诗经 注释和译文:China benefits as U.S. shoots itself in the f...
来源:百度文库 编辑:九乡新闻网 时间:2024/10/06 18:09:57
China benefits as U.S. shoots itself in the foot
2011-4-8 10:05
Members of China’s political elite who are eager for the Middle Kingdom to displace the United States as the world’s leading power probably can’t believe their good fortune. America has so many natural advantages that such a displacement would normally take several generations, if it occurred at all. Yet clumsy, counterproductive U.S. policies may be shortening that time frame dramatically.
Unlike China, which must contend with multiple great powers (Japan, Russia, and India) in its immediate region, powers that do not especially wish China well, the United States has no serious challengers in its entire hemisphere. Add to that the protection afforded by vast oceanic approaches that the exceptionally capable U.S. Navy and Air Force dominate easily, and a huge nuclear deterrent as an ace in the hole, and the United States is easily the most strategically secure great power in history.Equally significant, America has an extremely sophisticated, productive economy. And the American culture is pervasive across the globe.
Washington’s spendthrift habits—which have produced annual federal budget deficits exceeding $1.5 trillion—not only weaken America, but give China important diplomatic and economic leverage. China is now the largest foreign holder of U.S. Treasury debt. Thus far, Beijing has been subtle about using that leverage, but U.S. officials are all too aware of the vulnerability such dependence creates.
America’s expensive military role contributes to the chasm of debt. The combined costs of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars currently run more than $125 billion a year, and the tally since 2001 is more than $1.2 trillion. And that is just in direct costs to date. Future obligations (for example to wounded veterans) and indirect costs to the American economy may run another $3 trillion or more. Washington’s insistence on policing the planet and subsidizing the defense of its European and East Asian allies leads to an overall military budget of more than $700 billion—nearly as much as the rest of the world combined. That is a financial hemorrhage that Beijing can—and does—happily avoid.
Global meddling is also damaging the American brand with respect to political values and even popular culture. That is especially apparent in the Muslim world, where public opinion surveys reveal that positive views of the United States now sometimes languish in the single digits. But America’s popularity has waned even in Europe and other formerly very friendly regions. Even as Washington’s aggressive behavior alienates populations, especially in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, China is cultivating countries in those regions, portraying itself as a less intrusive, more cooperative political and economic partner.
Many of China’s diplomatic and political gains in the international arena are because of America’s self-inflicted wounds. Washington’s decision to undertake multiple military interventions and nation-building missions, from the Balkans to the Hindu Kush, will probably astonish future historians. If the current mission in Libya becomes something more than a brief affair in which the United States plays a very limited role, that intervention will be added to the growing list of U.S. foreign policy blunders.
Perhaps Chinese nationalists will be lucky, and the U.S. political and policy elite will continue to pursue expensive, bloody chimeras in the Third World and continue to subsidize the defense of free-riding security clients. But it’s also possible that more frugal, realistic leadership will emerge in Washington. And if that happens, China’s journey down the road toward the status as the world’s premier power may encounter some major speed bumps, perhaps even some large potholes.
China benefits as U.S. shoots itself in the f...
China benefits as U.S. continuously shoots It...
The Resource War between China and U.S. in Af...
China, U.S. aim at cooperative partnership for global benefits藕片
U.S. Foreign Policy in the Asia
U.S. Senate confirms Gary Locke as ambassador to China
China hoping to play active role in Libya's f...
China’s Strengths and Weaknesses in the eyes ...
China's Chengguan, in the eyes of foreign med...
U.S. study concludes rice originates in China...
China to trounce U.S. in next decade
Interview: More U.S. students encouraged to study in China
U.S. Vice President Biden arrives in China on...
China and the U.S.: Who threatens whom after all?
Can the U.S. and China Build Trust to Establi...
Dealing with India in the U.S.-Pakistan relat...
China Leader’s Limits Come Into Focus as U.S. Visit Nears
The U.S.-China Summit and the Korean Peninsula: Is Cooperation Possible?
Remarks at the Opening Session of the U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue
The Balloon Goes Up in Libya, With U.S. In Th...
Will China's rise lead to the decline of U.S....
Gap China Bag Made in the USA
Along the flowery path in China
Shallow agreement in the South China Sea