Red Storm on the East
China is certainly dealing with interesting times these days. While the ridiculously named "Peace Mission 2005" Sino-Russian War Games are launched as a message to the West, the Communist Chinese Government is dealing with some serious challenges to internatal stability.
On the one hand, there is a fuel shortage in China that is creating long lines and causing considerable discord between state-own gas companies. Lines at Chinese gas lines are reminiscent of gas lines from the 1970's. The Chinese state-owned oil company is trying to consolidate the remaining gas stations and gas industry in China under one entity, much as they are trying to consolidate their international oil international holdings through additional purchases of oil companies in Kazakhstan, Venezuela, and the attempted purchase of American-based UNOCAL.
On the other hand, the socialist utopia that goes by the "from each.../to each..." model apparently lost its way. Seeems that there is a growing social instability from the gap between the rich and the poor in China. To be fair, the Chinese model has been less doctrinaire communist in recent years, and more focused on a capitalist-style business enterprised combined with an authoritarian government and societal structure. From the sounds of it the model, while succesful in business enterprises, may cause Glasnost like fissures in the Chinese system.
On top of all of this stability, we are still dealing with a Chinese government and military strucutre that is prepared to fight to reunify Taiwan with the mainland, and is prepared to challenge U.S. hegemony in the Far East and South America.
While terrorism remains a concern at the front of our national security structure, we cannot forget to keep a wary eye on the machinations of the Chinese.
On the one hand, there is a fuel shortage in China that is creating long lines and causing considerable discord between state-own gas companies. Lines at Chinese gas lines are reminiscent of gas lines from the 1970's. The Chinese state-owned oil company is trying to consolidate the remaining gas stations and gas industry in China under one entity, much as they are trying to consolidate their international oil international holdings through additional purchases of oil companies in Kazakhstan, Venezuela, and the attempted purchase of American-based UNOCAL.
On the other hand, the socialist utopia that goes by the "from each.../to each..." model apparently lost its way. Seeems that there is a growing social instability from the gap between the rich and the poor in China. To be fair, the Chinese model has been less doctrinaire communist in recent years, and more focused on a capitalist-style business enterprised combined with an authoritarian government and societal structure. From the sounds of it the model, while succesful in business enterprises, may cause Glasnost like fissures in the Chinese system.
On top of all of this stability, we are still dealing with a Chinese government and military strucutre that is prepared to fight to reunify Taiwan with the mainland, and is prepared to challenge U.S. hegemony in the Far East and South America.
While terrorism remains a concern at the front of our national security structure, we cannot forget to keep a wary eye on the machinations of the Chinese.
posted by Brian Griffiths at 7:42 PM
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