Will China continue to build up there military? Should the USA get involved?
438605
Yes, China will continue to build their military and there isn't much we can do about it at this point.  However, we can discourage or slow down some of it by not pouring billions of dollars each year into China, by buying their cheap stuff.  Hell, we could buy cheap stuff from Mexico and at the same time relieve ourselves of the immigration fiasco with Mexico because of their lack of jobs.\n\nThe cold war is back and we must recognize that fact.  Like it or not we must quit this nonsense of expecting positive results with Russia playing the part of power broker, relative to Iran, or China with North Korea.  North Korea is China's counter balance to our relationship with Taiwan.  Iran is Russia's counter balance with our interference in the old Eastern Bloc states.\n\nIn the meantime, as China and Russia build militarily, we damn well better stay ahead of them if we expect to survive.  The only thing either country respects is military might.  At this point we are top dog and I personally think it is in our best interest to stay that way.  Diplomacy will not do it, these adversaries who are the legacy of Mao and Stalin are just biding their time until we show weakness like we did in the nineties.  They love the fact that we are preoccupied with the middle east while they pull the puppet strings on Iran and N. Korea.
543374
You can't just pick a random country and join their army. Plus that situation is not going to happen. Just because China and Russia support Iran economically doesn't mean they'd go to bat for them if military involvement came.
368462
We have the technological edge over China, at least so far.\nThey have numbers. Lots of numbers. Multiples of numbers.\n\nBut there's another side to this other than the military side. Where does most of our stuff come from these days? China. Got to war with them, and we lose a significant portion of our goods.\n\nWho has hundreds of billions of dollars hoarded up? China. Go to war with them, and they can wreck our economy, perhaps irrevocably.\n\nCould we win? Maybe... but it wouldn't be much of a win even if we did...
140911
China's military is modernizing, but there are distinct limits to the modernization program. The current force structure is so old that they have to take many old things out of service and new replacements are simply not available yet, except for perhaps tanks and such. Their armed forces will actually decline, particularly with aircraft.\n\nModernization is slow and a bit uncoordinated. Integrating new weapons is difficult for any army, but China takes especially long.\n\nAlthough China is getting 'modernized', they cannot begin to compare with the equipment of the USA, or even Japan, S. Korea or even Taiwan.\n\nThey just havent shown an ability to produce the high-tec stuff that the USA and others have. They have recently turned again to Rusian and even Israel, despite the wishes of their government.\n\nThey simply dont have the resources to bring this effort any farther, so for a while, they will remain vastly inferior to the military forces of the USA despite the available manpower.
78345
Sadly, there is a pretty good chance that there will be a WWIII.  If you haven't noticed yet, China is building up its military and investing heavily on technology, not for defense purposes in my opinion.  They're preparing for an invasion of Taiwan.  They have said numerous time that if Taiwan declares itself independent from China then it would attack the country of Taiwan.  They cannot attack now because they know if it attacks Taiwan, the U.S. will intervene on behalf of Taiwan.  China in return is preparing itself for a war with the U.S and Taiwan.
950021
In the near future I would say, yes. They will become an economic juggernaut, they do have nuclear weapons, and it is only a matter of time that they begin to launch their own space program.\n\nWhat are we to do? How about playing the Chinese govt. against the Indian govt., to keep these two powers to be, in check.\n\nOne thing we can do, is stop this suicidal policy of free trade, and globalization. Otherwise kiss your jobs good bye
20465
I don't think the US is going to ask for war against China. That's just stupid. But I think it is very likely that China will force us into War against our will. The teetering balance with Taiwan is just the tip of the iceberg. China has it's eyes on the entire region--the entire world for that matter.\n\nI think we're safe for at least a few more years...maybe even as many as 10. China hasn't finished feeding off of the US yet. They'll wait until they have more money, more military technology, and they will wait until their generation of all men grows to a good military fighting age. There is a space of more than 10 years where the boys outnumber the girls 13 to 1. This generation will be more enthused about risking their lives to take over territory that actually has females. \n\nIt must be understood that this isn't "inevitable" just because China has the manpower. It is thought that it will happen because China pretty much says that it is going to happen. China, though it just loves to cater to the US's cheep labor force needs, is openly anti-American. The students learn about the US as an evil empire. \n\nSo is it truly "inevitable"? I think the relationship between the US and China could change--I think we could possibly become friends. But it is much more likely that in the future China will show aggression to the US or the US's interest that will lead us into war.
1142993
soon, it definitely depends on Iran - if Iran does not comply and keeps going for nuclear weapons, we will be invading Iran for sure.  \n\nNear-term Iran, However I think China down the road may be WWIII if there ever is one.
82350
i think china already did, the question is rather where is the limit of the rise, some say the chinese economy will pass the us economy in 25 years
623381
No. They don't need to.\n\nEastern philosophy teaches patience, and waiting because eventually you will get what you want. China has no need to attack a country that they are making increasingly dependant on them. Think about it for a second, who can say that they don't own something in their home that has that little 'made in china' or 'made in taiwan' stamp on the bottom?\n\nOnce the US becomes so dependant on China that they have no choice but to deal with them in economic terms, China will start making the rules. Small adjustments at first, getting bigger demands over time until they have a major say in what happens to American merkets and the American economy. After that, they can become active in politics, and policy making so that they can re-shape western countries to be more like them.\n\nThey have no need to attack what they can influence on their own terms. They can take control without ever having to draw a weapon or fight a battle. And the people that they conquer will welcome them with open arms.
380347
U.S. cannot go to war with China because they know there is no chance of being successful against China... Half of their army is still in Afghanistan and Iraq... Also if U.S. attacks China, other countries such as Russia, North Korea, and Iran will make an alliance with China = World War III.  \n\nChina is not looking towards war at the moment because they are trying to establish their economy.  Maybe in ten to fifteen years China will become the next super power because it's the only country in the world that is becoming rich all other countries are getting poor (including U.S. as they are spending a lot on their defence plan.)
418821
China bought oil from Iraq too but they didn't jump. If we moved on Iran with as much support as we have in the world, China would keep a low profile as well. Because china is dependent on export. They depend on the world's economy and on the buying of what they make. They may seem fierce, but with their economical hands tied they're just paper dragons.
459572
You said it, and mentioned the dangers and benefits for China.  They get the technology, and the jobs. Plus they don't allow much importing, unless some of the process is there.  The exception is raw materials.  They actually have the right idea.  Eventually US politicians are going to let everything leave the US, and we will loose in the long run.  One day, China will be the only super-power.  I just hope I'm gone before that happens.
1106897
U.S.A.and new contender, China
528084
for communists, the chinese are damn good capitalists.\n\nBut to get to the point, China was a large military and the US doesn't think they need it.\n\nChina thinks it has the right to sell arms to whomever it pleases. The US disagrees (let's not forget that the US sells arms to damn near everyone)\n\nChina wants to be the Dominat nation in East Asia. The US disagrees because that would knock Japan of its pedestal.
364813
yes.\ni would even go so far to say that are likely to become the next world "hyper" power. (the US is the first recognized hyper power country and was so some time after the fall of USSR)\nchina has said for a long long time they were tired of being treated as a second rate country and were going to emerge as a superpower.  the three gorges dam was just one of many things they started doing to boost themselves.\nthey definitely have a goal and there is no sign that they will reach it.
39573
It could be another superpower, there doesn't need to be only one as England/France proved in the days of empire. China definately has the capacity to become a superpower, it has the most people of any nation, is quickly industrialising and has the largest air force of any nation already. My guess is that it will achieve true superpower status at around 2040.