| The ambivalence of U.S. policy towards China | | | | work at all the large companies and |
| may be perhaps best characterized by the | | | | government agencies in the city. If, |
| incident of the spy airplane back in 2001. | | | | conversely, you are registered as a rural |
| While gathering intelligence off the coast of | | | | person there are very severe restrictions on |
| China, a U.S. Navy EP-3 electronic spy plane, | | | | where you can live and work. And this is |
| piloted by Lt. Osborn collides in mid-air | | | | actually the biggest human rights problem in |
| with a Chinese F-8 and is forced to make an | | | | China today. You have a majority of this |
| emergency landing at Hainan Island. The | | | | population of 1.3 billion that are, by law, |
| Chinese pilot, Wang Wei, is killed in the | | | | second class citizens. Furthermore, there are |
| incident. China charges that the U.S. plane | | | | the other matters of the more than 20 million |
| illegally entered Chinese airspace, and | | | | people who have no social security net |
| detains the 24 U.S. crew members for 11 days. | | | | whatsoever to assist taking care of their |
| It demands that the U.S. take full | | | | basic needs, as well as the environmental |
| responsibility for the incident and issue a | | | | concerns that the new era of |
| full apology. In the end, the United States | | | | industrialization is bringing up. Of the ten |
| offers a letter in which it says it is "very | | | | worst polluted cities in the whole world |
| sorry" for the loss of the Chinese pilot and | | | | according to the World Environmental Agency, |
| "very sorry" that the aircraft landed in | | | | eight are in China. And, finally, the PRC |
| China without permission. The damaged U.S. | | | | accounts for 23 percent of the global |
| airplane is not returned for three months. | | | | population while supply of fresh water is |
| Together with the letter of apologies, | | | | less than 6 percent.Yet, the social and |
| however, China also gets a U.S. aircraft | | | | economic improvements are huge as anyone who |
| carrier battlegroup of the Seventh Fleet | | | | saw China in the '70's will confirm. Three |
| permanently stationed off the coast of | | | | decades ago there were no automobiles, no |
| Taiwan.On the other hand, Chinese ambivalence | | | | super markets, no highrise buildings. And |
| towards the United States can be perhaps best | | | | there were no consumer goods to speak of. It |
| described by the statement of a Chinese | | | | was a Stalinist society, and a very poor |
| official to a visiting American delegation to | | | | Stalinist society at that. So the economic |
| Shanghai in 2001: "I surely hope that you and | | | | system has totally changed, and the private |
| the American economy do well in this global | | | | sector is now the dominant sector of the |
| slowdown, because your economic interests and | | | | economy. It didn't exist at all as late as |
| your economic development are critical to the | | | | 1979. The political system has changed as |
| welfare of the people in Shanghai and | | | | well, albeit not nearly as drastically as the |
| China.". This remarks comes at a time while | | | | economic system. The China of the |
| China is intent at stealing U.S. military | | | | twenty-first century is a one-party state |
| secrets from Martin Lockheed - and it is | | | | without a firm ideological foundation, more |
| caught with both hands in the bag doing | | | | similar to Mexico under the PRI than Russia |
| so.And then, of course, American and Chinese | | | | under Stalin. It is certainly difficult today |
| joint ambivalence towards the rest of the | | | | to call China a Communist State, and the |
| world must be perhaps encapsulated in the | | | | regime is no longer the party of workers and |
| philantropic website maintained at where | | | | peasants. Mao Zedong would be unpleasantly |
| both sides are trying to convince the rest of | | | | surprised at how things got out of hand. But |
| us in English - and for those who do not get | | | | then, even this political transformation is |
| it the first time around, in Chinese - that | | | | nothing new to the Chinese. In fact, |
| seldom have there been in the history of | | | | historically China has often gone through |
| humanity two great pals like the Bald Eagle | | | | periods of consolidation followed by periods |
| and the Red Dragon. Well ... well ...China's | | | | of weakening of the central authority. And |
| giant leap towards a Western-style, | | | | the inequality of wealth is just a |
