Despite talk of a “rising China” and allegations that it is stealing massive amounts of defense trade secrets, the East Asian nation is still far from equal militarily to the United States, an expert on the country said July 10.
“If I had to look 10 years out, I think you’re going to see something like what the French can do today. Nothing like what the English did with our help in the Balkans,” said Larry Wortzel, author of the new book, “The Dragon Extends Its Reach: Chinese Military Power Goes Global.”
There is a deep incongruity between the China and the United States, he said during a presentation of the book at the Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C.
“At least for China, they see us as the greatest potential threat,” said Wortzel.
As for potential conflicts with the United States, the most likely scenario would be over sovereignty in places such as Taiwan, or confrontations with allies such as Japan.
“They’re trying very hard to avoid that,” said Wortzel. “I think the likelihood of a major conflict remains relatively low.”
Read the full story at China Defense MashUp