Does China pose a threat to the United States? There is no definite answer at this time in history, but certain events have led many people to believe that the United States should be prepared for China's attempt to gain military and economic supremacy in the very near future.

             If we are to believe the Gutenberg study, which claims every Chinese officer has read Sun Tzu's 2,500 year old military manual, it is easy to assume that China's internal military structure is very strong, organized, loyal and, perhaps, much better informed than we have been led to believe. Sun Tzu's ancient warfare tactics are largely based on deception, and creating the illusion of seeming "unable," "feigning disorder, " and pretending to be weak (Sun Tzu 1,18-22). He advises intense contemplation and planning for war, and directs the military to "forage on the enemy" (Sun Tzu II, 15). He encourages hiding and deceit, and overall, presents a brilliant set of almost spiritual tactics for Chinese domination. Finally, he counsels the Chinese to use an elaborate network of spying, which he dubs the ".the sovereign's most precious faculty" (Sun Tzu XIII, 1-27). Although none of Sun Tzu's guidelines would be particularly foreign to American militarists, they do seem to focus on maintaining a position of dishonesty and deceit. This, alone, may give world powers something to be concerned about, given China's recent growth.

             In 1999, a Chinese corporation entered into a 50-year contract with Panama that allows it to control both the Atlantic and Pacific ports of the Panama Canal. Hutchinson Whampoa Ltd., a large shipping firm based in Hong Kong, acquired the right to pilot ships through the canal, and to deny access if any passage should interfere with Hutchinson's business. Although the United States still has the right to interfere "militarily to protect access," (Scarborough) conservatives in America, still fearing the threat of the communist agenda, feel that the United States made a major mistake by allowing this agreement to take place.