China may become a super-power like the USA. Will they be hostile and threatening? Will we have another cold-war with the nuclear threat? China's GDP is 2nd in size to the USA. However, the per-capita income of China's 1.3 Billion people is still 3rd world level and it will be generations before they approach US standards, if ever. China's GDP growth is due to
the capitalist economy the Communist leadership has allowed recently and the Chinese are clever and inventive people. Since the Communist party is still in power, I wonder what tortured logic they use to explain how Communism is
still relevant? I suspect people in power will always find a way to remain
in power.
We hope China evolves toward a lawful and just society.
There are reasons for hope. First, there is the (limited) free enterprise China now allows. Trade and commercial interaction with former enemies can be a good thing. Second, about 160,000 Chinese are being educated
in American universities. During the cold war, Russia did not send students here. So this is a big, positive difference. China, India and South Korea supply almost 50% of overseas students here. IU has
about 5400 foreign students and Purdue has 7500 foreign students of which 22%
are Chinese. These students will return to China with new experiences and ideas
and assume positions of leadership in society. Third is the softening of Communist radicalism. The old cold-war was driven by
Marxist dogma. Like Islamic Jihad, Communism was to be forcibly exported to the rest of the world. China has now (partially) embraced the "enemy". How can they preach revolution for the world?
There are some negatives: Corruption in government was bad under Mao and continues today. Then there is the difficult issue of 1.3 billion people with aspirations to a better life. If these aspirations are unfulfilled, will the country become unstable? Can the communist government evolve or will the conflict with Marxist underpinnings cause an explosion? Anything can happen during times of great change, good or bad.
There are some negatives: Corruption in government was bad under Mao and continues today. Then there is the difficult issue of 1.3 billion people with aspirations to a better life. If these aspirations are unfulfilled, will the country become unstable? Can the communist government evolve or will the conflict with Marxist underpinnings cause an explosion? Anything can happen during times of great change, good or bad.
