Myanmar crackdown sheds light on Beijing's aspirations.

Some material to use for the essay question on whether China's growing power is a world threat, as well any other question on China's place in the international community.

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At stake here is China's identity as a rising superpower, whether China will use its clout in the region to (in the short term) force a de-escalation of violence against the pro-democracy protestors, and (in the long term) effect an improvement in governance. More generally, what will be China's foreign policy be towards regimes that violate human rights (Sudan, Zimbabwe) or which violate or refuse to ratify the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (North Korean, Iran)?

With the great economic and diplomatic pressues China can bring to bear on these countries (Sudan and Zimbabwe due to China's huge investments in those countries, North Korea and Myanmar due to historical relationships), merely doing nothing (pursuing a policy of "non-interference") may constitute a threat to the well-being of the people under oppressive regimes, and to world security.