Posted on 06/10/2003 1:24:03 PM PDT by Tailgunner Joe
Chinese control of the Panama canal has fuelled wild speculation in the US as to Beijing's plans for this strategic piece of real estate. Though I am not party to Beijing's military intentions I do know that they do not include submarine bases or sabotage, both of which would be obviously self-defeating.
On the contrary, the Chinese will, as former President Clinton inadvertently blurted out, bend "over backwards to make sure that they run it in a competent and able and fair manner." What matters, however, is not how the canal is managed but how Beijing will use the Hutchison Whampoa agreement to damage strategic US interests.
Irrespective of what some have asserted, Hutchison Whampoa is also an instrument of Chinese foreign policy. The company's chairman, Li Ka Shing, is an unofficial government minister. This fact is well known to US intelligence as it was to President Clinton. Nevertheless, Clinton still insisted on the canal passing into Beijing's hands, even though he knew Hutchison Whampoa had corruptly obtained the lease.
To get a clearer picture of what Clinton has let the US in for let us turn to Chi Haotian, Defence Minister and Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission, who said that war with the United States is inevitable. As a fan of Sun Tsu Chi well knows there is more than one way to wage war and this is where the canal comes in. It provides Beijing with a base from which to create enormous mischief for the US while piously claiming that its presence is merely a commercial one.
It is commonly thought that acting through Castro's agents and the Colombian Marxist terrorist group FARC, Beijing is already heavily involved in running drugs into the US. To Beijing drugs are merely another weapon in its unofficial war against the US. Two other weapons are terrorism and subversion.
Drug revenues could be used to finance South American terrorists whose activities will, it is hoped, destabilise the region, particularly Mexico, thus tying up US military and intelligence resources. (Beijing also knows it can count on America's mainstream media to sympathetically report on left-wing terrorist activities). The emergence of the Zapatistas in the state of Chiapas could be a foretaste of things to come. It is no accident that this area is contiguous with Central America.
It is said in certain Beijing quarters that Mexico will play a central role in this strategy. These assume that encouraging political and social turmoil in Mexico would, for example, spur many more Mexicans to seek sanctuary in the US, forcing Washington to strengthen its southern boarder while antagonising Mexico City in the process. Beijing believes that a flood of Mexicans immigrants would provoke a backlash which in turn would whip up anti-American feeling south of the border, never a difficult task.
I said earlier that it was believed that Castro is now a Chinese agent. I can now state that there is no if about it. While in China a state official confided to me that Beijing has successfully enlisted Fidel Castro as an ally and he is to be heavily supplied with weapons and cash. South America is the weapons eventual destination.
The cash will be used, along with drugs, to finance revolutionary groups, buy off officials and corrupt politicians while the weapons will be shipped to select groups. Apparently Chinese intelligence has also invested a great deal in a Venezuelan army or former army officer who is linked to the DGI (Castro's KGB). Unfortunately, the official was not prepared to say anything further on the subject.
It was also said that the Beijing initially intended to form a Latin-American triangle consisting of Cuba, Venezuela and Colombia with Castro at the apex and Panama in the centre. The triangle was meant to be the heart of the Beijing's plans for the region. It looks, however, as if Marxist success in Brazil has caused Beijing to expand its plans for the region.
However, there are in Beijing who have urged caution. They have pointed out that Castro is aging and his regime is highly unpopular. They feel that should he die or fall seriously ill the regime will be swept away by a popular revolt with embarrassing results for Beijing.
Others have countered with the argument that the machinery of repression is so entrenched and the populace demoralised that Beijing's allies will have no problem in taking the reins of power. In any case, should the worse occur all any links to Beijing will be easily destroyed. Moreover, there is absolutely nothing to fear from America's mainstream media which is clearly besotted with Castro as is the Black Caucus and most Hispanic members of Congress.
What was particularly revealing is that Beijing seems convinced that most Democratic members of Congress and the Senate will play down any connections Beijing establishes with Castro and can be counted on to dismiss China's presence in the region as hysteria.
Some Senators and Congressmen and women were mentioned by name. The only reason I have not published the names is because I have no evidence of collaboration with Beijing. Nevertheless, I think I can say with confidence that if their names were made known their identities would come as no surprise to informed opinion.
It was made clear that the strategy is not basically one of establishing pro-Beijing regimes but of creating a massive running sore that will drain US political and military resources that will eventually help drive it out of the Pacific Asian region, leaving Hawaii as its only Pacific base.
I don't think this is a fantasy. Why else did Beijing provide missile know-how and nuclear weapons technology to the likes of North Korea, Pakistan, Iran and Libya? Because it generates tensions and fuels conflicts that tie up US resources. Knowing all of this, why did Clinton allow the canal to fall into Beijing's hands? Because, incredible as this will seem, he thought of Beijing as a "strategic partner" of sorts and not a potential enemy.
The Clintons and their supporters belong to that peculiar school of thought that sees conflict, particularly war, as the tragic outcome of misunderstandings between basically decent and reasonable people except for fascists, of course, meaning those who challenge their beliefs and premises. Impervious to reality, those who cling to this suicidal-like vision accuse their critics of bad faith and dismiss their patriotic warnings as alarmist, ridiculous, hateful and so on.
The only thing Beijing's warlords understand and respect is power and the will to use it. America still has the power and its swift destruction of the Taliban and Saddam demonstrated that under the right president it still has the will to use its military might. And I think this is one of the principle reasons the Democrats hate Bush.
Sparta-ping.
If I am not mistaken, the Chicomms have the worlds largest naval base in the Bahamas. Should another Carter or Clinton become POTUS we will have big problems. Communism is not gone.
The Impact of Foreign Influences on the Clinton Administration, National Security, And National/International Policy prepared by TABLE OF CONTENTS
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If I am not mistaken, the Chicomms have the worlds largest naval base in the Bahamas.
You are correct. NORINCO or H-W (both PLA front companies) operate the world's largest port in the Bahamas.
Should another Carter or Clinton become POTUS we will have big problems. Communism is not gone.
We don't need to wait for another Commie president to have problems, we have them now. The Chinese control the Panama Canal. Venezuela, Cuba, and Brazil are assembling the new ComBloc in Latin America. There are more Latin American nations in danger of going Red. The Chinese Navy is rapidly expanding and advancing technologically. The Chinese and Russians have formed an anti-American alliance known as the Shanghai Cooperation Project. Pakistan, Iran, and India are expected to join soon. The Chinese have stepped up their influence in Burma and are having talks with Vietnam. Also, the Russians have expanded their influence in Indonesia and Malaysia. The enemy is beginning to show themselves, we need to be prepared.
The cash will be used, along with drugs, to finance revolutionary groups, buy off officials and corrupt politicians while the weapons will be shipped to select groups. Apparently Chinese intelligence has also invested a great deal in a Venezuelan army or former army officer who is linked to the DGI (Castro's KGB).
We are destined to live in interesting times.
Our National Security would eventually become another victim like Marilyn, all thanks to the demRats and those they would and will not confront, and today, openly support and commisserate with.
President Bush, Our hemisphere, our borders and our nation need a helluva lot more attention paid to them to prevent those within a stone's throw and a missile's fuelload of our shores of eventually overwhelming us.
Umm...you would be mistaken. Good grief, where did you pick THAT idea up?
There were reports a coupe of years ago of COSCO building the worlds largest container port somewhere in the Bahamas. Speculation is that it would have dual functionality as a commercial and possibly future military facility.
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