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Candidates Debate Rise of China; China Debates Reform

Bill Bishop

By BILL BISHOP

863 words

22 October 2012

NYT Blogs

"In his 2007 book"The China Fantasy" (Viking), James Mann criticized the argument that trade and engagement would bring liberalization and eventual democracy to China. Mr. Mann foresaw a situation in which China "becomes fully integrated into the world's economy, yet it remains also entirely undemocratic."

That may be the crucial challenge for the United States from the rise of China, and one that America's elite has helped create over the last several decades. The United States has much less leverage against China than most Americans think, and the best way for America to respond to China's rise is not to lash out but to get our own house in order.
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