I have often disagreed with Fareed Zakaria's analysis in the past, but have to give him credit. His latest article in Newsweek -- "Does the Future Belong to China?" -- is an excellent summary of current thinking regarding the likely effects of China's economic growth and political aggessiveness in the near future. The article is a bit long to summarize in a blog posting, so read it here.
Zakaria, writing for a popular audience, follows journalistic convention and highlights potential conflicts and is more than a bit alarmist [that's how you sell magazines], but he does note one very important fact -- despite China's impressive economic growth in recent decades its economy is still only one fourth the size of Japan's. Compared to other developing countries China is impressive, but in the developed world it is by no means a titan.
Zakaria's main point that China is going to shake things up in Asia is certainly true; and he is right to emphasize that China's expansion will come at the expense of American interests there.
Zakaria is also right to emphasize the inadequacies of our education system, which as I have pointed out time and again, is thoroughly corrupt at all levels.
He is also right to emphasize that China's expansion is a challenge and not a crisis.
Read it -- there's a lot of food for thought there.
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