The Rise of China and Its Position in the International Community

The International Herald Tribune has an interesting article on China and its rise to international power. It discusses, among other things, China's role in international law and relations. This includes its position on the UN Security Council and the fact that the first Chinese person was recently elected head of the World Health Organization.

The article also points out that China is preparing to wield power militarily if diplomacy fails. The CIA believes the Chinese military receives two to third times more funding then reported. China is second only to the US in military spending.

Meanwhile, China has shown its willingness to protect human rights abusers in exchange for the raw materials needed to drive its burgeoning economy. One expert has stated China is second only to the US militarily, economically, and politically and that "China's fast growth in political and economic power will dramatically narrow its power gap with the United States."

It appears there is no slowing China's accession into a major global power, and I can only hope that there is not another Cold War type show down between the US and China in the future.