Seventh and last in a series.

For Americans looking at East Asia in 2004, it was the year of starting to worry about China while the U.S. government tried to get them to worry about North Korea.

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What China did in 2004 was basically a continuation of what it has been doing for several years. That is to say, continuing to grow economically and beginning to visibly flex its political muscles to match its economic expansion. The problem was that it occurred while the United States itself was feeling the constraints of a major war in the Middle East; a big budget deficit at home; a growing gap between U.S. imports and exports, particularly with China; and, at the end of the year, a precipitous drop in the exchange rate of the dollar against other currencies (except for the Chinese yuan, which is tied to the U.S. dollar, teeth locked in place like a junkyard dog's, as a way to preserve competitiveness).

A good deal of what China is doing shouldn't bother the United States, as long as America accepts that Asia will become increasingly an area under Chinese sway, less susceptible to American influence. We're not there yet; the big American response to the Dec. 26 tsunamis, putting $350 million on the table and promptly engaging U.S. military resources in the relief effort easily surpassed what the Chinese have been able to do.

Living in the world with North Korea and remaining calm require understanding of two facts. The first is that the countries most concerned by North Korea's activities, including its possible nuclear weapons capacity, are those in its immediate vicinity -- South Korea, China, Japan and Russia -- not the United States. All four of those countries, plus the United States, are fully engaged now, with the International Atomic Energy Agency, in seeing that North Korea doesn't do anything crazy. No matter how bizarre North Korean leader Kim Jong Il may seem, his country is located within easy swatting distance of both China and Russia, neither of whose leaders is notable for a sense of humor.

The second point with respect to North Korea is that U.S. intelligence grossly overestimated the old Soviet Union and Saddam Hussein's Iraq. Thus, when it cries, "North Korea," it is worth considering that the words may sound suspiciously like "wolf."

Japan had a reasonably quiet year, with its economy, the world's second largest, chugging along, but with a vigor sometimes resembling an underpowered Datsun. Japan is nonetheless moving into a world role that is more in keeping with its economic strength. Its donation to tsunami relief is the largest single national contribution; it has put forces in Iraq; Japan also continues to bid for a permanent U.N. Security Council seat.

The rest of East Asia is interesting to look at, even though it thrust no major dramas upon the world in 2004. Thailand was smacked by the Dec. 26 tsunamis, but its durable economy was little rocked by the terrible tides. Myanmar, or Burma, staggers on, ruled by an appalling group of obsolete generals who keep that beautiful country mired in underdevelopment. Indonesia held impressive elections. The Philippines are rabidly democratic, but continue to be tormented by Muslim separatist rebellions on some islands. The United States provides military assistance in resisting the rebels, but its history of involvement in the islands makes Philippine leaders nervous.

Taiwan's 2004 elections thrust to the fore its occasional pretensions to independence from China. In fact, the Taiwanese and the mainland Chinese are working together increasingly closely, sotto voce. The only worrisome part is that some Taiwanese political leaders can't resist saying things that annoy the Chinese; if the Chinese were to move against them militarily, the United States would risk being pulled into the conflict. That would be very bad, for the United States as well as for Taiwan and China.

There is no reason to expect that any of these East Asian truths or trends will be modified sharply by anything that will happen in 2005.