China's 9.11 Trap for the US

CNSNews.com ^ | January 07, 2002 | Tom DeWeese

[Stand Watch Listen]

The events of 9.11 had a side effect that has gone largely unreported. Red China and Pakistan have been so closely allied for many years that China watchers believe that, had China not signed off on Pakistan's cooperation with the US, there would not have been any cooperation.

Prior to 9.11, China had sold more than 30 of its 180-mile range M-11 ballistic missiles to Pakistan, along with the means to build solid-fuel 450-mile-range Shaheen-1 and 1,200-mile-range Shaheen II missiles. Also in that part of the world China has sold Iran nuclear fuel reprocessing components and cruise missiles that could carry a small nuclear device. In both cases, this advanced weaponry poses an extreme threat throughout the entire Middle East.

Red China, however, saw an opportunity to "support" the US war on terrorism in order to open the floodgates of further internal suppression of groups seeking greater freedom. For internal consumption, though, Red China portrayed the US as having received a blow it deemed well deserved.

Red China stepped up its suppression of the Falun Gong, a spiritual movement in China. There have been 295 confirmed deaths of Falun Gong members at the hands of Red Chinese police. It recently arrested a Hong Kong businessman for importing bibles into China, calling Christianity "an evil cult." The bibles were intended for use by an underground Christian group in Red China's Fujiann Province. On December 30th, a Red Chinese Court handed death sentences to two leaders of an underground South China Church. Reportedly, sixteen Christian organizations have been identified as evil cults.

The Red Chinese have shut down 17,500 Internet cafes throughout the nation and another 28,000 are being monitored by its vast secret police. This nation, like the former Soviet Union, fears any access to information from the world outside its closed society.

The Bush administration came into power making no secret of its opposition to China's record on human rights, its threats to Taiwan, and its provision of missiles and nuclear arms technology to nations in the Middle East. It skillfully handled the downing of one of our intelligence gathering planes, but after 9.11, in order to secure a coalition that would permit the US to wage its war on terrorism, the administration has backed off its strong rhetoric and policies.

Red China's intent is to take on this nation in its quest to dominate the Far East and Pacific Basin. While battling Islamic militants in the Philippines and in Indonesia, both nations are struggling to ward off being so weakened they could not defend against an invasion by Red China. New Zealand, having abandoned support for its airforce and navy is ripe for such adventurism.

Gao Zhan, an American University scholar, released from a Red Chinese prison last year, has warned, "The Chinese are only in the anti-terrorism war to serve their own interests (and) to divert the attention of international society on its continued human rights abuse." He reminded Americans that "Over the past 50 years, 30 million to 50 million people were persecuted for having different political views. China has been in the terror business for over five decades."

Is the US wavering now? In October, the Bush administration let it be known that it was considering a waiver on sanctions imposed after the 1989 crackdown in Tiananmen Square. Those sanctions bar the sale of military-related equipment to Red Chinese security forces, but the Red Chinese are known to have been spending seventeen percent of their GNP on defense and many analysts believe this figure may be much higher. There are even fears that the US may accede to its "One China" policy, abandoning Taiwan to Red China's takeover.

The former ambassador to Red China, James R. Lilley, warned against any softening of our opposition to its ambitions in April. "We prefer to see our security relationships as maintaining stability, the status quo. The Chinese believe they have a manifest destiny to fulfill-and a need for a protective shield to buffer their most vital and productive area on the coast of China from Canton in the south to Dalian in the north." He warned against Red Chinese adventurism.

As this new century begins, the United States must surely seek to reduce the threat of a militant Islam and, with considerable irony, that is also a goal of the Red Chinese for the Muslims within its borders. It extends its definition of terrorism, however, to include Christians and Buddhists as well as anyone who dares to question its repressive system.

We cannot afford, therefore, to turn our attention away from the long-term threat Red China represents. It must be contained and it must be ended just as we ended the threat of the former Soviet Union.

Tom DeWeese is the publisher/editor of The DeWeese Report and president of the American Policy Center in Warrenton, Virginia.
Tom DeWeese

[American Soldier]

Well I'll add one more person to my list of people in this country who still understand how the hell Red China should be handled in the wake of 9-11... unfortunately this only brings the list up to about 10 names.

[borghead]

Good article, but he forgot one little thing. China's economy is capitalist nowadays, it would be an order of magnitude harder to crush China than the old USSR.

[borghead]

How should red china be handled?

[shaggy eel]

ping

[Stand Watch Listen]

China's economy is capitalist nowadays, it would be an order of magnitude harder to crush China than the old USSR.

Yes, it has become capitalistic. Since the mid-1990's, the trade surplus with the United States remains >$100BIL/yr.

How I hate all this chinese junk in every stopping trip. One CANNOT get away from it. Clinton really implanted this junk on the US.

