Re: Fact Sheet on US-China "Trade Relationship"

> -----Original Message-----
> From: wsn-owner@csf.colorado.edu [mailto:wsn-owner@csf.colorado.edu]On
> Behalf Of Threehegemons@aol.com
> Sent: Tuesday, April 17, 2001 9:31 PM
> To: gkohler@accglobal.net; wsn@csf.colorado.edu
> Subject: Re: Fact Sheet on US-China "Trade Relationship"
>
>
> Also lets not forget that estimates of the Soviet Union's economy
> were always
> tortured--on the one hand, the Soviets didn't integrate enough
> with the world
> economy to easily measure them against others, on the other hand,
> the CIA had
> an interest in inflating the size of their economy...  Maybe I missed
> something, but it didn't seem to me that it was just the Chinese
> who backed
> down in the spy plane incident...
>
> Steven Sherman

The comment that China "backed down" is quiteincongruent my view China
humiliated the US.  In fact, I believe that China won a total victory in
this event, and, let's not forget, China still holds the plane and probably
will for some time to come.

However, I did suggest that China wouldn't go beyond actions that would harm
its business interests.  I seriously doubt, contra Wallerstein's suggestion
in his recent commentary of three days ago, that Chinese military leadership
really wanted to go much further than they did.  If provoked by actual
military action, yes, they just might invade Taiwan.  But many are
themselves top beneficiaries of industrialization, and "own" high tech
factories or are recipients of protection payments from owners.  They know
the inflows of capital for these factories come mostly from Taiwan.  It is
my impression that there is a concensus among top military and political
leaders that the Hong Kong and Macau solutions are what is best for Taiwan.
It will take time, they know.  However, US-financed military build-up in
Taiwan runs counter to that goal, and so will be confronted at every
possible step.  However, something will have to give, either in a sudden
event or gradually in a series of small changes such as with this spy plane
incident.