Military delegates arrive for a session of the Chinese People’s
 Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) in Beijing. 

Over the past decade, China has become increasingly bold, doing everything it can to act the neighborhood bully. Narcissistic, entitled and unwilling to bear any criticism, China seems to believe it can walk over almost anyone—mostly because no one has given them

any reason to think otherwise. Nations have refrained from criticizing China too strongly, or taking any kind of action, because they rely on the trade that has increased so massively from a country of over one billion people. Such reliance, however, is like continually spending on a credit card, ignoring the fact that one day the bill is going to be due.

In China’s case, we can see this with their heavy extraction of concessions from anyone with whom they deal. It began with the Dalai Lama, and the fact that the Chinese strongly caution any national leader who dare meet with him or even speak to him. It was always put across as a matter of respect for China’s internal sovereignty and basically not rocking the boat. Is one man really so powerful that the CCP needs to protest people meeting with him?

This summer, when Australian swimmer Mack Horton called one of the Chinese swimmers a drug cheat, the response from the state-run Global Times was nothing short of hysterical. They demanded an apology and referred to Australia as being “at the fringes of civilization” and that “no one should be surprised at the uncivilized acts emanating from the country.” Quite a fit to throw over something an athlete said.

Allowing of China into the World Trade Organization (WTO) was a classic case of putting short-term gains ahead of longer term prosperity. The Chinese have shown that they have next to no respect for the concept of intellectual property rights, AKA the cornerstone of modern business. Cheap knock-offs of everything from designer fashion brands to ambulance stretchers continue to flood the West, with no sign of slowing down.

Then there is the cyber army that is paid to steal from Western business, government, military contractors and anyone deemed to have even the most slightly useful information. Other bad behaviors include the fact that China continues to undervalue its currency; that it protects its own companies while putting foreign firms at a competitive disadvantage, and that they are slow to implement WTO rules, while suddenly imposing unwritten laws that are unfavorable to foreigners.