http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4773358.stm

- Is anyone else a little nervous?

No.

China has said it will increase its military spending by 14.7% this year to 283.8bn yuan.

The US department of defence had a base budget of $400bn in 2005.
No.

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=2740

Great article, but I think people tend to underestimate prestige in international politics.
A humiliation over Taiwan may not be acceptable, especially to a post-1945 conscious China.
I can't help but agree that in a war with the US, China has much to loose. But so did Japan, no? Especially oil.

But then, the "booming" economy may, indeed, be supreme over there. One can only hope.

The Chinese are a formitable foe in any situation. They have a culture that is thousands of years old to draw upon, as well as 1/4 of the world's population. Reforms, and fostering of Democratic dissitants within China are out best bet of avoiding a war, I think.
But anyone inside China only has to remember Tiananmen square to be afraid of standing up. The world fell down on the job there.

So true and where there is one "Evil Rita" there are a billion more eh Six?

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