22 septembre 2021
Bloomberg Agency considered that China, which is facing a strategic dilemma amid the accumulation of military capabilities of Washington and its allies in East Asia, risks repeating the mistakes of the Soviet Union.
The agency noted that China should draw several lessons from the Soviet experience.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union three decades ago, Chinese leaders studied the causes and concluded that one of the Soviet Union’s biggest mistakes was engaging in a costly arms race with the United States that ultimately bankrupted the Soviet economy.
Bloomberg also indicated that against the background of the accumulation of US military capabilities in East Asia, Beijing faces a “similar strategic dilemma”, and therefore the attempt to catch up with US military power will require China to radically increase its defense spending, and as a result the country may find itself in the same trap that fell. in the Soviet Union.
“However, the inability to confront the US military build-up could make China more vulnerable and weaker,” she added.
She considered that the US decision to arm Australia with nuclear submarines is a manifestation of China’s “dilemma”, and that Washington is effectively defying Beijing by provoking a new arms race with it.
She stated that at present China enjoys an unenviable strategic position, as it is forced to confront the military capabilities of the United States and its allies in the Pacific Ocean at the same time.
According to Bloomberg, given the technological superiority of the United States as well as its weapons stockpile after decades of excessive military spending, China cannot count on winning a new arms race, noting that it is more useful for Beijing to focus on diplomacy to improve the security situation.
In addition, the main reason for the success of the United States in mobilizing Japan, India and Australia is the countries’ fear of China’s growing military capabilities as well as the ongoing territorial disputes, meaning that the Celestial Empire (referring to China) must strive to resolve these disputes and defuse the tension in Relationships with neighboring countries.
She noted that given the mistrust and mutual hostility had reached dangerous levels, it was equally important for China to start doing business with the United States again.
She also stated that China should learn several lessons from the Soviet experience, adding that Soviet leaders continued to invest in a losing arms race because they feared that the United States would strike first. However, these fears were completely unfounded.
She stressed that a nuclear-armed China need not fear a US attack, and that the Soviet Union succeeded in preventing the Cold War from turning into an armed conflict by cooperating closely with the United States and developing protocols and rules to prevent accidental conflicts.
Source: “Bloomberg”
https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/a...deal-shows-china-will-lose-arms-race-with-u-s