China loses control of its foreign policy

[unhappycamper]

http://atimes.com/atimes/China/CHIN-02-240114.html



China loses control of its foreign policy
By Terry McCulley
Jan 24, '14

To some people, President Xi Jinping's efforts to consolidate his control over China's military and government are a welcome development, especially given China's haphazard approach to crisis management. Xi's actions might even be interpreted as a sign that China is transitioning towardshu a more "advanced" political system in which the military and foreign policy are controlled by a strong civilian chief executive.

In reality, Xi's attempt to tighten his control over China's vast and unwieldy bureaucracy reinforces global fears that China is starting to lose control of its foreign policy. This disturbing truth goes a long way towards explaining why the international community was so alarmed by China's announcement of a new "Air Defense Identification Zone" (ADIZ) in the East China Sea, followed shortly thereafter by a "no-fishing zone" in the South China Sea.

Even if these new zones were carefully planned years in advance, they also represent part of a larger pattern of aggression - propelled by China's hostile and uncompromising form of nationalism - that is beyond the ability of China's leaders to control.

That is what really underlies the collective anxiety of the United States, Japan, and Southeast Asian countries every time China makes aggressive moves overseas. Ironically, China's new zones of control only serve to underscore deep concerns among a global community that is starting to realize that China is incapable of controlling the nationalist sentiment which has hijacked China's foreign policy.