This "analysis" article discusses China's rise and states:
As Japan did, China is butting heads with the established Western powers, which increasingly see its growing economic and military prowess as a threat. In turn, China, again like Japan, feels the West is trying to limit its rise, fueling nationalistic sentiment among both its public and leaders. [emphasis added]
The West tried to limit its rise? The West encouraged China's economic rise both deliberately in the hopes of promoting democracy and passively by failing to stop Chinese industrial espionage and intellectual property theft!
And seriously?
Rather than imposing direct control through armed invasion, China is relying on economic enticements, cultural outreach and a gradual buildup of its military forces to boost its standing.
I don't think that description really gets to the scale of the military build up and subsequent bullying that allows China to violate international law and keep the victims quiet.
Nor does the "economic enticements" framing hint at the debt traps that China has laid.
As for "cultural outreach," that makes CCP claims to the loyalty of all ethnic Chinese regardless of actual citizenship seem almost honorable.
The West is opposing China because of China's growing military prowess being used to bully neighbors and violate the norms of the international system that China was invited to join and prosper in!
Nor should you forget that China's communist rulers have stoked nationalism to replace the abandoned socialist economics that once propped up the legitimacy of the CCP.
This wasn't analysis. It was a combination wet kiss and apologist tract.
