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At the end of the first decade of the twenty-first century, The Economist issued a report that said, of China, 'Friends, or else' (2010b). However, the cover of the same issue stated, 'The dangers of a rising China' (2010a). Many others in the Western media, the United States Congress and academia increasingly contend that the verdict on China is out: that it is on its way to becoming a threatening global force, an adversary, if not an enemy. On one hand, China's actions in recent years could be said to have spurred this chorus of critical voices, as David Shambaugh notes, '2009-2010 will be remembered as the years in which China became difficult for the world to deal with, as Beijing exhibited increasingly tough and truculent behavior' (2011, p. 7). But on the other hand, there are compelling reasons to believe that China's assertive actions are being exaggerated, and the wrong implications are being drawn from them. This article examines whether those who view China as an adversary are justified and explores alternative American responses to its rise in power.
Adversarial Predispositions
There are strong a priori reasons to critically examine all claims that a nation is turning into an adversary, because there are considerable political, sociological and psychological forces that push nations to find adversaries and make enemies where there either are none - or when the evidence is ambiguous. These are widely known, having found their way into popular literature and movies, such as Wag the Dog , and are hence merely briefly listed. Those who frame a nation as an opposing force achieve several 'secondary gains', that is benefits one derives from what is otherwise a loss. A nation whose people (at least the majority of them, the elite and the mainstream media) have come to regard another nation as a threat is likely to be more able to suppress differences and achieve national unity, and its populace, more likely to be willing to fight and make sacrifices for the common good than a nation without an adversary. Thus, a typical headline reads, 'Poland, lacking external enemies, is turning on itself' (Slackman, 2010). Moreover, finding an adversary rewards special interests, such as the defense community, arms manufacturers and those who oppose...