China's influence spreads to Atlantic ('I don't know,' says Obama)

Asia times ^ | 05/20/2013 | TexGrill

[TexGrill]

A specter has been haunting the Western Hemisphere since mid-summer 2012, the specter of China's People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) routinely patrolling the waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

At first sight, it might seem that Beijing is truly laying the groundwork for its foothold in the Atlantic Rim. Not least, Chinese government signed a free-trade agreement with Iceland in April and PLAN vessels recently made a month-long trip in the Mediterranean Sea and Eastern Atlantic. Even so, China's strategic projection in the Atlantic is still far from becoming reality.

The whole psychodrama unfolded at the end of June 2012, when

then Chinese premier Wen Jiabao made a stopover on the Portuguese island of Terceira, in the Azores, after a four-nation visit to South America. The Azores are placed right in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean between Europe and the United States. Wen's blitz there fueled speculation that China had thrown an eye on Lajes Field, the local military air base jointly managed by Portugal and the United States.

[TexGrill]

Don't count on Obama watching Beijing closely. He's too busy spying on the Tea Party, Fox News, and non-RINO Republicans.

[SeminoleCounty]

The Communist Chinese Military....financed by Free Trade....brilliant

[gotribe]

I’ll wait for Kim Kardashian to tweet me about it before I take it too seriously.

[ripley]

“The Communist Chinese Military....fincanced by Free Trade....brilliant.”

“American” Progressives prepare for peace while the rest of the world prepares for war....brilliant.

Just saying.

[MrBambaLaMamba]

Obama/China? What difference does it make?

[DoodleDawg]

If Beijing were able to get its hands on this strategic outpost, it could disrupt air and sea traffic between Europe and North America, deny maritime access to the Mediterranean Sea and even threaten the US eastern coast, according to some naval experts.

And supply it how?

[glorgau]

These “outposts” would hold up as well as the German Pacific possessions did during WW1.

[humblegunner]

How is it that the article claims to have been written by Emanuele Scimia yet you have listed yourself as the author?

[Jack Hammer]

Harry Truman: “The buck stops here.”

Barack Obama: “Uh... I don’t know.”

[TexGrill]

Oops, I’m a new Freeper, I thought we were supposed to write the name of the person posting it, when asking for the author’s name. I’ll avoid that mistake in the future. Thanks for the heads up.