U.S. Responses to the Growth of China

U.S. Responses to the Growth of China

     Despite what many may attempt to argue, the world of international politics is currently mired in the same unipolar structure that began with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and saw the United States stand alone as the last great power remaining on the planet.  However, China is clearly on the rise and knocking on the hypothetical door of great power status.  Possessing the largest population in the world at 1.35 billion individuals, natural buffers on all sides and the third most land area of any country on the planet, the potential has always been there. (Central Intelligence Agency 2014)  Over the past 36 years, China has realized said potential, averaging a GDP growth rate of 9.85% during that time frame and establishing itself as an influential factor in global politics. (The World Bank 2014)  The United States must elect on a response to the threat posed by China and must do it as soon as possible so that there is adequate time for the measures put in place to take effect.  When all options are considered, a solution based on the foreign policies of liberalism and constructivism becomes the clear best choice.

     When a unipolar system is in place and the power state’s position atop the pyramid is threatened, the question of what the power state should do, if anything, in response to the threat must be considered.  Before deciding on a proper response to the power threat presented by China, the United States must first decide on a goal.  Responses will differ based on whether or not the goal of the United States is to eliminate or mitigate the threat posed by China or if the goal is to allow China to become a comparable power but minimize hostilities between the two states.  It is assumed that the goal of the United States is to mitigate the rise of China due to ideological differences and the intent to remain in as close to absolute power as possible.

     If the United States hopes to eliminate the threat posed by China, a realist approach to foreign policy would be highly costly.  Any type of one on one military conflict with China would likely see the United States come out the victor eventually, based on military expenditures. (Freeman 2014)  However, should Russia align with China and the European Union align with the United States, then not only would the outcome of such a conflict be less predictable, but the world’s economy could be crippled for decades.

     A liberalist or constructivist approach would have the United States act through global institutions, alongside other states, to hasten China’s growth through non-militaristic means.  One possible, albeit highly unlikely and economically crippling, non-militaristic method to limit China’s growth could be to minimize the purchasing of goods manufactured in the country and instead look to other regions for cheap manufacturing, like Latin America, South America, and Africa.  Without the largest purchasing power in the world as a significant consumer of its goods, China’s economy would take a hit similar to the one it took in 2008 during the recession in the United States. (Schmidt 2009)  However, it would prove very difficult for the United States to find a producer or group of producers that could replicate the sheer scale at which China manufactures cheap goods and would be next to impossible to rationalize such an action to the international community.  That being said, if the United States could convince the European Union to curtail purchasing of goods manufactured in China under the shroud of workers’ rights and disregard for environmental consequences on the part of China, it would likely be the last, best chance to keep the United States the one great power in a unipolar world.

Central Intelligence Agency. "China." Central Intelligence Agency. Central Intelligence Agency, 22 June 2014. Web. 27 Oct. 2014.

Freeman, Sam-Perlo, and Carina Solmirano. "Trends in World Military Expenditure, 2013."Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. SIPRI Publications, 14 Apr. 2014. Web. 27 Oct. 2014.

Schmidt, Dirk. "The Financial Crisis and Its Impact on China." Studies on China's Political Economy. Ed. Sebastian Heilmann. 1 Jan. 2009. Web. 27 Oct. 2014. <http://www.chinapolitik.de/resources/no_67.pdf>.

The World Bank. "China." The World Bank. The World Bank Group, 1 Jan. 2014. Web. 27 Oct. 2014. <http://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/global-economic-prospects/data?region=EAP>.