The Two Sides of the China Coin

China-alarmists would do well to read this analysis by Jing-dong Yuan over at Asia Times Online:

Beijing's good-neighbor diplomacy, including the promotion of multilateral security institutions, is largely driven by its interests in dispelling "China threat" concerns and developing stable environments for economic growth. While it is true that China hopes these arrangements offer alternatives to US bilateral military alliances, it would be an exaggeration to argue that Beijing is deliberately challenging and balancing against US interests. Except for the Taiwan issue, Chinese anti-hegemony rhetoric is just that, and no more. China is not the Soviet Union during the Cold War.