FEATURE: Asia: The Big Questions - China

How are Asia and the United States coming to terms with China, and what does China want?

The question is as much about responses to China as it is about China's future course.

In a series of reports, Radio Australia's associate editor for the Asia Pacific, Graeme Dobell, looks at the big questions facing Asia.

The third question is: How will Asia and the United States deal with China as a resurgent great power?

Graeme Dobell

Last Updated: Mon, 29 Jun 2009 13:53:00 +1000

The question was posed in the 1980s and the 1990s as China rose. The same question is still being asked. But its scope and the significance of the question is even greater. It's a simple question with many dimensions - what will China do with its greatness?

The United States still calls on China to be more transparent about its military intentions. But that call for transparency is less strident, because the US, now more than ever, needs China as an economic partner.

The US Defence Secretary, Robert Gates, says there are common challenges facing China and the US.

"From economic matters to security issues, such as regional areas of tension, counter-terrorism, non-proliferation, energy security, piracy and disaster relief, it is essential for the United States and China to find opportunities to cooperate wherever possible," he said.

"This includes maintaining a defence relationship marked by consistent and open channels of communication and contact. The United States, for its part, will remain committed to this goal. Likewise, it is essential that we are transparent both to each other and to the rest of the world about our strategic goals, political intentions and military development."

The question about China is still there - it's just not a openly expressed. An illustrative example is to compare the tone of Mr Gates China comments with those he has made about India, in which he proclaims a genuine convergence of national interests between America and India.

"When it comes to India, we have seen a watershed in our relations, cooperation that would have been unthinkable in the recent past," he said.

"In coming years, we look to India to be a partner and net provider of security in the Indian ocean and beyond."

So India can be a net provider of security in its own region, and beyond, but with China, the best the US hopes for is cooperation, wherever possible, and some openness about military plans.

Australia's Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, hints at a similar difference in emphasis with his description of Australia's new defence white paper - seeking dialogue with China, defence ties with India.

"The white paper also makes clear our desire to expand our security dialogue with China, and strengthen our defence relationship with India," he said.

China has its own set of 'push-back' phrases, not least the hint that the United States and some of its allies still think in old, 'Cold War' terms.

"The Cold War mentality, military confrontations, disrespect of existing agreements and interference in others' internal affairs still exist," the deputy chief of general staff of People's Liberation Army, Lieutenant-General Ma Xiaotian, said.

China has a well-developed language for attacking the US bilateral alliance system in Asia as 'old thinking', and promoting 'new thinking' about cooperative security. And China's response to the talking-up of India is to reject any expansion of the US alliance system in the Asia Pacific.

"China opposes the enlargement of the existing bilateral military alliances in the Asia Pacific, which were left over from the Cold War," General Ma said. "We should adapt to the new trends of the international security situation, abandon the cold war mentality, transcend ideological differences and establish the concept of security through cooperation.

"We should settle disputes and disagreements by peaceful means, and prevent wars and conflict by tackling the underlying problems."

The US talks of a military hedging strategy against China, and China's response is to emphasise the negative impact of strengthening, or in Beijing's view expanding, the US alliance system.

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