China's neighbors are increasingly nervous because Chinese Navy ships are showing up in distant waters more often, and China is becoming louder and more insistent about settling, in China's favor, old territorial disputes. What the neighbors remember is how, for thousands of years, China was the regional superpower, treating all other nations as inferiors. For the last two centuries, the intrusion of more powerful Western nations, the Westernization of Japan and economic and political decline inside China, removed China as the neighborhood bully. But now, the bully is back and the little kids are not happy. Much to China's dismay, the neighbors are looking to America as an ally against China.
We can maintain our influence despite the rise of China as a military force. In fact, even an Asia rising in general does not mean our position as the most important power in Asia is diminished.
China faces many potential powers who can be supported to contain a potentially dangerous and destabilizing China.
If we all start thinking that this is China's century, we could make it a self-fulfilling prophecy. We are still on top and we have many structural advantages to maintain our lead or at least our primary position for a long time to come.
China may take our top spot. One day. maybe. But if they do, make them work for it. Remember, there aren't a lot of people in Asia truly cheering China on to win this competition.
