected and have a state financed social system that funds pensions and schools. By citing China as a competitor it is easy to cut back on the rights of American workers, but if you were to cite the sucesses of both Europe and Japan than workers would demand a government funded healthcare system and more funding for education.
April 24, 2008 7:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
As I said before the 21st century is not going to be the "Chinese," century. The Chinese do not have any domestic auto and computer industries that can compete with the Europeans and Japanese. In the news we hear about Toyota over taking GM and the US air force buying planes from EADS, while the Chinese have developed a bad reputation for making unsafe toys and poisoned pet food. Is this a really rising power? I believe the US political establishment has bostered China's standing in the world because the they liked its no holds bar capitalism unlike the European and Japanese economies which are more protected and have a state financed social system that funds pensions and schools. By citing China as a competitor it is easy to cut back on the rights of American workers, but if you were to cite the sucesses of both Europe and Japan than workers would demand a government funded healthcare system and more funding for education.
April 24, 2008 8:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
Sorry for the reposts
April 24, 2008 8:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
"The Chinese do not have any domestic auto and computer industries that can compete with the Europeans and Japanese."
The Chinese have a rapidly growing auto industry. Automobile exports increased by nearly 80% last year. They have entered markets in South America, Eastern Europe and the Middle East, and will probably enter the North American market in 5 or 15 years. As far as original technological R&D is concerned, I can't imagine China ever getting anywhere close to the US, but 30 years from now China will be a much more developed country.
April 25, 2008 10:50 AM | Reply | Permalink
To kenner116:
Name me any Chinese automakers that you know of? They probably have exported some of their cars to South America, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East but how do they fair against the Japanese, European, and and even American cars?
April 25, 2008 4:31 PM | Reply | Permalink