China - a country that has been bullied for far too long. It has once been a nation of great freedom and national pride with many great inventions including gunpowder, compasses, fire arrows, chopsticks, paper, kites, wheelbarrow, etc. Surely, a country with such great inventions would not be so weak? Yet, they did become weak due to the rise of the communist party; it has restricted great inventors from inventing; great authors to write; great men to think. The western countries see communism as a horrible way to treat the citizens of the state; a horrible way make a country prosper.

But currently, because of communism, China is now making its way to the top with the fastest growing economy in the world. How? Because of the low wages provided in this communist state, the governemnt has forced the citizens of China to work - even though they receive a low wage. It's common sense - everybody knows that you have to work to survive low wage or not. By doing this, the housing costs and standard of living is very low in China because the majority of the citizens receive a low wage. So even with such little cash, they can still afford valuable materials for less money. Since everything is cheaper in China, more countries will be more than happy to buy materials from China. Due to countries buying goods from China, the Chinese government is now richer and prosperous and is one of the world's leading manufacturers.

I have been to China a few times now and I can draw this conclusion from the trips I have taken. China surely has been improving. You can even tell. In 2000, when I went to Beijing on a business trip, it was dirty and everything was very "country-like" for a city. But in 2006, on a recent trip, I have seen Beijing again -- except, it wasn't the Beijing I knew. This Beijing, I can say confidently, had massive buildings. It was more high-tech and cleaner than even the United States (I can safely say this). The citizens seemed happy. Many people were educated and could speak English fluently. I even discussed this with many citizens and they seemed pleased with the government. Even though China is still a communist state, it is not as "tight" as it was back then. The citizens have more freedom, they are allowed to talk to foreigners; shows aren't cancelled because they conflict government views.

Let's take a look at the China right now. Currently, it claims Taiwan as a province of China while the Taiwanese have a conflicting view. Taiwan has been training/gathering their army and trying to get help from the Americans while China is having talks with them. China has no reason to attack them though. The US alone has been buying good from China exceeding $130 billion. The US alone is in a $202 billion debt to the Chinese. Why would China attack Taiwan and risk losing all the trade and money the US owns her? There isn't - that is a major reason why China wouldn't attack Taiwan. Other reasons include nuclear bombs. Both countries have a great military and contain nuclear bombs; with such a war, this could quite possibly lead to another World War. Currently, I see that China and the United States are not foes, but they aren't really allies...yet.

The United States and China have many contradicting views. Some include human rights, communism, religion, etc. But many of these problems are being settled upon. Recently, many problems have been solved; in fact, China and the United States are working together to disarm North Korea of nuclear reactors - which, as of March 20, 2007, is successful. North Korea has agreed to disarm itself as long the USA unfreezes the bank account that North Korea has. This just shows what will happen if two great world powers work together; it creates peace and subdues conflict. It would really be great to see China and the United States work together to help ease the conflict in Africa and help restore the continent back.

The question is: Is China a Friend or Foe of the United States of America? What is your view? Discuss.

This post has been edited by BordaForx: Mar 20 2007, 11:34 PM

i think the real question, not to importune yours, is North Korea: Friend or disaster just begging to happen?

Are they all just crazy or what???? not to be nationist (real word?), but they are all crazy!

China's alright, though.

This post has been edited by kraizii8z: Mar 21 2007, 07:33 PM

First of all,I can say that China is peaceful and full of freedom.It's in the development but it have improved more than the past.
In my opinon ,China and America could be long-term trade partners if the two all could be friendly.

All I know if that if China decided to attack us, we would be ... you know what. No doubt they would just humiliate us if we did go to war, for whatever reason. Hopefully, it never gets to that. I think they are great trade partners, although I wouldn't mind seeing 99% of our products with "Made in China".

Either way, I sure hope they are our friend other then our foe.

Come on guys or shell I say Americans as it seems most of you who wrote here are from America. How can you say such things about communism I just don't understand have you ever lived under communistic rule have you ever been member of the party have you ever experienced any of the benefits. You are just under the 50 years of the press over your heads and don't consider anything more or less.

OK to you Borda:

How do you know that they are forced labor I would rather say that forced labor is those poor chines smugled in the United States and they work in poorer conditions why don't you think about them and why don't you give them green cards and other privleges of every states citizen.

Secondly if they have low wages they have low costs of living and in US you have high wages and high costs of living. Do you know that in china there are really developed networks of rails computers phones television stations. Some are on the higher level then those you've got in the US and I want talk about North Korea because they beat you then to the ground.





Yes and this is the main reason why you have such negative policy against china because you are affraid only countries in the world US has negative foregin trade is China and Japan. And such thing as world war between china and us will not happen nor they will use nuclear weapons as China wasn't the only nation to use nuclear weapon in the war USA is.

Also Taiwan is regular Chines provence if you would know history a bit more you would know that.

Also I would like to point out that currently in China they have more human rights then in the US with one difference China says when they send someone to jail like those students from Tianman square and USA does not.

I want to learn Chinese... I think I saw a page some time ago where you could learn it for free. It will definitely be a good language to learn compared to all other languages right now. Lots of opportunities will come from them.

I Came Form China, Maybe I Can Help You a little.

Now China aims at local and global peace. And it is developing fast. And out human right is not as terrible as what US said. We are so free to do everything, include posting ideas which against the goverment.

But many works has low wages indeed, and the Central Goverment is solving it right now.

I think residents in China will be more happy tomorrow

I like to note that communism wasn't the sole cause for decline. One of the Chinese emperors actually halted the period renaissance by mass killing educated people in fear that they may take replace him, while other nations were embracing it. This is probably the reason why the Chinese were pretty much backward during the 1700s. Mao Zedong was a mirror image of that emperor. Communism also poisons the human spirit to work. Examples are Russia and East Europe. These factors contributed to the demise of China.
Now to the topic, I believe the Chinese are a friend but sometimes act harshly like the shooting down of their own satellite creating millions of debris in space, not respecting the sovereignty of Taiwan.