China: no more Mister Nice Guy

On July 25, 2007, the International Monetary Fund released its 2007 projections. Those numbers indicate that China, this year for the first time, has dislodged the United States from its long reign as the main engine of global economic growth, with its more than 11 per cent growth eclipsing sputtering US growth of about 2 per cent.

That same day, China accused the United States of deliberately misleading the public after the US military said it had found Chinese-made missiles in Iraq that were probably smuggled in from Iran. China accused the US of “ulterior motives”.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry response to the US claim included a strong statement of China’s lawful conduct. “The Chinese government takes a scrupulous and responsible attitude to the export of its arms,” the statement said.

Meet China: “no more Mister Nice Guy.”

The IMF said in its report on July 25 that China is expected to drive a hearty 5.2 per cent expansion of the global economy this year.

When you are in charge of the global economy, you can pretty much get your way around the globe.

Just this year, China completed construction on the world’s largest seaport at Gwadar, Pakistan. China’s investment in the port exceeded $1 billion. It will be used for both commercial and military traffic.

China continued to take over in Tibet. In Tibet today, there are more Chinese than Tibetans, according to news reports and Mort Kondracke who visited there this summer.

China continues to suck oil out of Sudan, even as it largely turns a blind eye to the genocide in Darfur.

China has sided with Vladimir Putin’s Russia to block US plans to sanction Iran in the UN over Iran’s nuclear weapon program.

And China continued to browbeat Taiwan, using especially derisive language in its press releases after Taiwan made another attempt to enter the UN.

This is all a part of what we call “China: no more Mister Nice Guy.”

Welcome to the 21st century.

China continues an arms build-up largely kept secret from the west. But we do know that in the last ten months a Chinese Navy submarine surfaced close to a US aircraft carrier without first being detected, China demonstrated an anti-satellite missile system successfully, and China launched a huge new Jin Class ballistic missile submarine.

The US Office of Naval Intelligence estimated in December that China might build five Jin-class submarines.

Japan, on July 5, “expressed concern about the lack of transparency on China’s burgeoning military spending”. This followed closely on the heels of Australia’s Prime Minister John Howard saying of China, “The pace and scope of its military modernisation, particularly the development of new and disruptive capabilities such as the anti-satellite missile, could create misunderstandings and instability in the region”.

Prime Minister Howard made the statement on July 4.

Next week the US Secretary of the Treasury goes to China. His agenda includes discussions with Chinese leaders concerning China’s environment which has the worst pollution in the world.

We say, “Good luck Treasury Secretary Paulson. When you meet China: no more Mister Nice Guy.”