CHINESE NATIONALISM AND HEGEMONY REAR THEIR UGLY HEADS

BBC:

"Stone-throwing protesters have smashed windows at the Japanese embassy in the Chinese capital, Beijing, during a big rally against Japan's war-time past. Japanese-owned businesses also came under attack during the march, which thousands of protesters joined. The protests come less than a week after China criticised Japan for approving new school books which it says gloss over Japanese atrocities. Protests on this scale are very rare in China's tightly-regulated capital."

I find it illuminating that the tyrants of China would allow a violent demonstration against Japan. It's a cynical use of ugly nationalism for hegemonic purposes.

We should be putting more pressure on China - to increase domestic liberty and to get North Korea to play-ball. (Now - right after the passing of PJPII THE GREAT - is an especially good time to press China to allow more RELIGIOUS freedom. BTW: what if the "secret Cardinal is Chinese!? I hope so: it would sure help on this front!)

I think we need a wedge to put more pressure on China - which means another place from which to import a massive amount of cheap goods.

NAFTA was supposed to make that place Mexico, but it hasn't panned out - in large measure because of Mexico's rampant and chaotic corruption. And their dependence on oil and the capital in-flows form illegal (hard-working/non-tax-paying) immigrants in the USA.

Perhaps that wedge could be INDIA: a pluralistic English-speaking democracy - just like us! YUP; that's the ticket: we need to RAMP UP our relations with India. To do this we probably need to get the Kashmir issue settled, (so our "alliance" with Pakistan won't suffer as our alliance with India is forged). Look for this to be done right after we ensure democracy in Lebanon (and Syria) - which is to say: BY AUTUMN! (Pakistan needs to root out the neojihadists from Kashmir. This will be as difficult as rooting them out from the tribal areas on the border with Afghanistan. Which makes me wonder: Is Pakistan a "Potemkin" nation - a pseudo-democracy which barely can extend the rule of law to the edges of it's own territory?!? It seems so, and we should take this into account, too; it's another reason to reevaluate our relationships in the region. Which segues nicely into my recommendation).

YES: a closer relationship with India will help us be more forceful with China and in turn with North Korea, too. And this will in turn help us with the defense of Taiwan. And it will help Japan, too - which is also somewhat threatened by a nationalistic and hegemonic China. And it might help us put more pressure on Pakistan to be even more helpful in the GWOT.

THEREFORE (due to all of these strategic benefits): We need a concerted effort to forge a true India-USA alliance. NOW. It may be the most undervalued under-utilized potential relationship the USA has with any nation in the whole world. We can change that - and make the world safer as a result. The first two major steps in this direction would be a a bi-lateral free-trade pact, more arms sales and joint military exercises. Initiating these three moves would send a powerful signal. And a good one.

UPDATE - MORE FROM THE IHT (hat tip THE ROTH REPORT):

The IHT has a fascinating article about how China is courting closer ties to India - timed to coincide with an major visit by China's PM to India RIGHT NOW. Here's an excerpt:

Indeed, Beijing's overtures toward India are being contemplated with a keen awareness of China's rivalry with the United States, which has also jealously courted New Delhi, lately promising to help make it a "major world power in the 21st century. For that reason, Wen will come with a package of initiatives. They are aimed at drawing India and China, the world's two most populous nations, closer than they have been at any time since the 1950s. Both sides say they will push hard to resolve a decades-old border dispute. There is talk of a free-trade agreement as well as joint oil exploration and purchases of commercial airliners. China may even endorse India's bid to become a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, or at least strongly hint at its support."

(It's a GREAT article; RTWT.)

This indicates to me that my point is NOT ONLY VALID, but URGENT! We must get India into our camp: it's both highly strategic and natural: we are both English-speaking pluralistic democracies with more to gain from each other than from strengthening ties to or appeasing an evermore hegemonic China. If India gets closer to China now, it is essentially nothing more than APPEASEMENT. By getting closer to us, India would be strengthening their independence.

Condi should go to India ASAP; this should be followed by a visit by GWB.

(Previous post on INCREASING CHINESE HEGEMONY HERE.)

**** 4/10/05 **** UPDATE **** UPDATE:

BANGALORE, India (AP) -

China and India should work together to dominate the world's tech industry, bringing together Chinese hardware with Indian software, China's prime inister said Sunday. [...] The two countries have been improving ties despite decades of
frosty relations and rivalry. China is also a longtime ally and the main supplier of military hardware to Pakistan - India's archrival. [...] China is keen to develop a free trade area with a combined population total 2 billion, which would make it the largest free trade area in the world. India-China trade reached $13.6 billion in 2004, with India recording a trade surplus of $1.75 billion, Indian Commerce Ministry statistics show. On other issues, Wen and Singh are expected to discuss the more than 50-year-old border dispute over their 650-mile frontier, parts of which are not demarcated. A solution is expected to be reached during Wen's four-day visit. Wen is also expected to discuss with Indian authorities the Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, who lives in exile in India, Chinese officials have said.

As I said above: we need to contain and diminish China's power in the region, and contruct a wedge - leverage - against China's growing power. Building an alliance with India is the best way to do this. This means we need negotiate a FREE TRADE AGREEMENT with India and become their major arms supplier, and wean them away from the tyrannical hegemonic China. And we need to begin NOW!