Really? Like at Tiananmen Square?
Posted on 06/21/2004 12:55:23 PM PDT by Tailgunner Joe
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.
Good point. Would we be willing to risk the destruction of a dozen U.S. cities? We're not even willing to risk higher prices!
My, my, what the free traitors have created! I wonder who the Dragon will consume? And will the traitors admit their culpability when the blood of 30,000,000 Taiwanese coats their greedy little hands? Probably not, for it would require a measure of decency.
"Send boarding parties to capture the errant ships... "
Jeez. You're kidding I hope.
"China would last less than 15 without oil imports. "
The Chinese are in a much better position to move to a war/subsistance footing than are Americans.
No Walmart and there will be riots in America.
You've been reading Clancy, haven't you?
Take a look at his post number 89, in an FR thread.
"I didn't realize that Taiwan was the only place in the world to get those components."
While I agree with most of what you've said re: China, I do think that on the semiconductor front, we(during the Clinton years) have placed ourselves in a somewhat vunerable position.
When I was a brand new EE, I worked in weapons system design and we were NOT allowed to design in ANY electronic components that were from offshore.
Hell, even Motorola now has most of its semiconductor fabs in China.
I personally think this IS a real threat. One part you can't get can take down a whole weapons system.
Regards,
EEDUDE
You must believe that centralized economic planning really works. In reality, without oil, China's ability to distribute food crashes, followed by the ChiCom population. Kindly note that we also would not be exporting food to China in the event of a shooting war.
No Walmart and there will be riots in America.
You sound exactly like the Islamists who believed that destroying the World Trade Center would cause the infidels to surrender.
This is the United States, not France. Perhaps you may riot if there is no Wal-Mart; the rest of us will merely invoke Rule .308 on those foolish enough to riot.
As though they haven't tried that a few times over the last thousand years. Maybe the Chinese are hoping one of these days they'll finally get lucky with that country.
Yo, girly-man, it's pretty bad form to drag flame wars from thread to thread. Besides, crybaby, you got your way--I'd stay in America, after all, and engage in leaderless resistance against you and your fellow looters.
"the rest of us will merely invoke Rule .308 on those foolish enough to riot."
The reason the Chicomms will be able to deal with their people's deprivation. They have no .308.
As though they haven't tried that a few times over the last thousand years. Maybe the Chinese are hoping one of these days they'll finally get lucky with that country.
If that happens, I know some Vietnam vets who will send warm emails to Hanoi.
You are, of course, presuming that the ChiComs will be able to feed their own troops, or that there will be enough troops.
The PLA will be outnumbered approximately 1,000 to 1 by citizenry looking to eat them.
Hmm? Just reminding everyone of your words. Which is precisely what I told you I would do.
Besides, crybaby, you got your way--I'd stay in America, after all, and engage in leaderless resistance against you and your fellow looters.
Really? And I suppose that means the Government of the U.S. as well? Please, tell us more!
Its the *NEAR TERM* (the next three or four years) that i'm worried about... the recent oil spike was China starting to compete for the same oil we use. China is going to be very thirsty for oil in the next five years and that is probably what would trigger a war or an adventure...
why Taiwan? perhaps because they (think) they have a legitimate claim on it... will it do them any good? well, it will cause all their naval vessels to become artificial reefs and kill off all their excess male population (although that probably isn't what they had in mind)
Please provide me historical evidence where an unarmed populace overthrew a fully armed dictatorship during a time of war.
Its a matter of conditioning. The chicoms are hardly a generation removed from Mao. They don't have the moral capacity to resist being told what to do.
'Zactly. You should see the slack jawed, sh*tfaced looks I get when I explain to folks that the proceeds from the sale of goods made in China go directly to the Chinese military-industrial complex. They don't understand that part of the $5 they spent on a shower curtain at the Great Wal-Mart of China could very well go to buy a mortar shell to be dropped in the future on our guys. "But, but, but..." they stammer, "the Chinese are our friends, aren't they? That's what they say on CNN..."
Will our lust for cheap imported toasters, TVs, and shower curtains be our undoing?
Scouts Out! Cavalry Ho!
Really? Like at Tiananmen Square?
Russia, 1917 comes to mind.
Perhaps you can explain to me how China is going to be making all of these big strategic waves on the international scene AND have enough troops to keep the lid on at home.
The ENTIRE ChiCom army would be outnumbered 1,000-1 by starving peasants looking to cook Private ChiCom for dinner. (Hey, he's Atkins-friendly).
Note that much of the Army would be deployed to combat zones, leaving that much fewer troops available for domestic-head-busting.
And spoil the surprise for you? No, good sir. You and your ilk will merely have to take your chances with armed citizens seeking to resist tyranny...which is why I won't ever have to bother with the option, because folks like you are too crazy to get elected and too cowardly to risk a coup.
China needs to import massive quantities of oil as it is, and that situation will only get worse. We control the tap.
And an armored division without fuel is merely an expensive collection of oversized paperweights.
Perhaps you can explain to me how China is going to be making all of these big strategic waves on the international scene AND have enough troops to keep the lid on at home.
A 100 million man army.
Your entire scenario is based on a starving chinese population. I don't see it.
And what is killing millions of people to Communists?...its nothing, they do it before breakfast.
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