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US Concerned About China's Military Buildup
Voice of America ^ | 23MAY06 | Al Pessin

Posted on 05/24/2006 12:47:23 AM PDT by familyop

A new report by the U.S. Defense Department says China is continuing to increase its military capabilities in ways that have already altered the regional military balance and is causing concern about China's future intentions. The annual report is required by Congress.

The report says China is increasing its force of short range ballistic missiles that could attack Taiwan and other regional targets, and looking to buy or develop more advanced and capable aircraft and ships. The report says China is also increasing its high-technology ability to disrupt other countries' access to communications, computer networks and other services essential to modern defense, and society as a whole.

Assistant Secretary of Defense Peter Rodman says China appears to be preparing to project its military power beyond its immediate surroundings. "There are indications that they are thinking more broadly and at the very beginnings, perhaps, of developing power projection for other contingencies other than Taiwan," he said.

The report says such contingencies could involve conflicts over territory or resources. Last year's report on China came to a similar conclusion. But this year, the report adds that U.S. analysts have been 'surprised' by 'the pace and scope' of the modernization of China's strategic forces. And Rodman says Chinese officials are also discussing possible revisions in their defense doctrines, including their pledge not to be the first to use nuclear weapons in any conflict.

"What is interesting to us is the fact that there seems to be a debate going on there. As their capabilities improve it is possible to speculate that they may be looking at other options," he said.

Rodman says the United States accepts Chinese assurances that the 'no first use' doctrine is still in effect, but his concern on nuclear doctrine and China's growing military capability is for the future. "Certainly they have limitations now. We don't exaggerate their capability. And they, too, seem realistic about their capability. But they seem to have a very patient strategy of investment, planning, just growing over time. And five years from now, ten years from now, they can expect that maybe the balance of forces will be different than it is now," he said.

The assistant defense secretary says U.S. concerns are heightened because, although it has made some progress toward more openness, China continues to provide very limited information on its military programs and intentions, at a time when its military spending is increasing rapidly.

China analyst Daniel Blumenthal at the American Enterprise Institute, who used to handle China issues at the defense department, says U.S. policy has been to 'go slow' with China, and try to convince its leaders to use their growing power constructively. He supports that for now, but he says a more active U.S. response in terms of increasing its own military capabilities may be needed in the future. "At this point, I think we still need to push them into areas where we might gain cooperation, but I think that you also have to know when to say that that's not working, and be prepared to really balance against this military expansion," he said.

The U.S. government report says China continues to pursue an approach articulated by the late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping, an approach that includes quiet development and hiding the country's true military capacity. Assistant Secretary Rodman says U.S. policy-makers keep that very much in mind. "It should be obvious from this report that we're watching pretty carefully and we know what we're dealing with," he said.

China strongly criticized last year's U.S. Defense Department report on its military. U.S. officials defended that report, saying it was factual and not inflammatory. This year, they say that while there is continuing cause for concern, there are only incremental changes to report.


TOPICS: Extended News; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: antiamericanaxis; buildup; chicoms; china; coldwar2; communism; india; iran; pacific; rim; russia; sco; soviets; sovietunion; taiwan
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1 posted on 05/24/2006 12:47:26 AM PDT by familyop
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To: familyop

China Building Military at Pace Last Seen in 1930s Germany
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1637328/posts

Chinese warships trained weapons on Japan's SDF aircraft: Pentagon
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1637298/posts


2 posted on 05/24/2006 12:49:08 AM PDT by familyop ("Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists." --President Bush)
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To: familyop

The USA under Clinton helped greatly. Go ahead, dumbasses put Hillary back in.


3 posted on 05/24/2006 12:52:04 AM PDT by Waco
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To: familyop

I am just wondering. Is there any country out there that could invade us. like tomorrow could china just decide to invade the United States of America?

Is there anywhere I can go on the internet to see a listing of the power of each country. I would like to know how many transport ships China has. Does china have a carrier.

Its just that I always here on the news about how a country is just now starting to develop a technology that we americans have had for years.


4 posted on 05/24/2006 12:53:40 AM PDT by Ainast
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To: Ainast
Go to Free Republic's home page and visit The China Report link; that gives you a thorough history of China's build up until 1999, when it was released (I know, I helped write it).

Many of the documents used in the report were found in the archives of the Federation of American Scientists (www.fas.org). While FAS is typically considered a left-leaning organization, they capture and archive a lot of the reports provided to Congress from the Congressional Research Service (CRS) and General Accounting Office (GAO). They also retain reports on International Nuclear threat assessments.

Start there. Get back to me if you need more info.

5 posted on 05/24/2006 1:09:15 AM PDT by TheWriterTX (Proud Retrosexual Wife of 12 Years)
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To: Ainast; Jeff Head

China does have quite a few nuclear missiles (some of them mobiles) that can reach cities on our coasts and into our northwest and is developing some that will reach further.

Also, follow the links in the little red boxes on Jeff Head's page. He's done a some research on the PLA Navy.

http://www.jeffhead.com/redseadragon/index.htm


6 posted on 05/24/2006 1:15:56 AM PDT by familyop ("Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists." --President Bush)
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To: Ainast
Is there anywhere I can go on the internet to see a....

Google.cn is the Chinese version of their "we are evil" search engine. As chicom callaborators, they may have the skinny. Just go to Mountainview and knock.