| capitalistic economy presents an increasingly | | | | consequence of it all.No issue is more |
| urgent set of challenges that must be | | | | pivotal and controversial in the U.S.-China |
| resolved by the leading elite if they hope to | | | | relations than the question of Taiwan. On |
| sustain the miraculous economic growth, which | | | | October 1, 1949 after nearly two decades of |
| has averaged eight percent a year for the | | | | civil war, Chinese Communist Party leader Mao |
| past decade. When you consider that the | | | | Zedong declared victory over the |
| People's Republic of China (PRC) has 1.3 | | | | U.S.-supported Nationalists (Kuomintang or |
| billion people, more than four times the | | | | KMT) led by Chiang Kai-shek. Mao proclaimed |
| population of the United States, the | | | | the establishment of the People's Republic of |
| implications of its radical economic | | | | China (PRC) and instituted a new communist |
| transformation are sobering. In 2004 the | | | | system modeled after the U.S.S.R. After his |
| Chinese added 1.8 million cars to their | | | | defeat Chiang Kai-shek fled to the Chinese |
| roads, bringing the national total to well | | | | island of Taiwan, then called Formosa, along |
| over 10 million. At recent growth rates, the | | | | with two million Nationalist refugees. Taiwan |
| number could very well double every three to | | | | is located about 100 miles off China's coast. |
| four years. Should car ownership ever match | | | | There he established a "provisional" |
| that in the United States (135 million | | | | Nationalist capital in Taipei and declared |
| vehicles in 2002), there would be about 600 | | | | martial law. The Nationalists claimed to be |
| million cars on China's roads - more than all | | | | the sole legitimate government of all of |
| the cars in the world today. A statistical | | | | China, and set up the same political bodies |
| comparison between the two giants compiled by | | | | on Taiwan which had ruled on the mainland. |
| the World Resource Institute of the United | | | | Under Chiang's authoritarian leadership, the |
| Nations reveals even more staggering | | | | Nationalist government established a |
| figures:CHINA vs. UNITED STATESAREA: | | | | successful land reform program during the |
| 3,705,820 square miles vs. 3,717,796 square | | | | 1950's which helped transform the country |
| milesPOPULATION: 1,288,700,000 vs. | | | | from an agricultural to a commercial and |
| 291,500,000DENSITY per square mile: 348 vs. | | | | industrial economic powerhouse.It is |
| 78ENERGY CONSUMPTION per person: 880 Kg/oil | | | | difficult for Westerners to understand why |
| per year vs. 7,960 Kg/oil per yearMEAT | | | | the PRC is so adamant about reunification |
| CONSUMPTION per person: 104 lbs. per year vs. | | | | with Taiwan, until an example is brought up |
| 269 lbs. per yearPAPER CONSUMPTION per | | | | by the Chinese. "Think of California as an |
| person: 73 lbs. per year vs. 730 lbs. per | | | | island off America's West Coast and inhabited |
| yearAVERAGE NUMBER OF PERSON : 1.1 per room | | | | by Americans but under a different regime. |
| vs. 0.5 per roomWATER USE per person : | | | | Wouldn't Washington want to seek |
| 116,000 gals. per year vs. 484,500 gals. per | | | | reunification ?" The analogy made by Yang |
| yearTV SETS per 1,000 persons: 292 vs. | | | | Jiechi, Chinese Ambassador to the United |
| 844VEHICLES per 1000 persons: 16 vs. 774Since | | | | States, makes perfect sense. Taiwan is the |
| its onset in 1949 the People's Republic has | | | | PRC's unfinished civil war. They fought a |
| gone through a lot, including a famine where | | | | civil war with this Nationalist government. |
| 20 million to 30 million people died in the | | | | They essentially won. The Nationalists |
| early 1960s; a cultural revolution that went | | | | escaped out to an island which the Chinese |
| on into a decade; and a skyrocketing national | | | | consider an integral part of China. And then, |
| suicide rate as well. Yet, never in the | | | | because of American support and other |
| history of the world have so many people been | | | | intervening factors, they never finished |
| lifted from poverty so rapidly. President | | | | their civil war. In terms of the military, |
| Clinton, in one of his last speeches, said | | | | the PRC is also developing very rapidly. It |
| that 200 million people in China were lifted | | | | is acquiring a modern aircraft and modern |
| from absolute poverty from 1978 to about | | | | battleships. Its naval force and air force |
| 1999. That's equivalent to about two-thirds | | | | are developing so fast that China is now at |
