additional links in article at site.
Posted on 08/14/2011 9:54:51 AM PDT by opentalk
China recently launched its first aircraft carrier. This has apparently prompted some in Washington to wonder, “Hey, what are they going to do with that?”
As J.E. Dyer over at Hot Air points out, did the question really have to be asked? Yes it did:
Were Beijing to have a sense of humor I’d expect an answer to that question along the line of, “We needed a ship of such massive capacity with which to deliver all the money you’re borrowing,” but since the snark option is off the table, China says the ship is “for the purposes of technological research, experiments and training.”As China’s first aircraft carrier takes to the open seas today for its inaugural sea trials, the U.S. government directed a pointed question at the Chinese military: Why would you need a warship like that?
“We would welcome any kind of explanation that China would like to give for needing this kind of equipment,” U.S. State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland told reporters today. “We have had concerns for some time and we’ve been quite open with them with regard to the lack of transparency from China regarding its power projection and its lack of access and denial of capabilities.”
Absent any believable explanation for building an aircraft carrier, China might expect a strongly worded letter in the near future from a befuddled U.S. State Department: “We’re not kidding —what is it for?”
additional links in article at site.
Now, since this carrier, next to the US carriers and the French carrier, once it becomes operational, will be the strongest carrier afloat...and probably next to the UKs carriers which are now building...and since the Chinese are already building two more at the same time in Shanghai, I'd say we'd best look around and give them more consideration and start doing more about it.
They know what the need them for and how they are going to be used.
Over the last ten years they have developed new, modern, effective destroyers (DDGs) which are a lot like our own AEGIS destroyers with an effective SAPAR, AEGIS-like guidance and battle management system for their VLS missiles, effectiove new frigates, FFGs with VLS, new SSNs and now this new carrier.
I have been tracking their progress for the last eight years...and yes, we'd best take note. They are on a track to challenege us seriously in the WESTPAC in the next 5-10 years now.
An EXTREMELY immature and naive question.
In military matters, if you prepare well for their capabilities, then you don’t need to worry about why they have it.
A more sane government might ask what they COULD do with the carrier, not try to figure out what they WILL do. Utterly childish.
Getting them to tell you what the carrier is for hardly solves anything.
This may be the opportunity to outsource our job as world policeman so they can go broke.
“to deliver all the money you’re borrowing”
More like to collect. Soprano style. Or to seize Taiwan.
Funny we don’t ask India why their naval officers want atleast 3 carriers larger then the current light carriers they have? Especially Hindu nationalists believe that the Indian Ocean and all nations that touch it should be brought under Indian control. East Africa and Australia was perturbed by this Indian notion when India was a partner with the Soviet Union, but suddenly the US dismisses this long term challenge to Diego Garcia. That is how trouble starts. IMHO we have an idea why the PRC is building carriers, but to demand them to explain themselves while India has its own maritime ambitions that also threaten US access to the Indian Ocean (and oil in ME) and we treat them differently only acts to provoke China even more. Unless that is our intention so they react angrily and DoD bureaucrats facing possible budget cuts from the latest budget debt ceiling deal can use Chinese reaction as a justification to demand no defense cuts and more money to build more US carriers??!!! Gerald Celente is correct, when the US faces looming debt and possible default, our leaders will take us to war.
Wait, this isn’t satire?
Well, DUH....
Aircraft carriers exist for only ONE purpose, to project military power beyond your own shores.
The Southeast Asian Nations are the ones who should be VERY worried by this.
the one job I would love to see out-sourced. Pay for your own defense, Europe.
Doesn’t every advanced nation feel the need to show muscle?
Sheesh, why not study human history and get the answer that way?
it's called Power Projection...
Unless we want war with China (broke US fighting 1.1 billion Chinese) why publicly demand China to explain why she is building carriers. Granted we know why China is building carriers and China knows we know, and that reason alone is already creating tensions between us and them. But we chose to make it a public affront by demanding in public why they are building carriers. If this is the US policy to demand any nation other then the ones in Europe why they build big carriers, then why isn’t this question being poised to India’s naval buildup of 3 or more carriers for the control of the Indian Ocean. A program that is backed by Hindu nationalist who see India is destined to control the Indian Ocean and any nation that touches it. During Cold War Indian Hindu nationalists hinted that it even means pushing the US out of its naval base in Diego Garcia. We never demanded India to explain herself, but China is singled out in public for a public explanation. Like I said, relations between China and US are tense enough, why add more tensions with a public demand unless we plan to fight a war with her. Which leads me to a disturbing premise, nations facing financial ruin sometimes go to war to get the public attention off its domestic problems. IMHO the US with its debt problems may be the biggest threat to world peace, because desperate leaders to desperate things. The only real power the US has left is its high tech combat experience military, everything else is in tatters.
And arrogant as well. What value is there in asking such a question so openly? Imagine how the average US citizen would feel if a Chinese official demanded an explanation as to why we're building the B-1 bomber.
immature + naive + arrogant = pathetic weakness
Heck, there are a lot of FReepers that still think China is a backwards, Third World, country. They are about to go blue-water, just as we’re pulling out.
That does not bode well for us, at all.
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And squeaking about it reveals a certain lack of class, as well as looking foolish, hypocritical, nervous, and vain.
Let them build their carrier divisions. We'll build ours.
We should be making sure instead that everyone understands that if the Chinese politburo bares its teeth at the Philippines, Taiwan, or anyone else, that we will do something substantive and very effective about it, immediately.
These people are “protecting” us?
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