Posted on 07/29/2014 5:57:09 PM PDT by Lorianne
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Two debates are under way over China. The first, about Beijings aggression in the South and East China seas, is between naval strategists and diplomats who know little about economics. The second, about the fragility of the Chinese economy, is between economists who know little about naval strategy and diplomacy.
These debates should intersect but they rarely do. In one, China appears invincible; in the other, it seems to be on the brink of implosion.
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The background to the first debate is Chinas seemingly inexorable military expansion, especially in sea, air, ballistic missiles and cyber warfare. As regards sea forces, this includes not only warships but also coastguard vessels, merchant shipping and strategic deployment of oil rigs. Beijings ability to co-ordinate all these attributes of power has resulted in a subtly shifting military balance in maritime Asia.
No longer does the US Navy rule the western Pacific as though it were an American lake, as it did for decades following the second world war. Instead, there is an increasingly multipolar arrangement, with China able to intimidate Vietnam, the Philippines and Malaysia in the South China Sea, and to challenge Japan in the East China Sea.
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The writer is author of Asias Cauldron: The South China Sea and the End of a Stable Pacific
All of Robert D Kaplan’s books are very good. I recommend Monsoon.
The Chinese are becoming the big hog at the mideast oil trough. The towelheads are going to experience a different kind of “customer” than they had with the US and Europe.
Pei Ping.
The Chinese are becoming the big hog at the mideast oil trough. The towelheads are going to experience a different kind of customer than they had with the US and Europe.
That’s for sure and with their American ‘mercenaries’ being weakened and ‘neutered’ through PC and LGBT socialization efforts they won’t have the Armed forces of their own to deal with China’s ‘persuasiveness’.
They’re building up those Naval force for more than one reason.
Maybe they'll get around to Warlord-ism again.
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