| of the entire population of the United States | | | | the forefront of Asia's military innovations. |
| in twenty years. The economic achievements, | | | | Ambivalence exists both in the political |
| therefore, are huge. But so are the problems. | | | | relations of China and the U.S. with Taiwan |
| The factors of economic instability are many | | | | as well as between China and the U.S. over |
| and worry the leadership. In fact, the | | | | Taiwan. China pursues a policy of "One |
| leading elite justifies some of the | | | | Country - Two Systems" , a policy that is |
| repressive political measures precisely | | | | working well with Hong Kong and Macau after |
| because of what they call "the factors of | | | | their return to the PRC. The United States |
| instability." These factors include a | | | | pursues a strategy aptly called "Strategic |
| financial and banking system that is | | | | Ambiguity": it recognizes Bejing as the only |
| basically bankrupt, with bad loans out | | | | legitimate government while at all times |
| greater than the real net reserves of the | | | | investing in and supplying weaponry to |
| entire banking system.There are perhaps | | | | Taiwan. And Taiwan's strategy is to court the |
| between 80 million to 100-plus million people | | | | United States while increasing its trade with |
| that are moving from the countryside on a | | | | the PRC, now amounting to over US $40 billion |
| kind of temporary contract labor into the | | | | per year.It is in this complex context of |
| Chinese cities. And yet a large number of | | | | political and economic balances and |
| urban unemployed are getting put out of | | | | counter-balances that the Eagle and the |
| business from non-competitive state | | | | Dragon are eyeballing each others. A context |
| enterprises. As a result China has got urban | | | | certainly not for the faint of heart. And |
| unemployed, rural unemployed coming into the | | | | yet, in the geopolitical situation of Asia |
| cities, unsound financial system, and general | | | | the United States and China make a very good |
| resentment against a regime that has, in the | | | | team. Both are disdainful of absolutist |
| past, grotesquely mismanaged things. And | | | | chieftains the likes of North Korea's Kim Il |
| then, of course, there is the widespread | | | | Sung, both want peace and relaxation in the |
| problem of corruption that permeates every | | | | region, both are fervent in their plight |
| facet of society.Indeed, corruption is not a | | | | against terrorism and both are eager to |
| Chinese characteristic per se. It has, | | | | improve trade and cultural exchange with each |
| however, developed in a world where old, | | | | others. The Chinese - founders of |
| antiquated and inefficient laws are not being | | | | civilization are now meeting and talking to |
| replaced fast enough to keep up with the | | | | the Americans - spearheads of contemporary |
| speed of present times, and the vacuum has to | | | | society. Two great countries, two great |
| be somehow filled. Experts think that on one | | | | people.Will the Eagle and the Dragon find a |
| hand the economic opening will bring more | | | | common ground for peaceful co-existence and |
| outside influences and in a way more chaos to | | | | mutual understanding?Stay tuned.Luigi |
| the country which is not a bad thing in some | | | | FrascatiLuigi Frascati is a Real Estate Agent |
| ways. But, conversely, experts agree that the | | | | based in Vancouver, British Columbia. He |
| leadership will try to keep a tight control | | | | holds a Bachelor Degree in Economics and |
| so that, at the end of the day, there may | | | | maintains a weblog entitled the Real Estate |
| actually very well be more human rights | | | | Chronicle at where you can find the full |
| violations than ever before.There is also an | | | | collection of his articles. Luigi is |
| imbalance of wealth between the thirty-five | | | | associated with the Sutton Group, the largest |
| percent of the population that lives in the | | | | real estate organization in Canada, and is |
| cities and the sixty-five percent inhabiting | | | | based with Sutton-Centre Realty in Burnaby, |
| the countryside. There is a system of | | | | BC.Luigi is very proud to be an EzineArticles |
| residence controls. If you are lucky enough | | | | Platinum Expert Author. Your rating at the |
| to be born in a city - and registered as a | | | | footer of this Article is very much |
| city dweller - it is easier for you to get | | | | appreciated. Thank you. |
| into university. You are in the city, you can | | | | |