This is not a book for those of you who wish to remain comfortable

Ever since I taught English in China I have had a pervading interest in all things related to that amazing land in the Far East. I read all I could on its culture and history, tried to learn some Mandarin, and when I saw this new book by Nelson Current, I knew I had to read it.

Now I only hope that those who govern our country will also read this book—they need to! China: The Gathering Threat was written by the late Constantine Menges, who was a national security expert who advised President Reagan and the CIA. His book discloses that the major threat to America’s safety is not in the Middle East, in terrorism and Islam, but in the Far East—in China and Russia. This massive 550 page tome is no easy read—I haven’t finished it yet but I’m going to make an effort—but it is worth every minute spent. The more I read the more I feel so ignorant and uninformed. Why isn’t this stuff more widely known? How can we get the word out?

This isn’t a book written on media hype—in fact it may not get much coverage because it is disclosing things people are not going to be comfortable with. I am very interested to see how the media reacts. And if we will hear any comments from the PRC about the publicity.

In a nutshell: America’s safety and security are gravely imperiled by an increasingly militaristic and hostile People’s Republic of China. Communist leadership in Beijing has been developing a strategic alliance with Russia that could severely jeopardize American national security.

Yes, I knew that China has threatened war if we interfere with their conflict with Taiwan. Yes I know that they are still Communist in far more than name—despite their attempts to appear democratic and Western. I’ve been there and I see how they treat their people. Despite the upper classes’ never-ending urge to be like America, there is no love lost between us.

Did you know China has stolen American nuclear weapons designs? That they control more than $200 billion of our national debt? And the billions upon billions of dollars of products we import from China—you do know that most of that is produced by slave labor, right? You didn’t know that? I’ve seen it. It’s not getting better. People are not having better lives as Western living creeps in. And look at this quote Menges cites:

War with the United States is inevitable…the Chinese armed forces must control the initiative…we must make sure that we would win this modern high tech war that the mighty bloc headed by the U.S. Hegemonists may launch to interfere with our affairs. General Chi Hoatian, minister of defense, People’s Republic of China, 1999

Then again: Hegemonism and power politics (by the US) remain the main threats to world peace and stability. This was in a paper on National Defense China published in 1998.

I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a book more well-documented in every detail it presents. There are no loopholes, no room for someone to say Menges doesn’t know what he is talking about. I’m beginning to feel that it is the rest of us—those of us who yes have been to China and think we understand the situation in some small way—we are the ones who don’t know what we’re talking about.

Let’s not get caught thinking our American ways are best, and that America is the country to lead in the future. Mandarin, not English, is the language spoken by the most people in the world, with Spanish close behind. English is not going to be the language of choice in the future. China, look to China. That is where things are building to a climax—though what the next months and years hold is known only by God. So let’s be alert and informed, shall we?

YLCF Bookshelf Favorite