Posted on 06/03/2005 9:31:36 AM PDT by XR7
SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld warned on Friday that China's failure to match economic freedoms with democratic reforms could raise tensions and undermine its growing influence in the world.
On way to a regional security conference that is expected to focus on China and North Korea, Rumsfeld drew a stark contrast between China and India, the world's largest democracy, which America is courting as a counter-weight to the communist nation.
"We anticipate that the relationship with India will continue to be strengthened. With respect to China, it's not completely clear which way they are going because you have the tension I characterised between the nature of their political system and the nature of their economic system," he told reporters.
But Rumsfeld also said he is making plans for his first visit to China as Pentagon chief later this year.
Rapidly improving U.S.-India ties are driven largely by relations between the two militaries, while the Pentagon's ties with China's army, badly damaged by the EP-3 surveillance plane incident in April 2001, are just now "evolving again in a way that's appropriate for the times," Rumsfeld said.
He also said the administration was re-examining its policy toward North Korea, which in February announced it possessed nuclear weapons and may be preparing a nuclear weapons test.
Rumsfeld gave no details but another senior U.S. official, asked how much to make of the comment, told Reuters: "A lot."
Uh no. He's not me, despite how funny it is to watch you guys jumping in whenever someone disagrees with you writes on the board.
But I think it's hilarious that Rumsfeld made the comment in Singapore. Singapore IS A DICTATORSHIP. Most people in the US don't realize this, but they are a dictatorship. It's interesting to note how our politicians single out a country for being authoritarian but ignores the rest. I don't hear Rumsfeld making that comment to Singapore.
Singapore = dictatorship with economic freedom. Its leader is not elected. And that hasn't stopped them from being one of the most dynamic and successful economies in Asia. So Rumsfeld's point is moot if he is to say that India will be more successful than China economically because it has a democracy.
I agree. He is just like the asshat who said Taiwan was still a dictatorship. At best pgiani the chi-com propagandist is somthing to laugh at :)
I am a homeowner. I have had four major projects completed via contractors in the last 12 years. I learned from the first project: know everything. I have never had any problem at all, after the first contractor, finding out exactly who would be doing any subcontracting. If a contractor was not forthcoming with information, I showed them the door.
You are now in a position of actually being able to do something, apart from kvetch about the Bush admin's lack of interest in our unsecured borders. You have illegals working on your very own private property. What are you going to do about it?
Until you do something besides bitch and moan, be happy. You are being very well represented by the Executive branch. They are following your example.
Where'd he come from? Haven't seen him around here in awhile. I guess we needed some propaganda. Notice how much the chicoms shills hate and fear Rummy!
LOL indeed! notice how he came here when Rummy bashed China and North Korea over human rights and praised India?
BTW, what do you think of the timing of Rummy's statement?
I think the timing of Rummy's statement is great. Especially considering that China's puppet, Chia Pet getting ready for his test.
So, you think this has to do with the chicoms chia pet? That makes sense. I've been looking towards Iran and syria, and this surprised me. This administration hasn't said much to address the center of most of our troubles worldwide--the chicoms and their dirty dealings.
"What a buffoon. Singapore is a Parliamentary Republic with direct election of the unicameral (one house) Parliament and the President. The president, President Sellapan Rama Nathan (an ethnic Indian) was elected to a 6 year term in 1999. The next election will be in August of this year. The Prime Minister Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong was appointed by the Nathan in 2004. The stability and longevity of the government is because it has been responsive to the wants and needs of the population, not because of tanks running over people in the main square."
LOL!!!!
You're the baffoon. Read this:
http://english.epochtimes.com/news/5-5-3/28402.html
Get it now? It's a dictatorship. The current prime minister is the son of the previous leader. Looks like a democracy from the outside, but it's a dictatorship.
And president Bush is the son of H. W. Bush. Nice try.
Also, Singapore's parliament is like China's parliment -- it approves everything the ruling leader (The Prime Minister) says. It looks like it's 'elected', but any one-party system is the same, no matter how the issues are decided (i.e if there are no real opposition party, then it's not a democracy)
The CCP is and has been studying the Singapore political system for a number of years now, precisely for this reason.
What Singapore has the China lacks is rule of law and the level of corruption. Rumsfeld has totally missed the point on this -- economic systems can be strong under a one party system as Singapore has clearly shown, but it will have issues if rule of law and corruption persists.
Did you even read the article?
Read the article about Singapore. Anyone who knows anything about Asia knows Singapore is a dictatorship. It looks like a democracy from the "outside" but it's a one party system. There is no term limits for the prime minster either :)
I dunno what else it could be. Other than the tensions between China and Japan over the Senkakus and natural gas fields. The Chi-Coms have, temporarily at least, quieted down their rhetoric over Taiwan.
Better than China (which you always defend).
Being printing in the Epoch Times does not establish the truth. People vote with their feet. Why don't you poll the billion plus trapped in Communist China and see if they would rather live in China or Singapore.
Like all trolls, he is trying to change the subject. The little troll is just sad that Rumsfeld is finally barating China and North Korea.
The chicoms are VERY far behind in the economic reform dept. With all their corruption, I don't see them catching up anytime soon.
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