Chinese envoy tells U.S. to 'shut up'

Yahoo News ^ | 18 Aug 2006 | staff

[shrinkermd]

The United States should "shut up" with its concerns about China's growing military spending because the increase is no threat, a Chinese ambassador said Thursday.

Sha Zukang, China's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, told British Broadcasting Corp. radio that American concerns about his country's growing military might were misguided.

"It's better for the U.S. to shut up," Sha said. "Keep quiet. It's much, much better."

Sha said the world need not worry about China's growing economic and military might because "China basically is a peace-loving nation."

"China's military buildup is not threatening anyone," Sha said. "This is a legitimate defense."

China's 2.3 million-member People's Liberation Army is the world's largest fighting force, and Beijing has alarmed its neighbors with double-digit percentage increases in military spending nearly every year for a decade.

U.S.-China military relations have been strained over a number of issues in recent years, including Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's push for Beijing to be more open about its defense priorities, its military budget and its nuclear arsenal.

[dljordan]

"Chinese diplomacy sure isn't very, um, diplomatic."

Not when they think they've got the upper hand. How much easier can we make it for them. We tranfer technonlogy to them outright, our high-tech companies move production to China, they have thousands of spies in the US some of whom work for our government, they bribe our elected officials. It's almost as if someone decided it's China's turn to rule the world.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Snappy come-back.

[FixitGuy]

Sha Zukang, ni bu yao shuo hwa le!

[Loyolas Mattman]

Is there any other kind?

I'd like to order a code red on this diplomat, to be certain.

[TexasRepublic]

I've got a bad feeling about this. Fighting the Japs in WW2 could seem like a picnic compared to fighting China. They have far more soldiers to expend and are willing to use them. We are no longer the world's greatest industrial powerhouse that can crank out a limitless supply of war material -- they are. China has nukes, too. Besides Taiwan, what are China's ambitions? Think Siberia -- Russia has 1/5 the population of China, a pathetic military and is spread too thin to defend that large of a land mass. Siberia with its vast natural resources (oil, gas, timber, ores) has to the grand prize to fuel China's industrial and imperial ambitions.

[Popocatapetl]

Horrifying thought for the day. China is caught in a demographic nightmare. With 1.3 billion people, more and more their domestic policy is turning to "lebensraum".

At first, this means overwhelming their Uighar and Tibetan minorities with Han Chinese; building new, Han-only cities next to the ancient native cities, then diverting all resources to the new cities. But even that is not enough, and not fast enough.

So now they are starting to eye unoccupied lands in adjacent nations, even going so far as to lay railroad tracks into the wilderness.

Not too long ago, however, it was noted that they have built a scale model terrain map of their disputed border with India, and here is where the real potential for horror begins. Because India, likewise, is becoming increasingly overburdened with people.

Most specifically, men. Because of their mutual prejudice against daughters, millions of whom have been aborted or killed, both China and India have imbalanced demographics.

As many as 30 to 50 million men, or more, are growing up with no chance to have a job or a wife. They are generally uneducated, and a great burden on their respective societies. A dangerous one.

There is a distinct possibility that China and India could have a war, solely to 'cull' their extra males. A "demographic war". No matter the official casus belli, the real reason would be to mutually exterminate millions of extra men.

Such a war would be in a desolate, isolated place. A giant "no-man's land" between the two countries. Millions of conscripts would fight with small arms supported by massed artillery fires. Each sides' regular armies would stay in the rear as a second eschelon never committed, as endless replacements are sent to the front.

Massacres not seen since the trench warfare of World War I. An intentional stalemate devoid of tactics save to charge the enemy machine guns and to fire endless barrages of high explosive artillery--the deadliest weapon on the battlefield.

Both nations are already aware of this as a possibility, but so far, each has only considered a modern sophisticated war between technological, professional armies, not a "peasant war" of attrition.

[naturalized]

[naturalized]

A Taste of Armageddon?

[Ghost of Philip Marlowe]

The last time this happened, we found out that when we play these games, we give the other guys an advantage of something like 2 or 3 planes to each of ours.

[DTwistedSisterS]

Oh.

Ok.

In that case...

Or is it like listening to Sylvester as he coughs out bright little yellow feathers?

[gcruse]

"Sha said the world need not worry about China's growing economic and military might because "China basically is a peace-loving nation."

Two words: Tiananmen Square.

One word -- Waco

Since China has a history of pretty much staying within her own borders, I'm not inclined to the jingoistic hypocrisy of condemning there what we spend billions to do here.

[GulfBreeze]

Well that would certainly make a difference...

Thanks.

Anyone else have an insight on this? Ghost was commenting on my question about India defeating US Air/Navy in war games earlier this year.

[monkeywrench]

Their growing need for oil has them traveling the world, making deals with the worst regimes around.

[GulfBreeze]

huh?

[xp38]

On a diplomatic mission to China as we speak. :)

[gcruse]

"Travelling the world making deals with worst regimes..."

We make deals with Saudi Arabia so we're above it all?

Now, if they were travelling the world, *overthrowing* regimes, I might agree with you, but you might not think overthrowing regimes was a bad thing by then.

Ah, well, we'll always find someone to demonize. It's the American Way.

[PreciousLiberty]

"Anyone else have an insight on this?"

Yes. Important US systems were either turned off or used in a degraded capacity to make things more even. Further, the most sensitive technologies and tactics are never used in joint exercises - they're saved for the real thing.

[GulfBreeze]

Thanks. I wish I had a write up on this excercise.

[TChris]

"China's military buildup is not threatening anyone," Sha said. "This is a legitimate defense."

Defense against... whom? ...praytell.

[Old Student]

Ya know what's really, REALLY funny? For all the years I've been using that line, I'd forgotten where I got it! Thanks for reminding me!

Not that I want to sit down and watch it with my kids...