China is the # 1 threat to global security (Discuss)

[GUNWOUNDS]

http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2004/6/17/135930.shtml

Discuss

U.S. at War With Beijing, Reports Cite China as No. 1 Threat

Charles R. Smith

Thursday, June 17, 2004

The U.S. government has cited China as the No. 1 threat to global security for the second time in less than a month.

Both the Pentagon and the Commission on U.S-China Economic and Security Review cited Beijing as a major threat to U.S. national security. The two reports noted the growing military capability of China combined with its predatory economic policy is aimed directly at the United States.

The latest report released by the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission was approved by a "unanimous vote of all eleven Commissioners." According to the Commission China's co-operation on international security matters is "un-satisfactory."

The Commission examined in depth the extent of ongoing co-operation between China and the United States on traditional national security matters, most particularly China's assistance in re-solving the North Korea nuclear weapons crisis. The Commission believes that China's performance in this area to date has been unsatisfactory, and we are concerned that U.S. pressure on trade disputes and other unrelated aspects of the relationship may have been toned down by the administration as a concession for China's hoped-for cooperation on this and other vital security matters."

Economic War

According to the report, China is deliberately using economic warfare against America to seek a "competitive advantage over U.S. manufacturers."

"Economic fundamentals suggest that the Chinese yuan is undervalued, with a growing consensus of economists estimating the level of undervaluation to be anywhere from fifteen to forty percent. The Chinese government persistently intervenes in the foreign exchange market to keep its exchange rate pegged at 8.28 yuan per dollar, and through these actions appears to be manipulating its currency valuation," states the report.

The Commission also noted that China is violating its pledges to the World Trade Organization and that U.S. investors may actually be investing in the PLA military expansion.

"China has deliberately frustrated the effectiveness and debased the value of the WTO's TRM (Transitional Review Mechanism) which was intended to be a robust mechanism for assessing China's WTO compliance and for placing multilateral pressure on China to address compliance shortfalls."

"Without adequate information about Chinese firms trading in international capital markets, U.S. investors may be unwittingly pouring money into black box firms lacking basic corporate governance structures, as well as enterprises involved in activities harmful to U.S. security interests," noted the report.

Weapons for Oil

The Commission report also noted that China continues to proliferate advanced weapons to many of its client states including North Korea, Pakistan, and Iran. In addition, China now appears to be willing to trade weapons for oil.

"China's growing energy needs, linked to its rapidly expanding economy, are creating economic and security concerns for the United States. China's energy security policies are driving it into bilateral arrangements that undermine multilateral efforts to stabilize oil supplies and prices, and in some cases may involve dangerous weapons transfers," stated the report.

"China has sought energy cooperation with countries of concern to the United States, including Iran and Sudan, which are inaccessible by U.S. and other western firms. Some analysts have voiced suspicions that China may have offered WMD-related transfers as a component of some of its energy deals," noted the Commission.

New Weapons

The Commission report also revealed that Russia has sold China a more advanced version of the deadly SUNBURN (3M83 Moskit) cruise missile. Nikolay Shcherbakov, adviser to the director general of the Altair Naval Scientific Research Institute of Electronic Engineering, is reported as saying that "we are supplying China with new-generation equipment. We have been allowed to supply MOSKIT supersonic antiship cruise missiles with twice the range - 240km instead of the existing 120."

The Commission also noted a growing concern that China would use nuclear weapons to attack and defeat U.S. forces in the event of a war over Taiwan.

"Recognizing the possible involvement of the U.S. military, the current scholarship on China's R & D finds that PRC strategists believe that a superior navy could be defeated through the disabling of its space-based systems, as for example, by exo-atmospheric detonation of a nuclear warhead to generate an electromagnetic pulse," stated the report.

In addition, the Commission noted that China is pursuing an advanced laser weapon for use against Taiwanese and U.S. forces.

"It has recently been reported that China has successfully developed a laser cannon with a range of more than one hundred kilometers and might have already deployed it in Fujian Province facing Taiwan."

Shooting War in 2005

The Commission's report painted a deadly and growing picture of the Chinese threat with a possible conflict only a year away.

"The China Affairs Department of the Democratic Progressive Party published a report on China's basic military capabilities in which it said that Beijing had developed a 'sudden strike' strategy to attack Taiwan. This story discussed a scenario in which an attack would consist of an initial seven-minute shock and strike missile barrage that would paralyze Taiwan's command system, followed by seventeen minutes in which Taiwan's air space will be invaded by fighter jets. Within twenty-four hours of the strike, 258,000 Chinese troops could be deployed in Taiwan. China's fast-growing military modernization and expansion is aimed at a possible war between 2005 and 2010, according to the report," stated the Commission report.

In early June the Pentagon released a Congressionally mandated report on Chinese military developments. The Pentagon report outlined the double-digit increases in Chinese defense spending and major weapons purchases from Russia.

