B.A. HAMZAH
1. Napoleon once said - When China awakes the world had better watch out. By most accounts, China has awakened, whether it will go into slumber again as it did during the Cold War era - post1949 - is difficult to predict.
2. When we talk of China, we need to understand some important traits forming part of Chinese leadership psyche to this day. They include the following:
a. cultural superiority - ancient civilisation that has remained almost intact in territorial/cultural terms;
b. middle Kingdom mentalit y- an ideological underpinning that will survive the 21st century. Despite changes to geo - politics China still wants to hold court. China is still wooed by Russia, Europe and the US. It expects the other middle powers like Japan, India to pay deference to an old Kingdom;
C. A country that has nuclear capability - small no doubt; but sufficient to give China a strategic confidence in dealing with its neighhours - be it Japan, Russia or India, South Korea or Asean in military terms;
