China's Secret War

FrontPageMag ^ | 3/31/2005 | Patrick Devenny

[Paul Ross]

Ping...

[R. Scott]

When does anyone see some other nation being in the same Super power status as the USA ?

In my hopeful opinion, it won’t happen for a couple decades at least – unless the likes of Hanoi John or Hillary take over.

[A. Pole]

"Foreknowledge cannot be gotten from ghosts and spirits, cannot be had by analogy, cannot be found out by calculation. It must be obtained from people, people who know the conditions of the enemy".

-Sun Tzu, The Art of War

Good quote!

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[SaltyJoe]

The Soviets also had a lot of sympathetic Western Socialists stealing technology for them.

[SaltyJoe]

"plus I had a thing for Asian women"

The infamous yellow fever strike yet another victim.

[spodefly]

BTTT

[Paul Ross]

There is some hope from Europe as well, but its a politically thin reed, in view of the continued sway of Germany and France at the EU's Council of Ministers, as pointed out in this story from Defense News:

Posted 03/31/05 11:01

---

Parliamentary Panel: China Arms Embargo Should Stand
By BROOKS TIGNER, BRUSSELS

The European Union should keep its embargo on arms exports to China in place until the country improves its human rights record, says the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee.

A 17-page report on human rights around the world in 2004 and implications for EU policy, authored by Simon Coveney, British member of the European Parliament (MEP), was widely backed by the committee during its March 29-30 meeting here. The report goes to the parliament’s monthly plenary session in mid-April for a vote by the full EU legislature.

Referring to China’s lack of progress in the area of human rights, Coveney told the committee, “I am appalled and extremely disappointed that both the European Commission and the Council [of Ministers] have once again put trade before human rights.” The council is the EU branch of government representing its 25 national capitals.

The EU arms embargo was imposed on China after its lethal crackdown on student protests in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square in 1989.

Calling on the European Union to prod China toward human rights reforms, the report says EU governments should use human rights dialogue with China “as a real opportunity to bring about changes in the internal policies of China, where major human rights concerns continue to exist.” Noting that any expanded EU-China trade relationship “must be contingent on human rights reforms,” Coveney’s report recommends that “the arms embargo to China remain intact until greater progress is made on human rights issues.”

With a view to lifting their embargo later this year, the union’s 25 member states have been working to strengthen their six-year-old code of conduct on arms exports. Though it calls for pre-notification among all EU nations of any export of strategically or politically sensitive weapons, the code is politically — and not legally — binding, and thus depends on the goodwill of each national capital to respect it.

The code’s voluntary nature has been a source of deep division with the United States, whose leaders have threatened trade sanctions against the European Union if it goes ahead with its plan to lift the ban. EU diplomats suggested in late 2004 that the embargo could be lifted as early as April or May.

But that timing is now seen as increasingly unrealistic in view of the U.S. administration’s fierce opposition to the idea and due to recent developments in Beijing.

China’s passage on March 14 of a new law, for example, that authorizes the use of force against Taiwan to discourage any move toward independence by the island “has put us all in a bit of a bind about lifting the embargo. It would not be the most politic thing to do that any time soon,” an EU diplomat admitted March 31.

“A lot more consultations lie ahead, I think you could say,” the diplomat said, referring to EU-U.S. talks.

[Mr.Clark]

Bump.

[Paul Ross]

Thanks for the article, it is timely. I had not heard that Katrina Leung had managed to confound her prosecutors with due process arguments. Those are supposed to be waived by all agents in our employ. Should have been tried by military courts. We need to impose military discipline. Civilian judges are just so mindless when it comes to national security.

Say hello to Frank Gaffney for me. Our best hope would be if there was a seminal moment where "the scales fell off" Condoleeza Rice and GWB's eyes as to the true enormity of the problem, and the need for a "Reaganesque" response:

I.e., a 4-prong multi-track confrontational approach, with diplomatic, technological...and capital flow...isolation of China... spearheaded by the CIA as did William Casey against the USSR. He remains an unsung genius for his portion of the successful destruction of the Soviet Union...with the singular exception of Peter Schweitzer's excellent book, "Victory".

As you likely know, the languishing reputation of Casey is largely because of Xlinton-positioned ignoramusses in high places still refusing to acknowledge the Reagan administration with its rightful claim to the accomplishment...a case in point, Thomas Barnett. As we say, what a Marooon! [ At least Rummy finally must have realized it and terminated Barnett's contract with the Navy War College this December. ]

The Center for Security Policy used to have a healthy section devoted to Casey-type capital/securities/energy analysis. That has been largely abandoned the last few years I note. Might I make a plug for its restoration?

Then lastly, we actually need something more than lip-service from GWB about liberty. We need him to "put his money where his mouth is" and go to China and campaign for it to the school students under the noses of the enemy...and confront the evils of oppression of liberty. We need a strident effort to also not just defend Taiwan's right to freedom, reversing GWB's acceptance of the 3-No's, but a REJECTION of their right to subjugate Tibet as well. We need GWB to go to Tibet, and basically say to the People, Mr. Prime Minister, if you love peace and freedom, tear down your secret police and your occupation force! Tear down this new "great wall of China".

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[Paul Ross]

Pinging.

[Poohbah]

Please do not ping me again.

[Paul Ross]

Thought you may have something to contribute about the Katrina Leung double-triple-agent case.

[Poohbah]

I'm not playing in your pool anymore, so quit pinging me.

[TChris]

Excellent article! I, for one, certainly hope our government wakes up to this profound threat. There are far too many people in far too many positions of influence who take national security far too lightly.

[GOP_1900AD]

Ping.