New Power

The western world continues to be torn by self-inflicted wounds of bad management both in the private and public sectors. In the private sector it is short sighted, debt laden get rich quick, schemes, which are driving economies into whirlpools of failure. The public sector has also focused on the short term rather than strategic futures. Since the end of the so-called “Cold War” American leadership has floundered between conflicting policies that encouraged both debt and alienation of friends and foes alike.

Through its alliances the United States’ ego has dragged its friends into unpopular conflicts and confrontations over resources, power and flawed perceptions. While its leadership continues for flounder in search of policies the eastern world is moving strategically into the 21st century.

Both China and India are modernizing their infrastructures and building world relationships. At the moment it appears that India is focused on regional development while China is reaching out for global relationships. Both are relatively new comers to independent power both emerged from the shadow of internal strife and colonialism only about sixty years ago. Both emerged into a world constrained by “For or against us” great power cold war struggles.

China tried to move on to the national stage by supporting nationalist movements of the 50s and 60s but its own political, social and economic development difficulties forced a retrenchment. The predictions at end of the cold war was that China would collapse but China open its economy, liberalized its structure, developed its infrastructure and again reached out to the world.

The vastness of China contains two major resources, natural and human. The human resource provides both skilled and unskilled resources as well as a highly educated pool of scientist, economist and strategist visionaries. It is probable that it is this latter group that is leading China’s growth as a world power.

While the western powers continue to follow policies of exploitation, constraint and alienation China is investing in growth of developing countries. Through foreign aid, direct investment and engineering assistance China is making friends in resource rich regions which will assist its own strategic economic and power growth.