Beware
I'm not xenophobic and I tend usually to believe the Cockup rather than the Conspiracy theories of human history. It's all too easy to become afraid of what you don't fully understand, and is different, and China, with its imbecilic language, positively insane writing system and exceedingly peculiar culture, certainly qualifies as being about as alien as most of us have seen. None of those things in themselves should frighten us. Nor, indeed, should economic growth, though personally I'd like to see it accompanied by some physical growth off-planet as well, lest we end up cooking to death in our "growth" of waste down here. But that's another story.
The Chinese economy doesn't frighten me. The Chinese people don't frighten me. The Chinese military doesn't even particularly frighten me.
What frightens me is the Chinese government.
It's all fine for hypocrites like George Osborne to fawn over the Chinese with his sweaty little hand held out, and you couldn't expect anything better from western companies enslaved by mindless greed.
But as a remotely decent human being, perhaps one with children—do you really want to see ever more power in the hands of a vile, murderous, dishonest, undemocratic, repressive, authoritarian regime?
That's my problem. China might be fine, its citzens good people ... but its leaders remain, as they have been for 40 years, simply wicked, limitlessly corrupt, murderous filth.
China's increasingly expansionist military posture and economic growth, coupled with IP theft on a colossal scale and ever-better infiltration of western technology, tell me (to my aghast surprise) that there is one thing I agree with the loathsome Steve Bannon about: almost certainly, the world either loses to China without a shot fired, or there'll be a war.
I'm no warmonger. I know how appallingly nasty and tragic war is, even tiny ones. War is nightmare made flesh. If there is a bloodless way to turn China toward democracy and individual freedom, it would be far better than the alternative. But when all's said and done I want my children and grandchildren to grow up in a free, democractic, creative, fearless, progressive world: and if we have to slaughter the so-called Communist Party to do it ... well, I'm afraid that's the choice they made by steadfastly and opportunistically turning away from democracy and decency. The bill is due.
To let slip the freedoms purchased in blood during WW2 would be utterly pathetic. Tyranny shoud die. Literally.