[HELLRAISER II]

They should be handled like the opportunistic, warlike scumbags that they are. They are itching for a confrontation & we better understand that or their liable to hit us with something that will make the WTC look like a traffic accident.

[borghead]

Thats the problem, in an integrated economy, if we launch an armsrace, and they do not reciprocate, our economy gets smashed. If they do build up, then our economy gets smashed more.

[borghead]

Unfortunatly, I agree with you. The problem is that China has the innate potential to become the dominant power on earth. Now whether China is totalitarian or democratic, it doesn't really matter because they will still reach for superpower status. And obviously the U.S will not willingly give up its global influence, thus conflict is inevitable. The problem is that since China has around the same territory, but a much larger population(thus a much larger potential market), they may well become much more powerful militarily and economically than the americans. So I'm not sure that the U.S will succeed even if they tried to crush China, the U.S may very well end up the loser.

[Fee]

China by its geography will never reach super power status because unlike the US she has two competing superpowers on her border - India and Russia. China may complain about Western imperialism/colonialism, but these foreign powers occupied only a small fraction of her territories and the occupation did not last more than 100 years. A land mass power on the other hand is a different matter. China was conquered and defeated by the Mongolians, Kaitai (early Manchurians) and Manchurians, and severely raided by the Huns and other Central Asian nomadic groups - all are landmass powers. If China becomes a powerful and destabilizing power, she would threaten India and Russia as well as the US. The three powers can combine at any time to neutralize her. The US has to be awfully stupid to piss off Russia, India and China simultaneously. I don't think our leaders are that dumb (GOP or Democrat).

[mikeIII]

Prior to 9.11, China had sold more than 30 of its 180-mile range M-11 ballistic missiles to Pakistan, along with the means to build solid-fuel 450-mile-range Shaheen-1 and 1,200-mile-range Shaheen II missiles.

These will take care of India and Israel nicely. China's own missiles are pointed our way. A $100Bn trade surplus each year buys a lot of of super power capabilities. It's amazing that we are actively allowing this to go on.

There were reports that the US was concerned India may provide Taiwan with Nuclear capabilities, in the newly developing military cooperation between these two countries. We seem to be applying non-proliferation ideals on friendly countries while China, Pakistan, North Korea, Iran and others are proliferating with total disregard.

[borghead]

That is very true. You can also add Japan to the lot. So China's strategy would be the to weaken all three. Looks like they are doing it. Russia is not only very weak but also China's strategic partner. India is rising but still far weaker than China, and its surrounded by Chinese client states that serves to contain its influence. Japan is economically dependent upon China and it is declining. So in essence none of the major powers around China has the desire and the capability to seriously threaten China. With this in mind then it is only a matter of time before economics makes China the richest and most powerful nation of them all. So far this strategy appears to be working.

[super175]

This is a really good article.

[shaggy eel]

,,, I have a feeling the future of the West lies with India. What progressive future can China possibly offer India? As for Russia, the closer it gets with the EU and the US, the more it is likely to stray from any allegiances with China that it has. That's my logic.

[Poohbah]

Taiwan already HAS nukes, unless they're dumber than a fencepost.

[Fee]

Today we have a five polar world. US, European Union, China, Russia and India. These countries have large populations, land mass and resources. Japan is no longer considered a major power in the large scheme of things. Russia is the most flexible of the five. She can play China and the US against each other. She can sell more weapons to China for hard cash, if the US complains, she will want her debt restructured. If she gets too close to the West, China will complain and Russia will want consumer goods at lower bartered prices. India and China are natural enemies due to previous history and geography. The US and China will clash over interests in the Far East. If the US falls back from the Far East, I think tensions with China will be lesser. China's serious historical threats always came from a huge land mass powers (Russia and India) on her land borders. Can China be a rich country, yes, but her huge population will weigh her down. I think China will be a regional power but not a world power.

[borghead]

India will not become really powerful simply because of its geographical location. Its simply too easy for China or some other power to encircle it. Russia will probably regain its power, but it has China on the east and the EU on the west, best for that country to stick with the U.S.

[borghead]

Its the huge population that will make China rich and powerful. Russia can be a major threat to China's security but not india, that country is simply too weak and geographically disadvantaged to be an effective counter weight.

[shaggy eel]

,,, India has a large navy, cheap labour and will side with the West before it sides with China. The tiles are already down for it to go ahead. It needs time and US support.

[borghead]

Look at the nations surrounding india, China(an enemy), pakistan(chinese client state), myanmer(chinese client state), nepal(soon to be a chinese client state). Chinese naval bases on both sides of the indian ocean. Now in terms of land armies, china as far superior logistics and C3I frastructure than india. But the biggest obstacle to india's rise is its socialist economy. And India's democracy is simply preventing the economy from becoming capatilist and competitive, this is also why China's economy is 7 times larger than that of india when their populations are roughly the same.