More danger from China

By The Daily Progress

Published: November 24, 2008

When the United States opened relations with communist China, it encouraged cultural and economic openness between the two countries.

Numerous American companies walked through that open door to pioneer business enterprises and generate economic prosperity for both countries.

But now that trust in the future appears to have been misplaced. The future is here, and it looks increasingly grim. Consider three recent trends:

— Chinese factories have time and again churned out dangerous products, from lead-tainted toys to contaminated medicine.

— Many Chinese factories are now going belly up, contributing to the global economic crisis.

— China is stepping up its espionage against the United States, boosting its space program and giving it better targeting capability against U.S. forces.

The saga of dangerous Chinese products is well documented. We will leave that aside for the moment to address the two lesser-known developments.

The Los Angeles Times reported earlier this month that some Chinese factory owners were dealing with economic problems by simply disappearing, covering their trails as they go. They have escaped the reckoning but created a cascade of bankruptcies as vendors and suppliers are left holding the bag.

Some analysts say the collapse is partly due to increased government regulation of safety and environmental standards. China had come under increased criticism for deficiencies in both areas, as stories of product contamination and safety lapses followed one after the other over the last couple of years.

China’s economic problems began last year and predated the current phase of the economic crisis. But the two events are fueling each other: Western buyers are pulling orders, putting Chinese factories in jeopardy; factories are being abandoned, adding to the global financial malaise.

As bad as that might be, it’s not the worst the United States has to worry about when it comes to China. That country is growing ever more aggressive in stealing sensitive U.S. information, especially through computer espionage.

“China is stealing vast amounts of sensitive information from U.S. computer networks,” said Larry Wortzel, chairman of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, which was created by Congress in 2000.

The commission’s annual report, released last week, indicates that China is pursuing a policy that would position it as a major international force — perhaps one that could engage the United States militarily.

Washington has been concerned a-bout Iran and North Korea while China has gained ascendancy and may soon have the power to confront America.

The report says the federal government should make more money available for protecting computer networks.

It’s a faint hope that the economic downturn will significantly decelerate China’s push to challenge America.

But the economic boom that Western countries created in China helped sustain a government that translated those resources into power and espionage. The West, including America, has no choice but to protect itself and harden its defenses.