Harmonious Society -- Rise of the New China

摘要

China and its political leaders have been managing change at a voracious pace since Deng Xiaoping led the nation on its new course of economic growth and openness. Chinese leaders' inclination to promote economic liberalization while retaining authoritarian control does not seem sustainable in the years ahead when accounting for information proliferation; a rising, expectant, middle class; and an increasing need for resources. Perhaps the political leadership's best acknowledgement of this can be found in the 17th Communist Party Congress (CPC) statements by President Hu. He openly embraces democracy with tractable plans to open up the government, targets the rule of law and corruption as areas for action, and commits to focus on rural areas to halt the growing income disparity. This alone establishes direction for the Chinese government that can be anticipated and for which the United States should plan. U.S. policy makers must weigh Chinese history, culture, and experience before assessing its intent with regard to regional or global politics. The United States has insufficient power to halt China's rise, nor should it necessarily seek to do so, but a comprehensive plan on how to pursue the U.S.-Sino relationship must be designed, resourced, and executed with the China of 2030 in mind. The current leaders, ever mindful of China's history with foreigners and a perspective aligned with Confucius and Sun Tzu, have defined their paths, and so we must now define our own.