Posted on 03/13/2002 9:57:36 AM PST by TheRedSoxWinThePennant
China's army to prepare for 'military struggle' March 12, 2002 Posted: 10:57 PM EST (0357 GMT)
Willy Wo-Lap Lam Senior China Analyst
(CNN) -- Chinese President Jiang Zemin has asked the armed forces to make "solid preparation for military struggle" in order to attain national reunification.
While addressing military delegates to the National People's Congress, Jiang said: "to solve the issue of Taiwan and realize complete reunification of the motherland is one of the three major tasks for the Party and the nation in the new century."
However, Jiang, who is also Chairman of the policy-setting Central Military Commission (CMC), did not lay down specific tactics or a definite time-frame for taking back Taiwan.
Sources close to the People's Liberation Army (PLA) said Jiang was using harsher than usual rhetoric on Taiwan partly in response to recent events between Taiwan and the United States.
They included the on-going visit to the U.S. by Taiwan Defense Minister Tang Yao-ming and American arms sale to the island.
"Jiang is facing more pressure particularly from mid-ranking PLA officers to be tougher with Taiwan and the U.S.," said an army source.
"Jiang's response is that the nation must focus on economic development. He is, however, willing to satisfy the generals' demand for bigger budgets."
In his speech to the PLA delegates, Jiang stressed the importance of a hi-tech army -- and the need to take advantage of China's entry to the World Trade Organization to learn more about the armies of Western countries.
The president, however, underscored the imperative of the party's strict control of the PLA.
#1. This is merely a puff piece by the Willy in order to try and show "how Bush is pushing the envelope too far on some poor innocent Chinese people."
He is going to make the case of 'how good Clinton was'... and 'how all Chinese people like Clinton better' etc.
They can talk all kinds of smack, including about 'nuking LA', but when we go nose to nose, toe to toe, they get offended that we would have the 'gall' to do such a thing. Personally China needs a big humiliating 'black eye' until they learn to shut up.
We are supposed to be impressed and scared, and they like it that way. Its part of their mental war-game. Right now, it is the battle of wills.
China is going to loooooose though. America will be a whole lot better off financially if we cut off trade with China and invest in other budding and growing Asian countries. Finacially as a whole we would be a whole lot better off...
#2. China would get humiliated in a war, especially a naval one.
Approximately 62% of China's imported oil comes through the straits of malacca. On one end of that strait we have an aircraft carrier base.
China would have to shut down its entire country in order to launch an attack. They could not sustain a war for very long at all.
We could blockade them, not to mention even if we didn't blockade them, they would STILL be defeated.
We would not be looking at trench warfare, it would be in the air and in the ocean, both of which we would win.
Part of the Communiques with China state CLEARLY that any settlement is to be peaceful. This is in direct conflict with the agreements. I'm no Communique expert, but this is flagrant disregard for the Agreements isnt it? This would be like us coming out and saying "there are 2 Chinas". So, we shoud respond in kind and say there are 2 Chinas.
To quote the Anti-Heroes, " America is sinking, and you're asleep in front of your TV..."
Nothing that the liberal application of napalm and boiling water cant solve.
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