In a Newsweek article by Isaac Stone Fish titled "Chinese Economic Warfare," the dropheadwarned, "Don't expect a ceasefire, ever." A callout on the page summarized that Premier Wen Jiabao "denied using rare earth metals as a bargaining chip, but Xinhua [the state news service] contradicted, saying those precious metals are strong bargaining chips" ("Chinese Economic Warfare," Nov. 15, 2010).

The People's Republic of China has a reputation for buying up the world, with some takeovers currently described as "being eaten by the dragon." Another Newsweek article stated that "China soared through the financial crisis with ease, registering just under 9 percent growth a year, even in the darkest days" (Rana Foroohar, "China Is a Rich Country," Nov. 8, 2010).

On the military front, Newsweek reports that "China's fiercest anti-ship missile, the Russian designed Sizzler, can reach farther and fly faster than the West's top anti-ship missiles. 'Everyone in the Western world is wondering how you defeat it,' says John Patch, a professor at the U.S. Army War College" (Benjamin Sutherland, "China's Carrier Killers," Oct. 18, 2010). Nations like Australia and Japan are worried about Chinese intentions in the Pacific. The same report also mentioned that "China's new missiles come at a time when the U.S. Navy is more threatened by weapons systems that it has been since the end of the Cold War."

Another Newsweek piece by Isaac Stone Fish stated that "China's recent belligerence toward Japan has worried its neighbors, including Taiwan" ("Strait Tensions Still Hot," Oct. 25, 2010). Despite other serious disagreements and tensions between America and China, Taiwan still "remains the main point of contention between the two superpowers" (ibid.)

Keep your eye on the Far East! (Source: Newsweek.)