China's interagency tangle

Whatever problems the U.S. government has in getting its act together, China has even greater ones.

Consider these facts from the Economist:

• There has been no foreign affairs specialist in the 25-member Politburo since 2002.
• The Ministry of Defense lacks command authority over China's armed forces.
• There is a profound lack of coordination between the foreign ministry and the military.
• Eleven government agencies assert various authorities over matters related to the disputed islands in the South China Sea.
• Many heads of State Owned Enterprises outrank local party and government leaders and thus can ignore their orders.

If China is going to play a responsible role in world affairs, and especially if it is going to avoid stupid mistakes and avoidable escalation into military confrontations, it needs to develop mechanisms and processes to coordinate decisions and monitor government actions.