The Dragon's Fangs?

             US reports China missile build-up

   I've been thumping this tub for awhile now. China is spending 90 billion dollars on 'defense' annually. Defense from who? The fact is, China is preparing to make an assault on Taiwan and probably South Korea. Their intent is to control all of the western Pacific region. Anyone that doubts this is exhibiting the same attitude we had circa 1935. Not only were all the materials used by Japan to bring us to our knees gleefully sold to them by us, we were busy buying everthing we could 'made in Japan' because it was so cheap.

   Did you know that we sell oil to China? We do. And of course, you DO know we are literally throwing our money at them. Nothing good will come of this situation. In fact, it's very likely they will bring us to our knees with a Japan-like judo chop ... very soon.

                                                     BONZAI !!!

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             US reports China missile build-up

By Adam Brookes

The report says the military balance is tipping against Taiwan

China has deployed up to 730 short-range ballistic missiles on its coast opposite Taiwan, the US defence department says.

Another 100 missiles are being deployed every year, it says.

In an annual report to Congress, the Pentagon says China could now be spending up to $90bn a year on defence.

China's military build-up puts regional balances at risk, the Pentagon says, adding that this military modernisation is aimed at winning a war with Taiwan.

The defence department concludes that China does not face a threat from any other nation. Yet, says its report, China continues to invest heavily in its military.

China is also developing the capability to launch air strikes and mount a blockade against the island and Chinese planners are looking for ways of delaying any intervention by the US in a cross-strait conflict, the Pentagon says.

'Credible threat'

The balance of power across the Taiwan Strait, says the report, is shifting in Beijing's favour.

But the Pentagon also believes that China's strategic planners are looking beyond Taiwan. The report points to China's growing missile capability and the imminent deployment of mobile, long-range, ballistic missiles, known as DF31s, which could hit targets worldwide with nuclear warheads.

The Chinese navy has bought into service advanced guided missile destroyers, submarines and fighter aircraft, bought from Russia.

Over the long term, says the Pentagon, if current trends persist, the Chinese military could pose a credible threat to other modern militaries operating in the region.

That is code for American forces in Asia.

The drafting of this report has been a contentious process, reflecting divisions in Washington between those who view Chinese power as a serious emerging threat and those who take a more benign view.

But the final product is a document tough in substance and in tone which will do little or nothing to reassure those Americans who worry about China's intentions.

...BBC

Comments

[mdmhvonpa]

My wife is chinese (by gene pool, born in NYC) and she thinks the situation is bad. Facism is a dangerous thing.

[Steel Turman]

I fully expect an invasion of Taiwan ANY day.

[Phoenix]

Most of the objections to the proposed deal stem from fear and loathing regarding the Chinese government. The argument seems to be that anything that promotes economic growth in China and, in turn, "feeds the beast." Now, of course it's true that China's government shows little to no respect for human rights and is one of the uglier regimes that populate the U.N.. It's attitude towards those who challenge party power in print or through civic action is savage and reprehensible. But it is on a positive trajectory. What was once a totalitarian state is now an authoritarian regime. Economic liberalization has had a lot to do with that - the emergence of capitalism and free trade has eroded the government's power and is likely to continue to do so in the future. Encouraging wealth creation and engagement in world markets will do more to encourage civil society in China than economic isolation, stagnation, and saber-rattling.

It's also important to keep the military issue in perspective. China's economy is the size of Italy's and, depending upon how you count it, American defense spending is 5-10 times larger than defense spending in China. Since Mao's death, China has not initiated war with anyone and has shown no inclination to initiate hostilities with the United States, Japan, or any of our allies in the region save for ... Taiwan. That's the only source of tension - the possibility that the United States might initiate a war with China over some future confrontation in Taiwan. A Chinese attack on Taiwan is a real worry, but notice that in that particular case, it would be the United States acting as the aggressor in this relationship, not the Chinese. Whether the U.S. has any business risking a nuclear war over Taiwan is an open question.

The argument that a wealthier, more prosperous China equals a more dangerous China is not necessarily true for the reasons I laid out above. Blocking China from access to markets or private economic assets would arguably incline the Chinese to think that only military muscle will allow it to secure access to markets and resources. That's not an idea we ought to encourage.

And I'm getting sick of hearing how China is a communist country. It is communist in name only. China is laboring to enter international markets and commerce and has substantially freed its economy from state control. It is arguably more capitalist than France. Moreover, China's lack of concern for human rights or the rule of law abroad is not substantially different from France's attitude towards the same.

Finally, the "level playing field" argument is a red herring. U.S. based companies have $105 billion of assets in China and employ 391,000 people there. Chinese firms own only $8 billion of U.S. assets and employ only 15,000 people here. Access to the Chinese economy is regulated and more difficult than it should be, but the suggestion that U.S. firms are "kept out" while we let Chinese firms into the U.S. is not founded upon fact.

Jerry Taylor CATO

[Steel Turman]

That China has yet to invade anyone is a specious statement. Had England/Hong Kong refused to revert the Chinese would have been there in a week. You DO know that don't you? They border with nations that for one reason or ahother are unassailable. Russia, India and some lesser nations. It is going the route it set off on 50 years ago with the invasion of Tibet. Then Hong Kong and next is Taiwan and then Burma/Vietnam for the resources. Then they will go after South Korea.

[Phoenix]

Phooo.