Posted on 05/25/2018 8:56:59 PM PDT by caww
China faces a practically-permanent ban from participating in major U.S.-led military drills in the Pacific Rim, under a provision of the newly-released Senate defense authorization bill.
“We do military exercises with our friends, not our potential adversaries,” Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, the author of the amendment to the latest National Defense Authorization Act, said in a statement to the Washington Examiner.
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis disinvited China from the 2018 Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) naval exercises, a major drill conducted largely between U.S. allies, in response to China’s deployment of military systems to strategically-significant islands in the South China Sea. Cruz’s bill makes the ban permanent, unless China abandons its claim to sovereignty over the vital shipping lanes. The proposal is just one example of lawmakers using the defense bill to take aim at China, in light of a growing perception of the leading Asian power as an American rival.
"President Obama's invitation for Communist China to participate in RIMPAC was a part of his overall failed policy toward China, which relied on the false hope that if we integrate the Chinese into the global community they will magically reform and democratize,” Cruz said. “Instead of participating productively in the exercises, they used them as an opportunity to spy on us.”
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonexaminer.com ...
I did not actually support Ted Cruz for president, I had selected Donald Trump, and I am very happy with the choice.
But when Ted Cruz is right, he is very right. This is one of the times I COMPLETELY agree with him.
Our entire establishment is sold out to China. Except it seems for Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, and a few isolated others.
Well said, Ted Cruz.
On FR Ly’n Ted is never right don’t you know.
I work for DoD, the word has been out for a while now to stop regarding China as a potential friend. This would codify that into law.
DoD historically has been willing to share tactical and technical “best practices” with allies and potential partners. But it is now clear to all that we do NOT want to do anything to make the Chinese military better.
Will China suffer a loss due to the “ban”?
Ted looks like a cowardly blowhard.
Did we ever wargame WITH the Soviets or Warsaw Pact?
Good ! We do not need any of those sneaky PLA chinks lurking around in Hawaiian waters , or mil ground training grounds. We are deluged with Chinese tourists already and I have to wonder how many are PLA spies posing as tourists. The ALL have cameras with telephoto lenses.
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