At least, one of their leading CCP officials openly talked about it in a lecture. Chi Haotian, a leading CCP official, gives a cold, frank assessment of what China must do to continue to modernize and even overtake the USA in terms of technology. Parts of the speech stop just short of concluding that war with the USA and Japan is inevitable.

I'm not entirely clear where they'd find a new consumer base to equal us, but that's what the speech seems to lead towards.

Original speech, translated from Chinese, is found here:
http://en.epochtimes.com/news/5-8-4/30974.html

I did a little due diligence about the web site hosting this, and apparently they are a news agency whose primary focus is news concerning China, both good and bad.

This would be bad news, I think. The reason I believe China's political leaders might be more inclined to war than we think, is that if a ranking CCP member is openly speaking about this, with the political climate in China, without being censured or removed, then most of the party is thinking it, or is ok with it.

Is this cause for concern now? Not really.
Is it cause for concern in 10-15 years? Yes.

The speech also shows, in the many scathing remarks about the Japanese, that the old adage is true: China never forgets.

So China is going to start a nuclear war with Japan and the United States over Taiwan? Riiiiight. They'll get the biggest ass-kicking they've ever seen, all for nothing.

I'll take this as just the ramblings of one man. This speech was given in January of 2003, by Chi Haotian, who was the former minister of national defense -- until 2003. He predicted war within 10 years, and four are already up, with no signs of war.

Why China would even bother to fight us is beyond me, since they're poised to become the next economic superpower without even firing a shot.

The US is probably the main contributer to their current incredible growth, it wouldn't make sense. It'd be like eating the goose that laid golden eggs.

The fear of Megatron Robots from Japan can be a mighty motivator though.

The fear of Megatron Robots from Japan can be a mighty motivator though.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

Some possibilities:

1- When you have to much intern troubles, it alway easy to say that extern troubles are more pressing and forget the intern ones. But for that you must have credible military power. (and you can say to your citizen: your are with me or your are the ennemy, and a lot more citizens will follow you.)

2- At some moment when you are rich, you want to transform your money into power, and the easier power to understand is military one. (the strengh of a state make it right, as anyway as the rightness of the law is strenght).

3- When allies flip flop to often, you want to be able to count on your-self.

4- When you want something by the diplomatic way, you annoounce that you will do something that the other realy don't want to happen. But if the other don't listen and open discution, it will happen as you don't want to lose face.

5- They want to arm them-self to avoid the knight templars relation with the king of France (a question about a lot of money loaned to the king).
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For what ever raison, it probably the begining to a new arms run. That is worrying, but if the chaos in the Perse penesul explose, China will need it.

Eridalafar

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6418561.stm

Taiwans President made a pro-indepedence speech, and chinas pretty upset!

Will be interesting times if Taiwan ever comes right out and says they are not part of China (indepedence)

Personally I think China is smart enough to not start a war over it (as it would involve the US, and wouldn't be worth it)

Although they really are sorta fanatical about Taiwan

Conversely, Taiwan is also aware that part of the deal, so to speak, for the protection of the US Navy, which is frequently puttering around out there whenever China's getting a bit bellicose, is that they refrain from doing anything which might compel China, in honor's name, to start a war with them.

Like declare independance.

What's interesting is that on everything I've read, the US might not recognize Taiwan's independence if it did go absolutely batsh!t insane and declare it.

The whole situation is a rather large political mess.

I foresee either a Taiwanese nutjob getting into office and doing that, and then the US either getting them to retract it, or trying to reassure China somehow, or letting China take it over.

Or

In the future at some point, China finally telling the US that their economy has grown to the point that China no longer requires the US to buy anything China produces, and thus, they would be taking Taiwan back, and the US should stay out of it.

China is inevitably heading to a future day in which their economy will feed mainly upon itself, much like the US's did back in the '50s and '60s. When that day comes, China will be the dominant superpower, whether or not anyone realizes it. Military superiority follows economic superiority as surely as night follows day.

The one good thing the US has going for it, is that China never forgets. And we have screwed China the least out of all the Western powers. Therefore, China will be disposed to treat us the best out of all the other nations who came into their country in the 1800's.

China should only get Taiwan back if Taiwan wants to go back, China has no inherent right to it.

The current government of China has never controled the Island of Taiwan, and Taiwan has acted as a sovereign nation for over 50 years.

As for China being dominant superpower...

They have a very good chance of it, although I wouldnt say its a forgone conclusion, espcially since China has few allies, military wise or idealwise.

Closest would probably be Russia, and Russia and China have a rough history.

If china started to strut its stuff more, its likely it would drive India, Japan, Possibly south Korea, Europe, Canada, and the United States closer together. (Just as how when the United States struts its stuff, it tends to push people away)

China, as a superpower, will have to tread much more lightly than the US ever had to, even during the cold war.

The historical and cultural animosity between Japan and China (and Korea) is far more risky than the relatively cool hostilities between the USSR and the US.

Though China's economic power will not be quite as great as some folks might think. Its hard to run an economy with a billion people...its difficult to maintain free markets without movements of independance from areas which are not benefiting from the economic growth. Its difficult to be an external threat if your internal provinces are smoldering with rebellion because they are still poor while the former party members are making it rich.

China does not have even the nominal egalitarian ideals which evolved in the West. Free markets will never be free there, nor will democracy reign anytime in our lifetime. Russia is a prime example, they are a culture and people which were still using the institution of serfdom until the 19th century. They've never had even the basest of democratic ideals. Thus, today, their so called democracy is anything but. Their president became president after being handpicked by the last...and will remain president until he decides to retire (next year evidently) and his handpicked successor will take over. Anyone who poses a possible threat to his power was arrested and all of the wealth is in the hands of a few people.

Its better than their communist system was, in that at least now the non-elite can chose their form of poverty...and even then their level of absolute poverty has risen, but Russia is a nation that will find it difficult to accept true democracy.

Its the same reason the Arabs will almost certainly never embrace democracy.

I'm rambling now.

Suffice to say, China has some issues with its economy in the future, despite its potential production ability. Not the least of which being that their economy is in for a real hurt the day they unpeg the yuan from the dollar.

Thus, today, their so called democracy is anything but. Their president became president after being handpicked by the last...and will remain president until he decides to retire (next year evidently) and his handpicked successor will take over.

I think that's the definition of a Dynasty. Something the Chinese are very familiar with.

In regard to the subject at hand, I can't say I'm an expert but I rather like to go with the philosophy of prepare for the worst and hope for the best.