Posted on 04/27/2010 4:12:56 PM PDT by neverdem
Last week, warships of the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) sailed through what Chinese strategists call "the first island chain" that links Japan to Taiwan, the Philippines, and Malaysia. The units from the East Sea Fleet included the imposing Sovremenny class destroyers, plus frigates and submarines. The flotilla moved through the Miyako Strait, setting off alarms in Japan, which is disputing Chinese claims to mineral wealth in the waters between the two Asian powers. The exercise took place just days after warships from the North Sea Fleet returned from what the PLAN called "confrontation exercises" in the South China Sea. Naval aviators have also been running long-range strike exercises from coastal bases displaying stealth, night flying, electronic warfare, and air refueling capabilities.
On April 27, the Communist Party newspaper Global Times ran an editorial titled "Growing Chinese navy no cause for fear" the text of which proved just the opposite. The editorial stated,
Naturally, the transformation of the Chinese navy will bring changes to the strategic pattern in East Asia and the west Pacific Ocean that has lasted for the last five decades. But the trans-formation is positive. China does not hold an intention to challenge the US in the central Pacific or engage in a military clash with Japan in close waters, though it is willing to protect its core interests at any cost.
Both the US and Japan, along with many other world powers, have aggressively expanded their maritime capabilities, but they need to adjust their viewpoint when considering China's moves. The time when dominant powers enjoyed unshared "spheres of influence" around the world is over.
The purpose of China's growing navy is to provide offshore defense and to protect trade routes and Chinese citizens around the globe. It is difficult to imagine China would rely on a maritime strategic system built by the US after World War II to protect its global interests today.
Obama-commie says sure, lets divide up the world. Doesn’t want to offend his commie buds does he.
Yes, ‘Mature Response.’ International version of ‘Tax the rich and give it to the poor.’
more like Obama-commie will hide under his desk and pretend not to see anything.
Somehow I dont think the land of the rising sun will accept that without a fight.
Time for Japan to develop nukes.
On and off, they have been at it for 2000 years until Japan came along and sidelined them for a while.
Well, we pretty well cut their ..... off ‘em after WWII.
Obama truly is a gift from God for the Chinese.
Hawaii West? I’d like to know what our citizens in Guam think of this. I think Korea, Japan & Taiwan had better build some understanding about cooperative naval power. Come to think of it, I know there is little love lost between the Chinese and Vietnamese as well.
Japan has, to be sure. But the U.S. Navy has been imploding under first Clinton, then Bush, and now under Obama. We have seen the Navy dismantle and use for target practice all of its anti-submarine warfare ships (the Spruances) and retired its ASW planes (S3-Bs) end its air-superiority F-14's which are not replaceable by F-18s. And of course Obama ended production capability for the USAF F-22, which means that there can never be a naval version now.
Indeed. Or Satan.
And the Russians are going to claim the North Pacific with their growing navy (and the Atlantic, as they become the dominant European naval power)...
The current recession means that people are cutting back on unnecessary expenses, like buying more "Made in China" stuff. Meanwhile, China needs to maintain employment to avoid internal unrest.
China's leaders are disturbed at the idea of their economic bubble bursting. They may be tempted to go on adventures, to seize by force the resources they need to hold off economic collapse.
Bring on the eligibility lawsuit, the sooner the better.
Remove The Impostor from the Oval Office.
Yeah, but they bought Bill Clinton all by themselves.
I think that countries like China and Russia/”Former” USSR are going to get really aggressive soon, and not towards each other. They are going to come straight at the US.
They have another serious problem also. Lack of women. During the one child per family program, girl babies were killed in order for the family to have a male child.
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