My favorite foreign affairs columnist, George Friedman, writes in Geopolitical Futures that he is optimistic about our experience of China’s role in world affairs going forward. He believes their economic problems will slow them down for the next few years and almost certainly keep them from going to war.
I am always suspicious of westerners who claim to understand China. I’m not too sure even the Chinese understand it.
I am less certain than he. Friedman doesn’t seem to think countries with internal issues go to war to distract and unify their citizens, Probably they shouldn’t, which doesn’t mean they don’t.
Friedman’s argument is well-reasoned but is, after all, an outsider’s analysis. See what you think.
