China

Here's an article about China's global role. The article is another take on the major issues we discussed. What does China's recent aggressive behavior signal? Despite signals from Chinese leaders for many years that at some point, political liberalization would occur, it's unclear when that time will be. It also discusses that, paradoxically, with China's trade liberalization, political liberalization has seemed less a reality. That is, the US saw trade as a way to open up China and to be part of a "peaceful evolution" on the political side. But, with rising economic prowess as as result of the strength of its trade, political liberalization has seemed more distant. Enter Obama. The article argues that he has adopted a different tone that accepts China as it is and is less focused on the slow march of history in a narrative defined by American ideas. The idea, the author says, of the US as the world power bringing China onto the world stage has ended. But this, in fact, might have a silver lining: that the US can now develop an economic policy towards China that is not tied to a larger political project.