Quote Originally Posted by TinCow View Post
China? Are we still really afraid of China? That's so 1990s.
Are we afraid? Why don't we ask the world's second third largest economy, Japan, which as we speak is forced into kneeling before China.

As China had previously done with smaller Asian neighbours, China moved a ship into disputed waters with Japan. The captain was subsequently arrested by Tokyo.
The Chinese retaliation was swift and brutal.

China has cornered the global rare earth's market. These are needed for pretty much anything high tech, from automobiles to computer chips to weapons systems. China has monopolised the market, it now controls 97%.
Overnight, each and every single Chinese company decided not to supply Japan with rare earths anymore. In an act of breathtaking cynicism, Beijng publicly stated it had nothing to do with it, that there was no official embargo. (In line with China's policy of sticking to the letter of trade agreements, while blatantly disregarding the spirit)

Japan was forced to surrender.
The game China was playing remained unclear: http://www.businessinsider.com/the-c...o-know-2010-10

It has created a lot of unease. As it turns out, the entire global high-tech industry is now reliant on Beijng and it's quota of rare earths. If you behave like a good boy, Beijng will supply you, if not, Beijng will punish you. Beijng can literally pull the plug by stopping rare earth exports.
Time for the world to wake up and understand the games China is playing. Scarce resources, food, mining rights, monopolised science and high tech industry - Beijng is waging agressive war in a bid for supremacy.