U.S. Can't Control Ties with China

No bilateral relationship is likely to have a more significant impact on U.S. security than America's relationship with China. How relations between Washington and Beijing will evolve as China becomes increasingly powerful and assertive remains uncertain. Some U.S. political leaders and policy experts believe that if the United States actively attempts to contain or limit China's rise, it will stoke antagonism that could be avoided with a more adept strategy and conciliatory approach. The goal, this group believes, should be to allow China to assume a leading role in the existing political and security system to discourage Beijing from challenging it. Other political leaders and policy experts think that China is determined to contain and shrink U.S. influence in the Asia-Pacific region. Hence it is better to make a stand now, before Chinese power grows further and Beijing establishes regional dominance.