USA/CHINA/ASEAN Relationship (Blog # 8)

In regards to China's foreign policy, they have two main goals: 1). to overcome the 'century of humiliation' and 2). to regain thier 'rightful place in the world.' To anyone who will listen, China promises that they will attempt to achieve these goals in a peaceful and responsible manner. On the surface, the PRC seems to be abiding by that promise. The are responsibling engaging with the World Trade Organization and with members of ASEAN. They PRC is hosting the 2008 Summer Olympics and has promised to make it as 'green' as possible.

So, what stands in China's way of achieving the two aforementioned goals...basically, the United States! The United States is currently the lone Super Power on our planet and we are probably not quite ready to share that title just yet. The US also prevents China from fully incorporating Taiwan under the PRC. China has recently began to buddy up to members of ASEAN in hopes of regaining thier good graces. Should the tension between the US and China ever become so great that the nations of SE Asia had to pick a side, China is hoping to secure that alliance.

Should this worry the US? In short, no! After reading, Martin Stuart-Fox's article discussing the various worldviews of nations, I have come to the conclusion that their is very little, if anything, that the US could do to secure an alliance with the nations of SE Asia against China.

"Religion Should Not Be A Tool To Turn Against Their Country!" (Blog #7)

74 year old French Hotel tycoon, Paul Dubrule, made quite a stir in both his home country and abroad, when he announced that, "although I have never met the Dalai Lama, I would like to tell him that a country should protect the religious belief of its people but religions should not be a tool for people to turn against their country."

He is referring, of course, to the current state of affairs in Tibet. As was covered this week in our readings, "the post 1911 Chinese nation was nominally a Republic of 5 Nationalities encompassing the Han, Manchu, Mongolian, Tibetan, and Hui peoples." In an attempt to form a more unified Chinese national identity Chiang kei-shek reinforced the Han majority. Since that time period, essentially, all other minorities have been forced into accepting the Han majority way of life. Once the Communist Party took over China, the new goal that was forced upon all people, ethnic minorities included, was 'universal progress' towards Socialism.

Dubrule, who grew up in France, was under the impression, as he claims must Westerners are, that people living in Tibet, "are under the repression of the central government." So, he decided that he would visit, explore, Tibet first hand. He made a 15,000 kilometer bicycle trip from Fontainebleau to Siem Reap, Cambodia through Tibet. On his journey he encountered many local Tibetans and spoke with them about their current state of affairs. He was shocked by their response. Many of them were eager for more 'modernization.' They enjoyed the roads, the hospitals, the schools, and airports. They didn't want to simply maintain their "old lifestyles simply for tourists."

I found this article so interesting because I never really looked at it from this perspective before. I, too, always assumed that the people of Tibet were under the 'repression of the central government.' I never really thought of all the positive benefits that come along with economic development and all the Tibetans that may actually be in favor of it. Something to think about!

China Looks Set For Telecom Industry Restructuring (Blog #5)

Prior to taking this course, I was under the impression that China was in the midst of an economic miracle. However, the more and more I read about China in the news and the more 'behind the scenes' information I learn about China from this course, I realize that this economic miracle may not be with out some serious costs! And unfortunately, the people expected to the foot the bill for this so-called 'miracle' are the lowest on the socio-economic totem pole...the farmers.

In an attempt to build more highways, more strip malls, more high end apartments, the government is literally taking the land out from under the peasants. When the government takes the land away from the farmers, they not only take their homes and property, but as one of the reporters mentioned in the NYT segment, since there is no social security or pension for old age, the government has deprived them of their ability to feed themselves.

As I read this article China Looks Set for Telecom Restructuring Industry, I couldn't help but wonder who was going to really benefit from this? Should the world be rejoicing? Should the people of China be rejoicing that China is almost ready to launch one of the biggest mobile mergers in China's history? Granted, it would provide great telecommunications for an already expanding group of costumers...but, come on now.

How about investing all of that time, energy, and brain power...and lets fix some really serious problems. Lets fix the sewage leaking into the rivers that are running through the provinces and irrigating the fields and causing high percentages of men and women to die of cancer! I feel was China begins to tackle those issues...environmental, social, political...then China would truly be in the midst of an 'economic miracle.'