On September 10 2004, a conference paper Political and Strategic Implications for China’s Growth, written by Alan D. Romberg, was delivered on his behalf at the conference “China’s Growth and the World Economy”, sponsored by People’s University of China, Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China, and the United Nations Development Programme in Beijing. Below is an excerpt of that paper
China’s rise is inevitable, given the growth of its economic power, military power and following political power. It is not US policy objective to obstruct China’s rise to a constructive leadership role in the world community. China has played an active and positive role on issues like North Korea Nuclear problem and international organizations like United Nations (UN). However, it is natural for America and other Asian countries to be anxious about China’s rise and China should not see hostility behind it since China is becoming a more active and responsible participants of international regimes. One of the major factors in how other national view China’s rise is PRC’s handling of Taiwan issue. Even though the war is not likely, the potential is real. In this sense, the more important determinant of China’s future course will be what China decides to do.
To read the entire paper, click on the PDF link at the top of the page.