Henry Kissinger's article on National Security

Washington Post, April 7, 2008 page A17: Three simultaneous revolutions occurring around the globe:
a. the transformation of the traditional state system of Europe;
b. the radical Islamist challenge to historic notions of sovereignty;
c. the drift of the center of gravity of international affairs from the Atlantic to the Pacific and Indian Oceans.

My comment: USA is a Pacific nation as America's day starts from Guam.

In the past, such shifts in the structure of power generally led to war, as happened with the emergence of Germany in the late 19th century. Today the rise of China is assigned such a role in much alarmist commentary. True, the Sino-American relationship will inevitably contain classical geopolitical and competition elements. These must not be neglected. But there are countervailing elements. Economic and financial globalization, environmental and energy imperative, and the destructive power of modern weapons all impose a major effort at global cooperation, especially between the United States and China. An adversarial relationship would leave both countries in the position of Europe after the two world wars, when other societies achieved the preeminence the nations of Europe sought through self-destructive conflict with each other. My comment: We must ponder the serious consequences with profound thought in this regard.

What should be the role of Russia, which is affirming a notion of sovereignty comparable to America's and a strategic concept of the balance of power similar to Asia's? My comment: NATO is a case of point. What objectives must be sought in concert, and what are the extreme circumstances that would justify unilateral action? The quest for a single, all-inclusive remedy is chimerical. My comment: We must have a macroview about US-China relations especially Sino-American economics.

I agree with Henry Kissinger's insightful analysis in toto. I happened to be a member of the research staff,Department of Economics at the RAND Corporation from January 1964 to September 1965 when Henry Kissinger was a consultant during that period. My colleague Richard Moorsteen published "Remaking China Policy" Harvard University Press, 1971. During that time, I published "A Glimpse of the Chinese Language" in March 1965.(On page 8,I hinted the opening of China) All of us had the vision in the 20th century to see the opening of China to the world for the best interest of USA and other nations re economic globalization in the 21st century that we are witnessing for the sake of humanity on earth.

Francis Shieh a.k.a. Xie Shihao on Monday, April 7, 2008