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Apologies for a slightly rushed round - our national qualifying tournament is tomorrow. I'd like to briefly note that my opponent did properly cite any of his sources. I'm fine with this. I will be doing the same, although all warrants used are available upon request. Should my opponent request a source, challenge evidence, or request that we begin formal citations, I will be happy to oblige.Resolutional AnalysisThe resolution asks us to analyze the rise of China "on balance". While China undoubtedly provides benefits to the United States, these benefits are certainly outweighed by the extensive harms of declining world hegemony, a loss of economic competitiveness, and a decrease in world stability. Conveniently, these arguments line up well with my opponent's contentionsDeclining HegemonyEvan Ellis, of the National Defense University, explains that a combination of economic, cultural, and institutional ties from China have contributed to an erosion of the U.S. global strategic position. As China rises, and its extensive ties in foreign relations continue to expand, the nation gains what's known as "soft power." Ellis continues, and explains the harm of Chinese soft power, stating that as it expands, governments are more likely to orient themselves in ways that benefit China, rather than the United States. This presents a dual-harm to U.S. interests.First, it harms resource security. As China develops, the country requires an increasingly large amount of oil for new industries. Eduardo Abisellan, of the Brookings Institution, finds that this has led China to develop increased economic ties with a variety of new regions, including the Middle East and Africa. These economic ties ensure that China has increased leverage over future oil exports. Over the long term, as supplies dwindle, and economic influence becomes increasingly important, China will possess a distinct advantage over the United States, which will be unable to leverage any major influence in regions dominated by Chinese investment. A more extensive link to U.S. interests is unnecessary, but will be stated regardless: failure to maintain access to oil results in a massive economic collapse, preventing the U.S. from exerting economic hegemony, as well as directly affecting millions of U.S. citizens.Second, it prevents power projection. In countries through the Middle East and South Asia, military bases are necessary to project U.S. global power, thereby preventing Iranian or North Korean adventurism. Should the United States lose access to these vital bases, these nations will have be free to act as they please. Unfortunately, China's rising influence in regions such as Pakistan cause this exact scenario to occur. As China's influence expands, countries are more likely to move away from the strained United States relationship and towards a Chinese alliance. Often times, since these countries tend to be on pretty bad terms with the United States, this is accompanied by an expulsion of U.S. intelligence operatives, and the request for removal of military bases. Thus, China's rising influence prevents the U.S. from exerting freedom of action on the behalf of its national security interests.InstabilityChina's economic relations with Pakistan, Iran, and North Korea promote global instability. As the Economist explains, China is now Iran's largest trading partner, investing billions of dollars into the country's infrastructure. A similar picture is painted for North Korea, with the Council on Foreign Relations finding that China has increased trade with the country over the past few years. Despite public statements to the contrary, China strongly supports the nuclear programs of these countries, and ensures that they continue operating. Indeed, China's initial advocacy and sharing of nuclear weapons was the prime reason for initial advancements in the nuclear programs of numerous pariah states.Thus, China harms U.S. interests by propping up these pariah states, thereby spreading instability. As China continues to develop, and these relations continue, the likelihood of conflict between pariah states and their rivals, such as Israel for Iran and every damn country in the world for North Korea. This initial instability prevents the U.S. maintaining, and operating in, a stable world system. Upon actual possession of nuclear weapons, the risk of North Korean or Iranian adventurism, or even direct attack, is greatly increased, further destabilizing the surrounding region and potential creating world-ending conflict. EconomyThe Chinese substantially harm U.S. economic interests in a few crucial ways. First, the growing trade deficit costs jobs. While my opponent analyzes the export side of our trade relationship, he fails to look at the broader picture. When analyzing exports and imports, the United States is in a substantial, and growing, trade deficit. Robert Scott, of the Economic Policy Institute, notes that the trade deficit has eliminated or displaces more than 2.7 million U.S. jobs over the past 10 years. More importantly, he notes that competition with Chinese workers and exports has reduced the wages and bargaining power of nearly 70 percent of the U.S. workforce, or about 100 million workers.Second, China steals intellectual property. Ed Gerwin and Ryan McConaghy, of the Bernand L. Schwartz Initiative on American Economic Policy, finds that 99% of China's music, and 78% of its pc software is pirated. In fact, China's own estimates place between 15 to 20% of all products made in the country to be counterfeit. The U.S. International Trade Commission finds that, if China were to protect IP at levels comparable to the United States, exports to the country would increase by 107 billion, and the economy would add over 2.1 million jobs. However, the more important harm is the long term decline in innovation. As Derek Scissors, of the Heritage Foundation, explains, IPR is strongly linked to a country's ability to innovate. When China ignores our intellectual property rights, innovation falls. This is crucial because America's comparative advantage is in innovation, particularly technology goods. Thus, China's development both directly effects the U.S. economy, as well as harms the overall trade standing of the United States.Third, and finally, China hoards vast amounts of savings, severely depressing interest rates in the United States. Helen Mees, of Foreignpolicy magazine, explains that this prevented major economic growth at the start of the millennium, and instead led to the housing bubble in 2008, which in turn caused a severe economic recession. In fact, Mees continues that these depressed interest rates were a major, although not the only, factor in the worldwide economic downturn. Thus, as China continues to rise, and the amount of savings increase, the already massive harms posed to the United States are compounded on a global scale.Some direct contrast can be seen already between my case and my opponents. However, as is the usual in public forum, I will until the next round to actually attack his case.