Posted on 11/22/2005 1:41:59 PM PST by slowhand520
East Asia allies doubt U.S. could win war with China
The overwhelming assessment by Asian officials, diplomats and analysts is that the U.S. military simply cannot defeat China. It has been an assessment relayed to U.S. government officials over the past few months by countries such as Australia, Japan and South Korea. This comes as President Bush wraps up a visit to Asia, in which he sought to strengthen U.S. ties with key allies in the region.
Most Asian officials have expressed their views privately. Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara has gone public, warning that the United States would lose any war with China.
"In any case, if tension between the United States and China heightens, if each side pulls the trigger, though it may not be stretched to nuclear weapons, and the wider hostilities expand, I believe America cannot win as it has a civic society that must adhere to the value of respecting lives," Mr. Ishihara said in an address to the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Mr. Ishihara said U.S. ground forces, with the exception of the Marines, are "extremely incompetent" and would be unable to stem a Chinese conventional attack. Indeed, he asserted that China would not hesitate to use nuclear weapons against Asian and American cities—even at the risk of a massive U.S. retaliation.
The governor said the U.S. military could not counter a wave of millions of Chinese soldiers prepared to die in any onslaught against U.S. forces. After 2,000 casualties, he said, the U.S. military would be forced to withdraw.
"Therefore, we need to consider other means to counter China," he said. "The step we should be taking against China, I believe, is economic containment."
Officials acknowledge that Mr. Ishihara's views reflect the widespread skepticism of U.S. military capabilities in such countries as Australia, India, Japan, Singapore and South Korea. They said the U.S.-led war in Iraq has pointed to the American weakness in low-tech warfare.
"When we can't even control parts of Anbar, they get the message loud and clear," an official said, referring to the flashpoint province in western Iraq.
As a result, Asian allies of the United States are quietly preparing to bolster their militaries independent of Washington. So far, the Bush administration has been strongly opposed to an indigenous Japanese defense capability, fearing it would lead to the expulsion of the U.S. military presence from that country.
On Nov. 16, Mr. Bush met with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. The two leaders discussed the realignment of the U.S. military presence in Japan and Tokyo's troop deployment in Iraq.
During his visit to Washington in early November, Mr. Ishihara met senior U.S. defense officials. They included talks with U.S. Defense Deputy Undersecretary for Asian and Pacific Affairs Richard Lawless to discuss the realignment of the U.S. military presence in Japan.
For his part, Mr. Ishihara does not see China as evolving into a stable democracy with free elections.
"I believe such predictions are totally wrong," Mr. Ishihara said.
In other words, he literally has no idea what he is talking about.
This is one for the round file.
Every year we get weaker and they get stronger.
When their agent, Hillary gets in in 08, it will start.
Just embargo Chinese goods at our west coast ports. Their economy will be in the tank in weeks.
I think if the actual survival of the US was at stake, the gloves would come off. As much as the WoT is dangerous, armed conflict with China is life threatening.
The rules would change if we are fighting for our lives in an acute sense against China rather than in a chronic sense in the WoT
Where is this titanic land battle going to take place? Panama?
Exactly. You can't judge that without considering the adversary. I doubt that the Chinese have a clue how to fight a real war. It's been centuries since they had experience.
From this article it seems Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara is the only one voicing his opinion.
I know! Let's give China Permanent Normalized Trade status! That'll show 'em.
Except for Long Beach Harbor....I think that now belongs to the Chinese ?
I stopped reading this drivel right there.
Well Napoleon and Hitler had much larger armies than Britain. How'd they wind up?
What are you talking about? They put up a hell of a fight against the Japanese. Or was that unarmed students in Tienamin Square?
Geeeeeeeeeeeshhhh...with friends like these.
It seems to me...we're still in Iraq, killing the bad guys. It seems to me, both Saddam and the Taliban are gone. It seems to me, we have the ability to project power wherever we wish on the globe. And this idiot has the gall to call US troops, with the exception of the marines, incompetent....geeeeeshhhhh 82nd, 101st, any ARMY rangers out there, and all other military, please chime in.
China would be foolish to wage war on us...and if they used nukes, granted they would have to use them first, we would respond in kind. They'd lose badly. Japan should no better than "not so" sleeping giant.
Then we will fight them on the beaches! No, wait. They can have Hollywood. We'll fight them at Monrovia! (Doesn't have quite the ring to it, does it?)
Mr. Ishihara = Chinese Whore
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