How can the US confront China with the cold war worn
policy of ratcheting up US defense budget which John
McCain has in mind while being saddled with billions in piled
up debts?

Barack Obama and John McCain may differ on domestic
issues and foreign policy, but their near unanimity on China
as they head toward the final showdown proves the
emerging Asian tiger will be a future big bother.

Obama’s talk of friendship with China rather than
competition early on in the campaign has been scaled up
recently urging punishment for manipulating the Yuan,
dumping goods into the US and violating intellectual
property rights. McCain wanted hazardous cheap toys
banned and took a swipe at the Chinese leadership for
gagging free speech and religion.

But how far will they be able to walk the talk when China is
holding nearly $491 billion in Treasury securities---
financing US’ budget deficit compared to $60 billion in 2000
--- is anybody’s guess. Since George W Bush took office,
US exports to China rose 400 per cent according to
Commerce department figures, while Chinese exports to US
tripled.

Again, ground realities made both George W Bush and Bill
Clinton earlier temper their campaign speech rhetoric on
China soon after they took over.

Now the surging- ahead –Chinese-juggernaut, ready to
devour resources at any cost in any part of the world, may
upset certain set in stone ethics and democracy
parameters.

Public opinion in the United States and most parts of the
world about George W Bush’s foreign policy has impacted
the need for a change which has propelled little known
Barack Obama into the forefront. But there are no safety
nets for ordinary Chinese who cannot affect any changes
to their near totalitarian regime which sups with the most
reviled despots of the world, sells them arms while going on
an overdrive in defense expenditure themselves. If the US
Department of State’s Country Reports on Human Rights
Practices, 2006 is to be believed, the Chinese state is
brutal, officially executing somewhere between five
thousand and twelve thousand people every year, more
than all other states in the world combined.

So how can the US confront China with the cold war worn
policy of ratcheting up US defense budget which John
McCain has in mind while being saddled with billions in piled
up debts?

Recent tamping down of Tibetan protestors and veto for
any aggressive UN aid push into Myanmar where a man-
made humanitarian crisis was underway and tens of
thousands--- most of them children--- were starving,
proved the Chinese leadership still does not care for world
opinion, not even before the Beijing Olympics. It will foil
global attempts to bear on despots who trample human
rights to clean up their act.

And this happened when China was working toward an
image makeover after foreign investments started flowing in
and when people form all walks of life were urged to build
national image. Support for the Sudanese government
accused of genocide in Darfur went alongside the sprucing
up exercise.

As Xinxua News Agency, CCTV, China Daily and China Radio
International competed with BBC in SE Asia, the Chinese
administration worked toward creating regional groups
sidelining the US, a concern expressed by John McCain. And
the rebuttal that China was a developing country incapable
of sophisticated cyber crimes like allegedly hacking into
congressional computers, have few buyers in the US.

The lid is firmly placed after a semblance of measured
openness following the catastrophic earthquake. AFP
journalists were told in no uncertain terms to keep off
earthquake ravaged school buildings to avoid contacts with
parents of victims who blamed the government for
corruption.

It would be naïve to expect China’s interest in the six-party
talks to make North Korea give up nuclear arms production
to be without any reason. US presidents in the past have
stuck to a one China policy regarding Taiwan. But nearly
40000 US troops are stationed in South Korea. A near equal
number in Japan, Philippines and a few in Guam may also
have to be pulled back after troops in South Korea head
home in case North Korea comes clean. US cannot bank on
the other traditional pro-US partner nations where latent
nationalism may surface once US troops leave South Korean
soil.

Can the US leave the region totally exposed to China if the
six-party talks finally succeed and Kim Jong-Il suddenly
turns benign, unshackles North Koreans and opens the
gate? China may have an interest in such a scenario. But,
how will the US deal with such a situation?

Resisting democracy, protection from eroding influences,
sidelining Japan, an US ally, tacitly resisting India, another
emerging, but democratic Asian economy and setting up
firewalls to shield despotic regimes floating on scarce
energy resources, may warrant compromises in US’ China
policy once again.

And it would also be a test in diplomacy when an emerging
superpower enjoying the best of both worlds---some in
Beijing’s Security Ministry want to trace back to the Middle
Kingdom era and centuries of dominance in Asia--- will keep
playing by its own rules.

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