7 posted on 05/24/2006 1:19:44 AM PDT by at bay ("We actually did an evil....." Eric Scmidt, CEO Google)
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To: Ainast
Nope, no one has the ability to invade us... and hold there ground... yet. China actually doesn't even have enough logistics to invade Taiwan but that soon will change. If we continue down the road of denial I would say by 2040 or 2050 china could potentially invade us if they chose but that is a big if and a lot of variables I cant factor in.

However, no one may be able to invade us yet, there are countries that could obliterate us (though we would follow suit upon them) in thirty minutes time and those nations being Russia and China to a lesser extent.
8 posted on 05/24/2006 1:26:03 AM PDT by spikeytx86 (Pray for Democrats for they have been brainwashed by there fruity little club.)
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To: familyop

Keep shopping at wal-mart folks, China needs the money.


9 posted on 05/24/2006 1:35:19 AM PDT by jpsb
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To: spikeytx86; Ainast
I agree china can’t attack us yet. But by 2015 I expect China to be able to take Taiwan if not sooner. After that it seems rather obvious Japan is next on their list.

china has given Taiwan an Ultimatum to turn control over or face being taken over. Taiwan must decide this by 2012 or they will be attacked, if Taiwan agrees they have a few more years before being taken much like what took place with Hong Kong.

10 posted on 05/24/2006 1:59:31 AM PDT by Steve Van Doorn (*in my best Eric cartman voice* “I love you guys”)
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To: Ainast
"Is there any country out there that could invade us."

Military isn't the only way to take a country.

I believe the most common way to take a country is to flood the country with people from the opposing country.

11 posted on 05/24/2006 2:03:51 AM PDT by Steve Van Doorn (*in my best Eric cartman voice* “I love you guys”)
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To: Steve Van Doorn
I can see Taiwain being in grave danger by 2015 (if not sooner) but Japan has started making rumblings of strengthening there defenses and loosening there restraints on what there armed services can and can not do.

If china invades Taiwan or continues to build up as if it is going to, then I would bet Japan starts a serious build up as well, and japan has access to far superior technology and talent then china does. Also you could see japan develop it's own nuclear weapons if N. Korea keeps up the intimidation antics with Japan. Japan could prove to be a very very good counter balance in East Asia so I wouldn't assume she would just roll over and die.
12 posted on 05/24/2006 2:08:27 AM PDT by spikeytx86 (Pray for Democrats for they have been brainwashed by there fruity little club.)
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To: familyop
So augment the Japan's SDF with some offensive capability and keep helping India build its economy. Tie China to the rest of the world with trade and treaties, and start taking an informal poll of the allies to find out who'd back sanctions against China in the event of war with Taiwan.

Also, let's not forget that augmented capabilites or not, China isn't ready to take on the USN.

13 posted on 05/24/2006 2:13:04 AM PDT by Zeroisanumber
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To: spikeytx86

The UK and France could do far more damage to the US than China.

Wouldn't fancy the pay back though


14 posted on 05/24/2006 2:13:08 AM PDT by weegie
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To: Waco
Berger was the "go-to" man regarding China policy
when Communist Chinese money was being funneled into Democrat Party coffers
in exchange for policy concessions, strategic nuclear technology,
and all pending patent applications at the US Patent Office.
The Hill, "Fundraiser resurfaces from 1996", Sam Dealey


Berger stonewalled the Energy Department about Chinese spying in Los Alamos for three years.
In return he was rewarded with a 'free pass' to alter federal documents.

15 posted on 05/24/2006 2:54:10 AM PDT by Diogenesis (Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum)
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To: jpsb
"Keep shopping at wal-mart folks, China needs the money."


Perhaps you will be so kind as to provide a list of stores that sell American made products only, thereby enabling me and others to choke off the blood supply of the Chinese dragon?



16 posted on 05/24/2006 3:42:07 AM PDT by G.Mason (And what is intelligence if not the craft of outthinking our adversaries?)
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To: G.Mason

Hate to say it but China is the oldest civilization and will be around long after we are gone.


17 posted on 05/24/2006 3:58:06 AM PDT by lndrvr1972
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To: familyop
"Certainly they have limitations now. We don't exaggerate their capability. And they, too, seem realistic about their capability. But they seem to have a very patient strategy of investment, planning, just growing over time. And five years from now, ten years from now, they can expect that maybe the balance of forces will be different than it is now," he said.

This is a very serious statement from a high government official.

Considering how often the word "surprising" is applied by the analysts who study Red China's military progress, well, I wouldn't expect anything except sharp revisions downward on those time scales.

I think that we should cease all normal trade relations with the PRC. I don't know how much effect that will have at this late juncture, but I believe that we are still the largest source of their profits. It's foolish of us to continue to build up the world's largest totalitarian state.

18 posted on 05/24/2006 4:02:27 AM PDT by snowsislander
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To: Ainast
I think the more plausible scenario is if for some reason the Chinese economy collapses. With the possibility of mass rioting and internal unrest what better way to distract the masses with an invasion of Taiwan. Of course the Communist party of China would promote it as "unifying a renegade province".
19 posted on 05/24/2006 4:05:19 AM PDT by baltoga
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To: AliVeritas; holdonnow

More on yesterday's discussion.

This is not very good news..


20 posted on 05/24/2006 4:08:13 AM PDT by SE Mom (God Bless those who serve.)
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