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I'd like to accept the topic "Resolved: On balance, the rise of China is beneficial to the interests of the United States." I will put asterisks next to my contentions to help reading. Constructive: I affirm the resolution "Resolved: On balance, the rise of China is beneficial to the interests of the United States." In my argument, I will show the many benefits of China to the United States which clearly outweigh any adverse effects. *Contention 1: The rise of China is beneficial to the foreign relations and national security of the United States. Asian powers are actively shifting arrangements due to mutual competition and suspicions among each other. They used to be in careful balance, but with the rise of China, the other powers are becoming unbalanced. According to Robert Sutter, a fellow at the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies (2005), this imbalance causes powers like Japan, Russia, and India to align themselves more with other world powers. In this case, the world power is and was the United States. This is further supported by the recent behavior of these 3 countries. But this doesn't only happen with these countries. China itself is also looking to be a very valuable ally to the United States. Recently, there has been a pattern clearly showing China's willingness to work with the US. Last March, China cut about 20% of oil purchases from Iran, withdrew some support from American enemy Syria, and worked with the Obama administration in response to international scrutiny. Yet, not only will the rise of China give the US a stronger global stance with strong allies, it will also helps its national security. A quote from Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi to North Korea's ambassador on February 12 was that Beijing was "strongly dissatisfied and resolutely opposed" to North Korea's nuclear test, showing that with rise of China would help neutralize very dangerous threats like North Korea. China is North Korea's largest ally, which amplifies the rising support for American prospects. China has a voice with North Korea that the US lacks. Additionally, according to senior fellow of the CATO institute Doug Bandow (July 1, 2009), only Beijing has the clout to influence North Korea due to it providing much of North Korea's resources and food. This fact, combined with China's unhappiness at the nuclear testing could be the only way to stop North Korea from utilizing nuclear weapons. Thus, the rise of China gives the United States a stronger foreign relations position and *protects* American lives. *Contention 2: The rise of China is economically beneficial to the United States. According to Daniel Griswold, director of the Cato Institute's Center for Trade Policy Studies, "China's engagement in the global economy is good for people of China, good for Americans, and good for the world. While the critics of trade with China mistakenly focus on the alleged harm it causes, they tend to overlook the benefits." A large portion of these benefits refer to the huge domestic demand that China has to help stimulate economies and this has been proven to help the United States. The U.S.-China trade reached $456.8 billion in 2010; 14.3% of the U.S. foreign trade. U.S. exports to mainland China reached $118.5 billion; 9.3% of the U.S. total exports according to the US. Griswold also stated: "Since 2000, U.S. exports of goods to China have increased by 158 percent, from $16.2 billion to $41.8 billion in 2005." And this number is still growing. In a quote from Hu Jintao, president of China in 2011, China will "provide important opportunities for countries in Asia and the rest of the world to increase exports to China." as well as "implement the strategy of boosting domestic demand, especially consumer demand." Additionally, America's debt to China makes China extremely invested into the American economy, as they want the American economy to do well so they can pay back the debt. With the rise of China, the United States will undoubtedly also profit. Thus, China has a large stake in the United States and is an amazing opportunity for the American economy to once again flourish, and thus the rise of China is definitely in the interests of America. *Contention 3: The technological rise of China provides benefits to all of society. Just how the invention of the computer revolutionized the world, the technological advances of China would help all of society. The US's invention of the computer revolutionized the world, bringing about the Internet. China's technological rise could potentially be even more useful, working with environmentally friendly alternatives. There is a very high potential for extremely beneficial technologies developing that could serve to revolutionize energy issues and practices. Similar to the Space Race with the Soviet Union during the Cold War, the rise of China provides a competitor to the US. During the space race, many satellites, rockets, and space equipment were produced to keep up with the USSR. If China starts to create technological advancements that rival those of the United States, the United States can retaliate, leading to better inventions for all of society. For example, according to Dr. David Caploe, Chief Political Economist, China was set to overtake American in green research back in 2010. He says: "On the other side of Xi'an from Applied Materials sits Thermal Power Research Institute, China's world-leading laboratory on cleaner coal. The company has just licensed its latest design to Future Fuels in the United States." Another example is in cancer research. According to Dr. Charles M. Balch (Chief Executive Officer of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) for nearly 6 years), "The Chinese have made huge investments, at both the government and private-sector levels, in support of biomedical research in China." There are so many more revolutionary research practices in China that could help save lives or solve world problems, helping everyone. China is a leader in many of these areas of research, and thus the rise of China would help us solve these world problems, not only helping Americans, but the entire world. For these three reasons I urge a pro ballot. I look forward to my opponent's response.