China currently is third in total defense spending, behind the U.S. and Russia, with nearly $100 billion a year now budgeted for the PLA. The Pentagon report noted that the PLA double-digit increases are expected to continue through 2010.

According to the report, the Chinese build-up of ballistic missiles has changed the balance of power in the Pacific, threatening to start a war over Taiwan. China currently has an estimated 550 short-range missiles opposite Taiwan.

"China most likely will be able to cause significant damage to all of Taiwan's airfields and quickly degrade Taiwan's ground based air-defenses and associated command and control through a combination of SRBMs (short range ballistic missiles), land-attack cruise missiles, special operation forces and other assets," stated the Pentagon report. The Pentagon report noted that China is increasing its long-range missile capability and is expected to expand its inventory to 30 such missiles by the end of 2005. The Pentagon anticipates the Chinese long-range nuclear missile force will exceed 60 before the end of the decade.

Nuclear War

The Pentagon report also warned that Chinese military strategists are considering the use of nuclear weapons against U.S. and Taiwanese forces. According to the Pentagon, a nuclear weapon detonated at high altitude would create an "electromagnetic" shock wave that will disrupt U.S. communications and scramble sophisticated military computers. "PLA theorists who have become aware of these electromagnetic effects may have considered using a nuclear weapon as an unconventional attack option," stated the Pentagon report.

Chinese authorities have reacted explosively to the recent reports, especially over the U.S. commitment to Taiwan. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao underscored the unstable nature of China's relationship by threatening to use military force to seize control of the tiny island nation.

According to the official PRC news Xinhua, China will never tolerate "Taiwan independence", neither will China allow anybody to split Taiwan from the motherland with any means.

"The Taiwan independence activities are the greatest threats to the peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait," stated Liu. The official PRC spokesman also asked the United States to stop selling advanced weapons to Taiwan under any pretenses and refrain from sending wrong signals to Taiwan.

[Caid Ivik]

So Ogadai and his hordes are coming again...

[danielsh]

According to the report, China is deliberately using economic warfare against America to seek a "competitive advantage over U.S. manufacturers."

I want everyone to read this sentence a few times.  We desperately wanted to open trade with China---a nation with an atrocious human-rights record, I might add---to facilitate globalization and give giant corporations a new playground, but are now getting antsy because Chinese corporations might be seeking a competitive advantage over U.S. companies?  Wow.

[Wolf]

I think, much in the way globalization in the first place was America playing business hardball, this, too, is America playing business hardball. The US wants all the advantages and all the profits, just as China does. Whichever one of them wins is up in the air, though. And this -- the US & China fighting for increased business interest -- shouldn't be cited why they're a global catastrophe. Unless you're Edirc, or a communist, of course.

[erjin999]

Shouldnt we substitue "China as the No. 1 threat to global security" with "China as the No. 1 threat to American hegemony".

Thats what I think America is afraid of.

[ordos45]

Let me say this once, and once only.  If China were to use nuclear weapons against the Seventh Fleet at Taiwan, there would be no more China after we retaliated.

[nampigai]

this come as no surprise for me, but who's actually to blame?

[erjin999]

Let me say this once, and once only.  If China were to use nuclear weapons against the Seventh Fleet at Taiwan, there would be no more China after we retaliated.

You sound proud of your ability to kill other humans.

[ordos45]

Proud?  Hardly.  I'm just saying that the United States has a history of bloody revenge.  Pearl Harbor for example, by the end of the war we firebombed Japan, we dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.  The Native Americans slaughtered Custer who went to kill them, we send out a larger force to wipe them out through any means necessary.  The list goes on.

That's why I'm saying there will be no more China if they would nukes on American forces, let alone the possibility of American cities.  The bloody revenge that would be the response would be to turn China to glass.  An eye for an eye taken up to an eye for a body level.

[erjin999]

I am sorry to have to repeat myself, but you DO sound proud. And you are right, America does have a history of bloody revenge, in addition to a bloody history.

Poor Natives of America, I say. Just my humble opinion, though.

[ordos45]

*shrugs* If you think I sound proud about it, then that's your opinion.  I'm not.  I merely state the facts.

[exatreide]

I am proud about it, I'm about about my nations abilty to retaliate to the atomic threat, and Im proud that if anyone had the stupidty to attack America, that not only would we retaliate, but with subs, ICBMS and other methods we could render the country into cinder faster then you could say ho chi min.

China has to launch nukes becouse they would never be able to invade american shores, The american navy is 53.4% of the entire worlds navy china's is 3.2% roughly the same as Turkey.

[Wolf]

Besides, its not like the British weren't proud of the fact that they conquered more than 1/4 of the Earth's surface. And, since you seem so ready to define the emotions of others, Erjin, I will do the same. I will wager that if Britain was in America's position, you would feel no less proud.

