PERSPECTIVE: China looms large in the future of this nation

The drumbeat of warning continues. China, says a U.S. congressional advisory panel, is aggressively stealing U.S. secrets in order to build up its own military and economic strength.

Many scholars say China is relentlessly gearing up for world dominance. The latest warning from the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission reveals insult added to injury.

We have already documented the long train of dangerously defective Chinese products unleashed on the United States and the rest of the world, from lead-laced toys to toxic pet food to improperly prepared medicine. The latest is drywall made in China and linked to possible corrosion of electrical systems and emission of potentially toxic gases such as formaldehyde in homes. Easily obtainable Chinese drywall was installed during the housing boom in several states, including Virginia.

And, of course, there is the issue of China’s acquisition of much of America’s debt through the purchase of public Treasury bonds as well as private equity holdings. This makes the U.S. vulnerable to Beijing, which can be expected to act in its own best interests rather than America’s. And now China is stealing our own technology to potentially be used against us.

One scenario posed by the commission in its annual report to Congress is that Beijing is building a navy that could block the U.S. military if fighting should break out between China and Taiwan.

Ironically, America contributed to these developments. By aggressively opening trade with China, encouraging U.S. investment there and giving it most-favored-nation status despite its human rights abuses, the U.S. helped fuel China’s economic boom.

Our hope was that through economic ties, China would become integrated into the world community and, in order to operate in that community, be compelled to liberalize its political and human rights policies.

Some small gains perhaps have been made, but it is becoming clear now that China is not interested in joining the world community. Rather, it intends to leapfrog beyond such constraints and gain sufficient power to stand alone on its own terms — even to dictate terms to others.

The world community needs America to stand up to China’s dangerous pretensions. We should have been doing more in this regard all along, especially concerning Beijing’s human rights abuses.

Ten years ago, we still had the leverage to make those demands. Now we have lost the power, the momentum and the capacity to greatly influence China.
To the contrary, we will be fortunate if we can stand up against China’s efforts to influence us.

We have arrived at this juncture through the decisions of past presidents, both Democrat and Republican. But today it is Democrat Barack Obama who leads us. And today we need to protect our secrets from espionage in the short term and rein in our national debt in the long term so that we are less vulnerable to economic influences from outside our borders.