Former NATO supreme commander: China could supplant US as world leader by 2020

[DonViejo]

Source: The Hill



Retired U.S. Marine Corps Gen. Jim Jones says China – not Russia – is the most concerning threat to the United States.

Jones, a former NATO European supreme commander, said China hasn’t been exactly shy about its ambitions to surpass the U.S. on the world stage.

“China is a much longer-term problem. I think China has the stated goal of trying to replace the United States…by 2020, 2040,” Jones told Hill.TV’s Krystal Ball and Buck Sexton on Monday.

“They’re doing this in a very quiet way – sometimes not so quiet, but there’s no mistaking what their long-term ambition is and we’re going to have to deal with that,” Jones continued.

Read more: http://thehill.com/hilltv/rising/398350-former-nato-supreme-commander-china-could-supplant-us-as-world-leader-by-2020

[DavidDvorkin]

1. There is nothing we can do about it

Empires are never successful in preventing their being displaced in the long term. In the short term, they can squelch a rival or two, but they can't stop the inevitable from finally happening. In the current case, China is a rival we won't be able to squelch.

[Hoyt]

2. Here we are during an important period for our future, relying on trump/GOPers to maintain relations

with world powers. Is there any country we have not royally ticked off, other than Russia?

[murielm99]

3. It will happen that much sooner because of

45's bungling and stumbling foreign policy.

[brush]

6. Caligula or Nero, anyone?

[KT2000]

4. tRump has fast-tracked

China's plans. They are amazed that it is becoming easier for them.

[Nitram]

5. Unlikely.

[roamer65]

7. It is inevitable.

I think the best question at this point is can the United States remain united. Most empires disintegrate.

[Red Mountain]

8. I don't see disintegration as a major threat

We're not the Roman empire. We don't conquer and occupy.

This is a fight for economic power and influence.

The Chinese are hungrier than we are. They're courting anybody who will listen.

We're busy pissing off our friends and alienating potential trading partners.

China is becoming a viable alternative to the US as an economic partner in the third world. When they are preferable we will have lost......at least temporarily.

I think we're still competitive......but we're not likely to remain the sole world superpower.