nanheyangrouchuan:

While it is true that China lacked the air/naval power in order to project itself overseas, that overlooks the fact that China borders 15 nations–it is not a Pacific or East Asian power, it is also a Central Asian power. China’s lack of overseas projection has more to do with the internal political mindset than military capability–note that China used to have aircraft carriers, but now has none in active service. Aircraft carriers are classic examples of force projection.

While Chinese may be organizing overseas, they do not do it with explicit government permission. The kind of interference that I am talking about is hard power, not soft power. I’m talking about sending troops in, making requirements of foreign governments, etc.

Bill:
The ideals that China offers is the idea that a totalitarian government can still preside over an economically successful country. I’m not sure that it offers hope… while it has built substantial infrastructure in places like Africa, the local African industries (such as textile production) are in direct competition with China’s greatest strength–a large, low-cost labor force. The result of China’s offerings has been, at best, mixed.

Simon Laing:
China has always had some overseas connections, even through its most isolationist phases, but the focus of the population and the leaders has traditionally been internal. Noninterference has been enshrined as one of the central tenets of the Chinese diplomatic system–the whole Taiwan issue rests on the contention that it is an internal affair and that no other country has a right to butt in.

China’s large reserves of foreign currency allow it to not need to put in conditions of transparency. China has just plain forgiven much of the debt that foreign countries owe, counting it as the cost of their cooperation and goodwill. It is exactly because China does not fear being burned that it is willing to deal with corrupt African leaders. It is considered the cost of doing business there. Note a headline from last year: China offers interest-free loan to build Sudan Presidential Palace.

Perhaps that is a result of the way Chinese businesses are often run–substantial amounts of money are offered under the table, in the form of bribes, expensed meals, etc. While the idea of paying money in order to be considered for a favorable deal sounds repugnant to most Western governments, the Chinese government has always taken a more pragmatic approach. If it takes a massive bribe for a foreign government to allow a potentially mutually beneficial deal to go forth, then just pay out the bribe.

Its important China offers ideals and hope along with money.

China was mired in the cultural revolution, with the self-destructive GLF before that. China simply did not have the ability to project itself overseas. It did manage to invade Vietnam, India, southern Mongolia (now “inner Mongolia) and prop up the Kim family in NK (hooray for Chinese non-interference!).

Now, Chinese workers have been kidnapped and sometimes executed not just in Ethiopia, but also Sudan and southern Pakistan. China’s oil companies are taking advantage of the US invasion of Iraq to set up shop and China’s organizing of its overseas students as a rebuff to pro-Tibet protests during the Olympic torch run are examples of China interfering in everyone else’s internal affairs.