I know a lot of people are relaxing this time of year and have their mind focused on more pleasant things as everyone needs a break from their normal, daily lives. I also that some people on the East Coast of the U.S. are dealing with a lot of cleanup after a massive storm dumped a few feet of snow on them. Suffice to say that a lot of people have their minds elsewhere this time of year instead of tracking current events and news relating to Bible prophecy.
If you are among the few who are currently watching current events and news relating to Bible prophecy this time of year you probably have your attention focused on the Middle East and perhaps Europe. I would too because one should never let their guard down in watching those areas for something to develop. However, I think it is also wise to begin paying some attention to China-if you’re not already-because they are showing signs of potentially becoming a participant in armed conflict in the near future.
There is an article today by the Daily Telegraph’s Beijing-based reporter about China’s preparation for armed conflict against everyone. The article includes a quote by China’s National Defense Minister, Liang Guanglie, proclaiming:
“In the coming five years, our military will push forward preparations for military conflict in every strategic direction…We may be living in peaceful times, but we can never forget war, never send the horses south or put the bayonets and guns away”
The article outlines some of the recent developments China has undertaken to prepare its military for potential armed conflict with. This includes China announcing plans to begin building air craft carriers, which would be a major tool to enable China to project its military power beyond its coastlines, and China’s work to develop carrier-destroying ballistic missiles, which is a weapon that U.S. military analysts are concerned about.
My concern is that China is rapidly upgrading its military because they have armed conflict with the U.S. in mind. Although the Daily Telegraph article points out that China’s military spending is just a small fraction of the U.S.’s military spending, it’s disconcerting to see China making these major military upgrades when they are seemingly unnecessary.
- China does not need to worry about the U.S. or its neighbors threatening their very existence. The U.S. is more concerned about Afghanistan, Iraq, and Iran than making war with China. Meanwhile, countries like Japan and South Korea are no threats to China militarily and probably have no interest in armed conflict with China because of the economic consequences associated with doing so… China has been able to develop rapidly into a major global economic and political power under relatively peaceful conditions-not war. Yet, Chinese leaders and the Chinese military are preparing for armed conflict within five years…
My suspicion is that China is preparing for armed conflict with the U.S. in mind because they see a high probability of an eventual clash. The clash could be over a wide-array of issues. Here are some issues off the top of my head:
- Taiwan: China wants to control Taiwan and the U.S. is obligated to protect Taiwan.
- The Dominant Power of Asia: China and the U.S. could clash over who controls the region. As a rising global power, China may want to assert themselves by taking control of the region.
- China’s peg to the U.S. dollar: U.S. officials are angry because they believe China purposely undervalues its currency to hurt the U.S. in trade while China denies any wrong doing.
- The U.S.’s money printing practices: China holds a substantial amount of U.S. dollar holdings. The U.S.’s money printing practices weakens the value of China’s holdings. China is very unhappy with this as evidenced by their condemnation of Quantitative Easing 2.0.
- Economic Hegemony: The U.S. is still seen by many as the country who has the most economic influence in the world-the economic hegemon. However, China’s economy is rapidly ascending and is poised to surpass the U.S. economy in the near distant future. China could claim that they should lead a new economic order because they have surpassed the U.S. in terms of economic strength. U.S. policymakers could move to resist China’s claims because they still want to have the most economic influence.
- Rare Earth Minerals: Rare earth minerals are essential in making a variety of electronic equipment, including mobile phones, and essential in making wind turbines and smart bombs. China holds a near monopoly in the global supply of rare earth minerals. China is gradually reducing the supply of rare earth minerals it is making available to the rest of the world. The U.S. (and other countries) must somehow secure a reliable supply of rare earth minerals or there could be huge problems…
Beyond preparing for armed conflict with the U.S., I could easily see China eventually behaving like expansionist Japan in the 1930s and 1940s by attempting to take over resource-rich and strategic areas of Asia. China has an unquenchable appetite to secure natural resources for its huge, growing population and is willing to do anything to acquire them. For instance, China has recently made oil deals with Sudan and Venezuela-two countries that are not exactly the trumpeters of human rights. In the future China may utilize a strengthened military to simply seize what they need if they feel it’s a more reliable way of securing the resources they need.
The Bible says we will see wars and rumors of wars prior to the Second Coming of Christ. I could easily see China as a participant in future armed conflict and could even see one future armed conflict involve the U.S. versus China...
