I agree with JM.

Having studied Chinese history and having many friends living across the Middle Kingdom. China is more likely to (in the short term) go to war with itself than the USofA.

Inflation (esp food) is rampant across many areas of China and they are starting to suffer the consequences of over-production and rapidly rising wages etc.

Now that over 55 million of them are going on overseas holidays / studying every year, the genie is out of the bottle. Chinese will demand social, economic and political reform as they get a taste of 'the good life'.

A very good friend of mine works in the Shenzhen stock exchange - she assures me the economic issues in China (mostly unequal wealth distribution and corruption) are huge.

Of course, it suits the xenophobic political discourse in Oz to play up fear of a militaristic China.

Scotty