I agree that a civil war is the last thing the Chinese people want, but does that really matter to a political leader that might be able to increase his personal power and wealth, and is NOT answerable to the people other than at the point of a gun? Chinese history is dominated by war with itself, even while at war with others (most recently Japan). It seems like fighting warlords are the normal state of affairs in China's long history. What will the generals do? What will the local officials do (I understand that local leaders have a great deal of power, China a is not monolithically run from Beijing), and how will the new middle class and old peasentry react to such dramatic changes? I believe everything will be fine in China (current protests are relatively minor, and western criticism counts for nothing in China) until the economy stops growing. This MAY not happen for another 20 years, but it will happen. When Japan's bubble burst, it was pacifist. It pretty much just stayed stagnant to this day. What will the completely NON-pacifist nationalistic, autocratic PRC do when faced with economic adversity and an unsympathetic world? I shudder to think.
