This may be a very radical view. While
China is a truly ancient and continuous civilization, it is a genuine
newcomer to the international scene. I believe China is naive about
global relations and should be treated as such.
The only reason China was made a member of the U.N Security Council in 1946 was the imagined potential threat of its large population. Fifty years later this threat is still imagined.
China has had virtually no government that dealt with the international scene for the past two centuries. China has had a large army on the Soviet border but that is not dealing with the major nations of the world. I'm not ignoring the role China played in the Korean War (with a standing army) or the Viet Nam War, but selling military supplies is not a major role.
When China made the mistake of trying
to play a role in the European theater, by voting against UN forces
in Macedonia intended to protect Kosovo, the U.S. had to bomb the
Chinese Belgrade Embassy to teach China the simple lesson that she
must stay out of European politics.
It is time to begin teaching China the lessons she needs to learn about Asia:
* China needs to force North Korea to the nuclear bargaining table, soon. China has the political and economic power. North Korea is a threat to the democratic nations of South Korea and Japan.
* China must not provoke Japan into re-arming. China is being dangerous and imperious. Re-arming Japan is a long-term threat to every one, most of all China.
* China can not be allowed to threaten the independent democratic nation of Taiwan. Another Chinese show of force on islands near Taiwan must be met with an overwhelming show of force by the U.S.
China can learn to be a stabilizing force in Asia as well as a useful contributor to regional pluralism. That will only happen if the U.S. assumes a mentor role.