Book Review: The Coming China Wars - Where They Will Be Fought and How They Can Be Won by Peter Navarro - Page 2

It has always amazed me that the people who are most critical of China are precisely those that don’t seem to be able to break from the one literary form perfected under Communism. The Coming China Wars, with the exception of the last chapter, reads very much like the official texts I recited as a child during the Cultural Revolution. No tarnish or impurities have been introduced in this Made in America diatribe against the horrors of the red enemy in the east. Chapters open with quotations from, usually, respectable people or publications, then continue on in declarations that are not backed by any evidence. Presumably the quotations were imbedded in writings that did contain evidence, but Navarro dispenses with that.

In keeping with this form, little that is said in The Coming China Wars is explicitly false, it is simply somewhat twisted in its logic. If America does something it is good. If China does something it is bad. It matters little what the thing is, or if it is the same thing. I got a real kick out of the statement: "Whereas the United States focuses on ensuring the security of the international oil market, China has adopted a 'bilateral contracting approach' in which it seeks to lock down the physical supplies of the oil-producing countries."  That focus on ensuring security is probably not apparent to most people living outside the United States. And of bilateral agreements, it is best not to forget the Shah of Iran and the response to his ousting that brought Saddam Hussein to the forefront.

If you are going to read the book anyway, you'd be better off skipping the first eleven chapters and going straight to the 12th. After struggling through the text, the last chapter seemed like a breath of fresh air, but it is only in comparison to the rest of the book.

What the last chapter contains is a sequence of policy recommendations that, though rather twisted in their presentation, do have some coherency. To save you a little bit of pain, let me summarize them here:

• Consumers should shy away from products made in China and let retailers and manufacturers know that they are doing this.
• People should pressure government officials to get serious about dealing with issues related to China.
• Businesses should diversify manufacturing away from China and increase quality control on products made in China.
• As a nation the United States should learn to live within its means which means not running a trade or budget deficit.
• The federal government should:

1. Push for strict adherence to the principles of free trade.
2. Pass laws making currency manipulation strictly illegal.
3. Prosecute to the full extent of the law anyone involved in piracy or counterfeiting and closely monitor internet sales of pharmaceuticals.
4. Increase the inspection of foods and pass laws to increase accountability for any tainted products.
5. Undertake a massive program to remove the dependence of the US on foreign energy supplies.
6. Condemn China for its abuse of veto power on the UN Security Council, then remove China as a permanent member of that body.
7. Increase spending on programs such as the Voice of America and do more diplomatic work abroad.
8. Agree to strict carbon controls and impose a corresponding carbon tax on all products regardless of country of origin.
9. Prohibit US companies from working with Chinese authorities to identify internet users.
10. Pay more attention to Taiwan and pressure China to decrease its nuclear arsenal.
11. Increase the budget spent on counter espionage.
12. Increase NASA’s budget and focus funding on private space ventures.

Article Author: Xujun Eberlein

Xujun Eberlein, author of "Apologies Forthcoming," is a writer originally from China. She hosts the literary and cultural blog Inside-out China.

Visit Xujun Eberlein's author page — Xujun Eberlein's Blog