The United States and China in the Near Term: And the United States Military's Role

The U.S. needs a constructive working relationship with China because: it is the world's most populous nation; it has nuclear weapons and plays a key role in regional stability; it is one of five permanent members in the United Nations Security Council; and it is undergoing extraordinary economic growth and promises to be an economic power early in the next century. There are significant points of friction between the U.S. and China on human rights; sovereignty issues, such as, Taiwan; proliferation of WMD; and fair trade. Both nations' leaders recognize the potential for an isolated military confrontation to escalate to a major war. However, it is in both nations' interest that they remain constructively and peacefully engaged. The U.S. military will play a significant role in ensuring peaceful relations between the two well into the 2lst century.