Comments on: China’s R&D: Don’t Freak

By: Jason

Jason — Tue, 11 Apr 2006 13:33:42 +0000

I can’t wait until we have a new super power. Maybe the communists won’t be as big of jack asses as the US.

By: Franklin

Franklin — Thu, 06 Apr 2006 15:08:58 +0000

We are in an economic crossroads with China that we cannot win. The increasing reliance and world investment in Chinese industry is beyond our ability to compete with or stem. China doesn’t need or want a war, because the way things are going they will have the cookie jar and all the cookies as well without ever having to fire a shot. As far as needing the US to spend the $100’s of billions of trade deposit they now own, that is the biggest joke of all. The most threatening aspect of Chinese world dominance is right at our back door, and it is to funny that right now we are trying to close the door on undocumented south American immigrants. Where is China spending US dollars? The answer is all over South America, where the dollar has been supreme for ages. It is truly hard to speculate on a strategy to combat the invasion of US dollars from China, but it is happening, and the Monroe Doctrine was not designed to fight this. The BBC today has a very good report on this very problem.
It is time to seriously watch our backs!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4872522.stm

By: Moose

Moose — Tue, 04 Apr 2006 14:30:45 +0000

The problem with the status quo is that it will change, and those who don't change are changed. Sooner or later one of many issues (Iran, Taiwain, Spratlys, a market crash in China, various -stan elections) is going to come to a head. Someone will make a move, there will have to be a response, and both sides will be faced with the situation of economic reprisals being as lethal as military ones. So either inaction will rule, or both sides will dive fully into antagonism.

This doesn't mean I advocate open agression toward China, or some kid of ultra-nationalism. But I recognize that the efforts of China to artificially lever themselves into a strong-superpower economic and political position while retaining their overwieght hard-line position IS something to worry about.

By: Matthew Tompkins

Matthew Tompkins — Tue, 04 Apr 2006 13:02:09 +0000

America is obviously neither the dog nor puppet to China’s master. We’ve actually got mutual economic weaknesses: China holds so much of our debt, but they’re dependent on our Foreign Direct Investment and us purchasing consumer goods produced here to sustain their development — and they’ve staked the stability of the government on that development continuing. While I wouldn’t have necessarily advocated getting in this position vis-a-vis China, since we’re in it anyway it’s a bit of a mixed blessing; It’s like economic Mutually Assured Destruction: the more power each side has to destroy the other’s economic well-being, the more it’s in each side’s interest to maintain a stable relationship and stop painting each other as inevitable enemies.

As for what to do with the Pentagon’s R&D budget, that’s why I made the point of arguing that this report does NOT indicate a Chinese Sputnik. The key for now is to keep an eye out for the rhetoric – it’ll only be a matter of time before a member of the administration or an eager candidate refers to China surpassing us in R&D. When those comments find their way into the echo-chamber that is US-China relations, myth has a way of forcing reality. As for the crossroads of China policy, R&D and the Pentagon’s budget (and the unavoidable discussion of the QDR and ‘06 Nat Security Strategy), I think that’s the subject of a post all on its own…

By: pedestrian

pedestrian — Tue, 04 Apr 2006 12:10:43 +0000

>"China is a major funder of US debt, holding about £260bn (£149bn) in US Treasury bonds - >second only to Japan.

>Any reduction in China's dollar assets could hit the US economy."

Do you mean US is a dog and a puppet of China?

By: elizzar

elizzar — Tue, 04 Apr 2006 11:27:43 +0000

Hi all, this seems to be consistent with my own experiences. i was at a conference last year, for instance, where my supervisor found an abstract from a chinese group that reproduced her own work from several years previously, almost down to the same graphs, figures etc, and several journal articles from chinese researchers in my field bear striking ’similarities’ to previous works by western groups. imitation is the best complement i guess! i think the mentality of some hawks, of always having a threat to justify the military budget etc, it has to stop. terrorists today, chinese tomorrow … who’s next on the emergent threat merry-go-round …

By: JQP

JQP — Tue, 04 Apr 2006 11:24:34 +0000

Is an economic war on the horizon? If so do you react by building more and better weapons or do you try to change the underlying economic conditions so a trade war or worse is averted?

“China is a major funder of US debt, holding about £260bn (£149bn) in US Treasury bonds – second only to Japan.

Any reduction in China’s dollar assets could hit the US economy.”

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4875606.stm

By: pedestrian

pedestrian — Tue, 04 Apr 2006 10:42:28 +0000

What’s the conclusion? More budget for the DoD to spend on R&D, and have a strong military identical of the Cold War era to fight another Cold War with China?