Further, Americans, in general, are not proud of killing. To be honest, Americans prefer economic domination over military. During the Civil War, the Union disabled the Southern war machine by buying all the weapons on the market from every country in the world. The USA out-bought the CSA. What precipated Pearl Harbor? The US was outbuying the Japanese in oil. How did the American government help the Soviet Union collapse? They out-spent them, they demonstrated to Russia that to continue devoting effort to matching the United States was a futile act, and, thus, the Soviet Union dissolved itself. I know Edric disagrees, but, to me, it seems as if the US won the Cold War in the most time-honored American fashion; he out-bought them.

And, I think, this approach matches perfectly what's going on in China. China is a country that, seemingly, can stand toe-to-toe with the US in terms of economics. Woah.

Even then, don't people of all nations take some pride in their military forces? Seemingly so -- especially Britain. The Imperial War Museum, the Museum of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. The forts within London, the Blues and the Royals. In visiting London, I witnessed a huge amount of military pride. When a nation's Navy represents over half of the world's Navy, is that not an accomplishment? If you feel secure in accusing other Americans of "pride" in our "ability to kill", then I must wonder if your statement is motivated by the same sort of feelings; might you not be ashamed of being second-best at most, then?

[nemafakei]

"its predatory economic policy"

I think it's called capitalism.

"The forts within London, the Blues and the Royals. In visiting London, I witnessed a huge amount of military pride"

Not simple pride in the size of the military, but in the country and the traditions behind it. But a lot of it is pomp rather than aggressive power. We don't have legions of khaki uniforms parading in front of the palaces with nasty machine guns that I'm aware of. We don't really care about our ability to kill, so much as our political position and frequent role as peacekeeping force.

"Besides, its not like the British weren't proud of the fact that they conquered more than 1/4 of the Earth's surface."

We were. And, like most European countries, we are also ashamed of much of our history. Some countries, though, are not ashamed... this, not the scale of the crimes are differences.

[Caid Ivik]

You are all from germanic nations, so stop being hypocritical that you feel shame over your armies  ;)

[nemafakei]

Beg pardon?

[thomas]

rule of thumb to all other countries, don't fuck with the US.

We were in shambles before pearl habor (great depression and so on) and we still came back to beat japan and lend a major hand to the defeat of europe.

[Wolf]

Haha, Caid, that's a good point I hadn't thought of. No, but, really, I find it condescending that, for a moment, it isn't even considered that Americans, too, are ashamed of some of their history, just as others are. the point I'm trying to make is that, if your country had the destructive power of the US, you'd probably feel differently. And if the US had as bloody a history as other nations, we, too, would feel differently. So, don't tell us how we should feel.

[Barbarossa]

I am sorry to have to repeat myself, but you DO sound proud. And you are right, America does have a history of bloody revenge, in addition to a bloody history.

Poor Natives of America, I say. Just my humble opinion, though.

Just as Wolfwiz said, the British were never quite up-standing in the treatmeant of the ppls of their "Conquered" lands!

and on-top of that the english seemed to of had a nasty proplem with imperialism and the such.

you know what they said "the sun never sets on the british empire"

[Caid Ivik]

I think we all should feel no shame of history. It's part of us, it gave us experience. In fact, when first slavonic tribes came here they were known for their brutality, especially against captured enemies. Why should I be ashamed of it? Those were other people with other interests, and their acts also helped them to hold the land. Same act of brutality was ie bombing of civilian targets by allied forces. It was same scream of culture, which wants to suppress other one. If we let out some imagination, Hollywood and Jukos are doing same.

[Digital Guerrilla]

Tawain is a strategic point for the Chinese they are not the original inhabitans of the island but being the gateway to seven of their coastal providences you can see why it is going to be a battle over the island and the fact of it's natural resources.

[GUNWOUNDS]

Tawain is a strategic point for the Chinese they are not the original inhabitans of the island but being the gateway to seven of their coastal providences you can see why it is going to be a battle over the island and the fact of it's natural resources.

yes the assimilation of Tawain's flourishing economy will be an immense boost to the Chinese.

[DukeLeto]

China is a threat to US Prosperity, not global security.

Now, a true threat to Global security would be, say, a nation run by a man not elected by the people, that has invaded other countries without just cause, defies the United Nations at every turn, tortures POWs, and has alienated all of its former allies.  *COUGH*

But I digress...

Frankly China is no more a threat to "Global Security" than any other nation with nuclear weapons and a cluesless moron in charge of them.

[GUNWOUNDS]

hehe that was clever Leto

[nemafakei]

To be honest, given china's current and forseeable military foreign policy (nice big powerful military, but don't do anything active with it), China may be considered to be a sort of substitute for MAD - if anyone (especially the US, given China) gets too aggressive for China's liking, they'll start to move.