I am no apologist. I realize China have not always behaved in a way that they are proud of. But there's a difference between being an apologist vs contrasting the present with the past. An apologist would excuse the sins of the father. But I am not doing that, rather, I am supporting the son's right to move forward.
As far as arms sales, whatever China's arms sales, that's awash, no one is innocent of selling arms to the bad guys. Lets move onto WMD, elaborate for me please (I'm assuming, when you say WMD, we are talking about nuclear weapons).
Yes, Chinese media is becoming more critical of actions within China. No doubt about it, and isn't that a good thing? People in China want their media to expose corruption, etc. within their government and throughout China. Who wouldn't want that? But here is the twist, and it is subtle, yet says a world of difference between the difference in view between China and West. Chinese media will not report China's rise in a negative way. This aircraft carrier is a good example. Within China, this is a source of pride, amongst all Chinese. One only has to look at things like putting a man into space. A source of pride for all Chinese from rich to poor, from urban to rural, the Chinese people want to ultimately put a man on the moon and for their county to move forward. In the West, of course, China putting a man into space or on the moon is seen in a negative way, period. I could give you many examples, where something is seen as positve by most Chinese and yet viewed negatively by most Westerners. Topics that shouldn't even politicized. This substle difference in perspective is what drives the diffeence in Western media. Even the putting on of the 2008 Olympics, in all its grandeur, is seen by many in the West as being negative.
Once again, I am not apologist for the Chinese Communist party. But I don't believe the sins of the father should be held against his offsprings.
Err, China’s sins continue on the international stage. It’s just not as blatant. And if you think supplying nuclear technology to the Pakis and Koreans is the same as supplying F-15s to Saudi Arabia, I don’t know what to tell you.