China Essay
Evaluate the extent to which a specific Asia-pacific state has been successful in achieving its national interests.
China is firmly positioned as a superpower in both the Asia-Pacific region, and the global political arena. Some issues, however, have prevented China from fulfilling its national interests including territorial integrity, economic prosperity, a harmonious society, and a peaceful rise to power.
Territorial Integrity:
The PRC’s desire for territorial integrity means that China must remain ‘whole’ at all costs. As a state with a population of over 1.3 billion, China will undoubtedly encounter social problems particularly when 100 million of its population are not ‘ethnic Chinese’. The state’s ‘One China’
Only this week has activist Chen Guangcheng escaped persecution by the Chinese government and resettled in the US. Following the Xinjiang riots, residents were limited to sending twenty text messages per day. Google shut down its Chinese subsidiary after it refused to continue censoring as per Chinese law.
There is a massive disparity in terms of personal wealth in China. Ten percent of the population holds forty percent of the total wealth. China’s GDP per capita is $8,400 (2011), far less than that of the US, and150 million Chinese still live on less than $1 per day. Official corruption and lack of governmental transparency are big concerns for many Chinese. In response to such concerns, PM Wen said in January 2011 that to allow the creation of a Harmonious Society, the government must; “create conditions that allow citizens to criticise and supervise the government, and enable government to properly resolve the problems and difficulties of the masses.”
2011 - 2015 – 5 Year plan * Urbanization to reach 51.5% * Housing for the poor * 13% increase in minimum wages * Reduction in carbon emissions * Better welfare system * Creation of a large number of jobs
Peaceful Rise
The US is weary of China’s increasingly dominate position in the political arena. The state has already achieved certain ‘superpower prerequisites’, including a permanent seat on the UN Security Council and possessing nuclear arms