China
on the Rise: Implications for Asian Americans
by
Simond Griote
_____________________
The Republic of China is on the march with its military preparedness, with its economy, and its need for oil to fuel its 10% rate of economic growth. After many great leaps, fits and starts, China has finally gotten it right and has the fastest growing economy in the world. And that growth means that China will be a direct competitor with the USA. Lest we forget, China is still a communist government, and Americans love to hate those atheistic, ungodly communists.
China has over 1.2 billion people* to feed and to direct in various enterprises, and they have people far and near throughout the globe. Many of these people are in the USA. For many Chinese, China's rise creates a sense of pride and self-esteem. China is one of the oldest civilizations on earth; a study of its various dynasties is a rewarding and interesting study. As China is inspiring many young Chinese Americans. But its emergence will surely spark renewed interest in China studies. All that is good and long overdue.
But there is another side to the emergence of China as a super power that will compete directly with the USA for spheres of influence, resources, and wealth in the world. That adverse side was partly shown in the 1980's, when the Japanese auto industry went head to head with the American auto industry. Because Americans basically see most Asians as the same, a Chinese man was beaten and killed because many felt that the Japanese were harming American jobs. Those Americans did not distinguish a Chinese from a Japanese, and they thought Japanese auto makers had harmed their livelihood by their strong auto competition. They vented their hostilities on any Asian person they saw.
There were a number of those incidents and they suggest a latent hostility is present, and it took very little to ignite into violence. Now since China is still a communist nation, and Americans loved to hate communists, this combination of nonwhite people who are communists may be very incendiary as China rises to the level of being in direct competition with the US for world resources and spheres of influence.
Most Soviets were viewed as Russians and, therefore, white complexioned. On the contrary, Chinese are not seen as white complexioned; their customs from ancient times a very difference from American customs; their language is different and often thought of as more difficult than English; they think differently, look different, dress differently, they act differently, and Chinese-Americans do not easily melt into America's melting pots--they have their own distinct communities and identities. These perceived assets may become liabilities as China's power soars in the coming years.
The huge needs of China's industry and a quickly growing economy will demand greater consumption of oil and gas than does the USA. Furthermore, China needs to import these resources from other nations more than does the US. Right now, China is attempting to purchase Unocal, a large American oil company, and that is causing many Americans to become protectionist and worried about the rising influence of China. But China's influence is be felt all over the globe.
On the Continent, China is courting African nations to tap into the vast natural resources of those nations, long overlooked by western powers after exploiting them for their manpower in developing nations such as the US, UK, France, etc. China's courtship is also causing the US and UK to spend more time and money on and in Africa as a way of blunting the China sphere of influence. China is building factories, dams, dikes, railroad lines, etc. And China has no terrorism because they have been wise in dealing with and courting nations.
China is viewed by the US government as a near-future threat; China is observing US military actions, styles, strategies, and weaknesses that it may be able to encounter them in any future conflicts; the USA is keep a weary eye on China and its military. And when China's superpower status is cemented and it is in open defiance of the US actions, the citizens of this nation may behave quite differently toward Asian Americans. The menace of the communist threat may be raised as a cover for aggressive and brutal behavior toward those of Asian decent. This is the downside of China's rise for American Chinese.
As China asserts its full power, Taiwan may be the first
confrontation the US will have with China, as it moves to recapture Taiwan,
another financial center like Hong Kong. Financial stability will give China the ability to build a robust
military--they now have atomic weapons, WMD's, and a million-man military.
In sum, when China grows to its full potential, being a strong economic and military
superpower,
there is a downside that all Asians in America must be cautious about: They may
become the source of Americans' negative backlash; that is a past and a part of
America's psychological nature. Given the right conditions, it will rise
again.
Simond Griote
7/18/05
__________
*Four-times the population of the US.
