Peace and Free Trade

Here’s a letter that I recently sent to the Wall Street Journal:

Mark Helprin correctly points out that as the Chinese grow more
prosperous their military will grow more mighty ("The Challenge From
China," May 13).  He advises that Uncle Sam dramatically increase the
size of his own arsenal.

Regardless of this suggestion’s merits
or demerits, the more vital course is for Uncle Sam to immediately
eliminate all trade and investment restrictions with China, and for
politicians to stop threatening further restrictions.  Such moves would
speed the integration of China’s economy with our own.  Being
economically integrated means being economically reliant on each other
- a happy recipe for prosperity and peace.

Want evidence?  See
the important work of economists Solomon Polachek and Carlos Seiglie.
Their empirical research leads them to conclude that "international
cooperation in reducing barriers to both trade and capital flows can
promote a more peaceful world."*  Want more evidence?  Ask yourself how
likely are even a well-armed Canada or Japan to have any interest in
shooting their countless customers and suppliers throughout the U.S.?
The answer, of course, is no more likely than we are to want to shoot
our customers and suppliers throughout those countries

Donald J. Boudreaux

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