essdee1972 wrote:The "experts" here tell us that there is nothing to worry about; China is not historically an imperialistic or expansionist power. I wonder how they explain Tibet?
Wonder what history books the experts are reading!! Must be something similar to that which claims Chinese ships sailed across the World centuries before Columbus and Magellan, in junks (there is a book which claims that, I'll try to recall the author, etc.)!!!
The Chinese are not overtly concerned about manpower losses. Remember in 1938 or 39, Generalissimo (aka big gangster) Chiang kai Shek decided to breach the Yangtse dikes to slow down the Japanese advance? 800,000 (yeah, 8 lakh) Chinese civvies died, drowned. The Japanese advance was slowed, by merely 5 months.
Precisely! There's a lot of imagination going on in some circles, for sure!
Yes, I'm familiar with the book -- it claims they discovered the New World in 1421 or something like that. A friend read the book and we've discussed it at some length, but I haven't been able to get up enough interest to bother with reading it. That their junk fleet traveled the Indian Ocean, I can accept, and that some of the junks were quite large, that I can also accept. But cross the Pacific -- no, I'm not ready for that.
It is true that Columbus wasn't the first -- the Basques had been fishing the Grand Banks before that, and then there's the Vikings, which is proven beyond doubt. I wouldn't be surprised if there were some we haven't even heard about.
Regarding Chiang, no doubt he was no more than a gangster, and his brother-in-law TV Soong was the white collar gangster to go along with him. Also, his wife made good copy in the newspapers during the war.
Stillwell and The American Experience in China by Barbara Tuchman gives a pretty good overview of the type we were dealing with at that time.
I don't see the Chinese as a monolithic threat with no weak points, however. For one thing, they have an environmental disaster in their big cities, and it is only getting worse. Also, they have a growing middle class that is becoming increasingly restless from having no say in the government. As long as the economy keeps growing, perhaps the government can keep a lid on dissent. It won't be easy to do so if the economy slows, however. In that case, I see the government being much more willing to take risky steps in an attempt to fix things, and that won't be good for anyone. Also, the cost of Chinese manufacturing is going up. There are cheaper places to make things and their time will pass, too, and more quickly than they think.
Look at Japan: everyone in the USA thought Japan would overtake everyone, but they had their problems and stumbled. Their own low cost labor models and excellent engineering were picked up by the Koreans. Their bankers got to gambling with the baby's milk money and sent the country into a couple of decades of economic stagnation.
I think something like this could happen to China, as well. Things are not as rosy for them as some tend to assume.
just given a chance..we all would love to have them...since 1962 a lot has to be settled...and forget any retrograde operation on our part...fortunately i have served in this very area for 6 months as a task force commander...and face-offs are regular affairs..but this time its a little far fetched...we are prepared to settle the score yes they are logistically better off yet believe me gentle men if our politicians give us a free hand they will bleed through their all holes in a conventional battle...members who have donned uniform for this country will agree with me...but first our spunk less politicians needs to be awakened from their slumber..