Thanks Mr sism Maybe you could change it to Mr. Tism if you could bear to part with mysticism? Good band. Got some of their old cd's going at the mo'.
Despite the inevitability of China being the premier world power later this century, the sure signs of its unfolding don't seem to get much analysis.
They have never historically been an expansionist mob, which is good. They built a fair-size wall to keep people out at one stage and they have a massive, rich country.
They keep relations with North Korea ("as close as lips and teeth") not because they reckon that their tyrannical personality cult is admirable but because they provide a buffer against the US and its allies. With due respect to our principle ally, they have done a fair bit of rampaging throughout the world from certain perspectives.
You may recall that at one stage in the Korean War Gen. MacArthur proposed to nuke them - luckily, wiser heads prevailed and he got retired - so it still serves that "buffer" purpose - the poverty-striken oppressed next door don't pose any threat to China.
Outside of that, it must suit them not to have a unified, staunch US ally, Korea on their border as they move into various phases of whatever we end up calling the inevitable battles, deceits and skirmishes for power, resources and influence in future.
"Containment" was the old policy, but that was pretty easy, seeing as they didn't intend to expand anyway. It is good for Australia to have a Chinese-speaking Rudd at the helm (the new "Great Helmsman"?)as we start to see the most powerful nation in the world start up from its slumber.
Rudd's policy is to encourage engagement and cooperation between China and US. It will get very interesting when China decides it would really, really like its one outstanding renegade province formally back in the fold. Hong Kong and Macau - tick. Taiwan?
It is hard to see why they would ever relinquish this claim, so it is more a matter only of when and how. The advantage of China generally sustaining a long-term strategic focus, because of their central control and through their lack of democracy, is that they also lack a certain impetuousity and can also afford to wait.
Can you imagine a free election there with the "free our chained island" party up for election, then three years later the "free our chained island take back our land plus free beer" party 3 years later? Maybe during a recession? cheers
