The Chinese have several advantages over the west when it comes to geo-political contests/stresses/conflicts.

1) They are a tad more homogeneous - meaning racial/ethic issues consume a smaller percentage of their efforts... Right or wrong, the Chinese insist that ALL their people ALL buy into the prevailing cultural mores.  They have no illusions, multi-culturalism does not a strong nation state make. If you are going to live in China, don't expect to demand bi-lingual schools, or religious courts just for your group. And don't even think you will force your religious laws on everyone else if you just agitate enough ...  The Chinese government has a simple understanding about living in China.  If you emigrate there, you become Chinese, you are expected to (and 'encouraged') to embrace core Chinese values.   Immigrate there, and you are expected to become Chinese, not remain whatever you were before you arrive.

Many western European nations are being strangled politically / socially because they have significant immigrated populations now living there who have no (little) interest in embracing the core values of western civilization.  Sadly, (for purposes of having a strong nation state) many of these immigrant communities actually despise Core Western values.  No unity, more energy spent on in-fighting, etc.

2) Sheer volume, 1/5 humans on the planet are Chinese...consider, that in one year China graduates more engineering students than exist in the entire USA.   Eventually, this will, by sheer numbers of engineers (or whatever/sales/marketing/etc) earn them a masterful advantage.

3) The west (or usa) operates very short term.  Corporations, (the entities through which the ultra rich and powerful upper crust of the USA, operate, and control society) generally make decisions based on short term considerations:  what ever move will increase this years stock dividend is what gets done.  Humans (employees) are now peasants to be thrown away for very small causes.

4) The USA, in some ways, doesn't seem very concerned about leaving our secret technology in places where it is easily accessed.   The Chinese just flew their first stealth plane.  Where did the tech come from, since they are (supposedly) several generations behind in aviation tech?  From a downed US stealth plane, in the former Yugoslavia area.  Chinese 'procurers' merely went and scavenged the parts from that plane.  Why didn't the US go pick up the sensitive parts of the wreckage?  USA?  There is no "I" in US, it wasn't my job... lol.

5) Unlike the West, the Chinese have a long view, and long term plans to implement their societal goals.  They can plot a course, and implement it,  no matter what.  Western democracies, with ever changing government figures tend to view things in the short term... getting re-elected.

Now, please do not misunderstand me.  I am a daughter of the West, and I embrace the core values of Western Civilization, liberalism, individualism, etc.  I also recognize that the genius of western values that i embrace has both pluses and minuses when it comes to making a strong nation.  And right now, those values, when playing out in the geo-political world stage are weakening western nations while a more unified giant, (uber-panda China) is taking center stage.

And they are clever enough to continue to present themselves as a non-threatening, cuddly panda...

But make no mistake, self-interest seems to be a universal human motivation.  And they will do what is best for themselves, no matter the cost to others.  We do, too.

The Han Chinese make up 91.9% of China's population. The Han people dominate all of China culturally and politically.

China's 55 recognized minority groups total about 8% of the nation's population. Major ethnic groups in China are:

Zhuang
Uigur
Hui
Yi
Tibetan
Miao
Manchu
Mongol
Buyi
Korean

“Night Dragon” An Attack on our Energy Infrastructure"

You know, I looked under my bed and I didn't see a single Chinese godless commie there. This could be because of their personal stealth armor which renders them invisible. Or it could be due to the fact I am unable to see what isn't there.

Personally, from my own experience on this forum, I worry more about shoddy internet advice from "helpers" with an agenda, than I worry about the phantom Chinese menace. But I could be wrong, according to this impeccable evidence:

International Chinese Communist Conspiracy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGv2wqJJmbc

Agree with you, MyFist0.

The "P"RC is not an ally, and behaves on one level lie a civilized, non aggressive country when in truth it seeks primacy through any means. Interestingly, the Canadian response was immediate cut off of the attacked entities from the internet (the 'off switch').

Sorry, scratchthepitch. China is too large to be under your bed, and isn't wearing invisible armor (not to my eyes).

There is no question that we need either a fool proof defensive system (unfortunately there are more fools than 'proofs'), or a way to trigger immediate isolation of the target and the attacker.

Personally? I wish there were a way to mark the attacker digitally such that he/she/they could never access the net anonymously again, and to find out who is sponsoring them and fully ostracize that government/corporation, etc. and it's leader, and seize it's assets (fruit of illicit activity).

China's obviously just trying to advance its own interests, often through underhanded means, but then again, so is the US. In fact, pretty much every developed or developing country is. China's just doing it better than most.

I'll agree solidly with Dr Guy on this.

The larger the country is, the more they are incline to betray their "friends". People with power tend to be bullies ...

For many of the IR folks, the theoretical talk is roughly comparing nations to individual people (albeit fundamentally selfish people). I wish the analogy had more real-world impact, at least if the bullying theory talk I read this week is accurate. It seems possible that the top-of-the-pops kids let go of the bullying that helped get them to the top.

I would agree, except for the reification error. There is no singular 'America' to blame for actions or claim for values ("best interests"). We're a messy democratic republic made of 50 smaller democratic republics that are in continuous conflict over how much authority our central government should have.

Alright, maybe I'd agree a little more than that, at least when I put on my Fight the Oligarchy hat and wonder just how much anti-democratic collusion there might really be amongst the top 2% of U.S. wealth-holders...

Ladies and gentleman, do you know Chinese? Now is probably a good time to learn. Get a jump on your fellow citizens for the future. It's coming. You don't want to be caught mono-lingual when the crunch comes. Chinese speakers will get the cush jobs and contracts. A good place to start on your path to a better life in the future:

http://www.chinaledu.com/?gclid=CIql5tnhkKcCFRxqgwodRTT9cQ

Meanwhile, those souls who still fret the night away worrying about the Chiacoms under the bed, there is a solution. It's quite painless, too. Attach small pictures of Milton Friedman and Leo Strauss to the skirts on your bed:

No Chiacom would ever be brave enough to cross such a threshold. And to be doubly safe, attach small pictures of Milton Friedman and Leo Strauss to your bed canopy:

It might even be worthwhile to remove the mirror over the bed and replace that with a life size image of Milton Friedman or Leo Strauss

BTW, there is another way to prevent Chiacoms hiding under your bed, if you are one of the few truly brave souls. Get a waterbed. The pedestal takes up so much room under the bed, there is no room for a Chiacom to hide. Even one of the smaller, genetically modified or specially bred Chiacom infiltrators would not have enough room to hide. You would see his or her feet sticking out, a tell tale sign your underbed has been compromised.

And one further piece of advice. Get rid of those Chiapets you still have laying around. These are one of the favorite hiding places of of Chiacoms. And play your country music at all times and very loud. This frightens away Chiacoms more than even the images of Milton Friedman and Leo Strauss does.

Remember the old Boy Scout motto:

Be prepared.

If I'm not mistaken, Doc, isn't a growing part of China religiously Christian? I know I read an article somewhere a while back about the rapidly growing number of Christians in China.

Add this....

to this...

or anyone else.

.....and that pretty much sums up how much of the rest of the world views the US.... especially in the Middle East.

I was talking with an Iraqi refugee who said that even though he and his people are grateful to the US for ousting Saddam Hussein, they view America with distrust and contempt.  Why?   He said that it's because the US sticks its nose in other peoples business, often when it is unwanted and usually with a view to profit somehow.

Sadly, Australia is following in those footsteps and people have become unimportant in the greater scheme of things.