China said to approach NATO for dialogue

Reuters ^ | 15 November, 2002 | Paul Taylor

[spycatcher]

China said to approach NATO for dialogue
15 November, 2002 01:13 GMT+08:00
By Paul Taylor BRUSSELS (Reuters) - China has approached NATO to seek a strategic dialogue for the first time in the alliance's 53-year history, a senior NATO official said on Thursday. The disclosure highlights the growing reach of the U.S.-led defence pact, which decided earlier this year its forces would go wherever needed in the world to meet new security threats following the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States. The Chinese ambassador to Belgium, Guan Chengyuan, met NATO Secretary-General George Robertson on October 10 and asked to begin regular contacts on strategic concepts, common threats and NATO activities in Central Asia, the official said. "The Chinese have approached NATO for a dialogue. We'd be very happy to have that dialogue and so we're going to start it sometime in the next year," he said. "They came to the secretary general and basically said 'we'd like to have a dialogue about what your philosophy is, how you see common threats and what NATO's up to in Central Asia'." NATO is for the first time about to get involved discreetly in the international peacekeeping operation in Afghanistan, its farthest-flung military mission to date. Officials said the 19-nation alliance would agree in the next few days that its military headquarters will plan, recruit and provide intelligence and communications support for the International Security Assistance Force in Kabul, when Germany and the Netherlands take over the command next month. U.S. PUPPET Another official said Robertson had reported the Chinese approach to the 19 allies who were still considering how to respond and had not yet taken a formal decision. "This is quite extraordinary. We had never had any contact with them before," the official said. China's Communist rulers long publicly disdained NATO as a U.S. puppet, although strategic analysts said Beijing valued the alliance during the Cold War as a counterweight to Soviet military power after the 1959 Sino-Soviet split. Since the fall of the Berlin Wall, NATO has expanded into former communist eastern Europe and built military partnership relationships with the Central Asian republics, some of which border on western China. The Western alliance has never had any collective role in Asian security and the NATO official said there was still no intention that it should become "a global cop". NATO has built a web of relationships with former Soviet bloc countries, including Russia, making it the only military organisation stretching from Vancouver to Vladivostok. But the fact that it was largely sidelined from the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan last year and has had no role in preparing for a possible war against Iraq has led some commentators to question its continuing relevance. The alliance will hold a summit in Prague next week in a bid to demonstrate it is transforming itself to meet new security challenges from terrorism and weapons of mass destruction, reaching out to new members in eastern Europe and building new relationships with Russia, Central Asia and the Caucasus.

[FormerLurker]

Of course membership in NATO would allow China to know everything NATO is up to, including it's contigency plans. Pretty slick..

[Carry_Okie]

Oceana has always been at war with Eastasia.

[spycatcher]

These ChiComs how to get the info they want

[AAABEST]

Normally I'd agree with you.

However, I'm starting to wonder if China doesn't want to see the US succeed. After all we are the engine of their economy and they really don't have a dog in our current fight.

They do have to be watched on a long term basis however. Asian culture takes a very long view on these matters.

[FormerLurker]

Call me paranoid, but here's the scenerio I see.

First off, they have acquired much of our technology and weapons systems, both overty and coverty. They have sunburn missiles that are designed to destroy US aircraft carriers. They have enough nukes to make a difference, and they have the means to deploy them successfully.

They have MANY of our manufacturing plants, ranging from semiconductor plants such as Intel's, down through the spectrum of products such as shoes and clothes. Are there any shoe or textile plants still in the US?

They invented the Art of War, and know Sun Tzu better than us. They've prepared and planned for a war with the US for decades. In fact, I'm sure you're aware of the numerous articles on that subject. The below link is just an example;

Pentagon study finds China preparing for war with U.S

Don't you suppose China may just be following Sun Tzu, and have always been planning to take over the US? What of the Panama Canal? What of COSCO? What of the bases in the Pacific and even in the Bahamas?

Perhaps the whole sharade will play out when and if we decide to invade Iraq. Once we are involved in a major conflict there, as well as occupied in Bosnia, Afghanistan, and elsewhere, who's going to be left to defend the US? What if North Korea is in league with China and attacks South Korea? What if China attacks Taiwan? Then what?

What would Pakistan do? Nuke India maybe?

Do you see that the possibilities are profound, and that we need to give this some REALLY serious thought?

[AAABEST]

I would say that the long view of China is that they have absolute power, like any normal nation. If that meant our destruction, then they would take that opportunity if it were given to them.

For the time being however, we buy all of their stuff. Without us they'd be toast.... really. They need us desperately right now, or it all comes crashing down. Just go to Wal-Mart and read tags and you'll see what I mean.

[FormerLurker]

For the time being however, we buy all of their stuff. Without us they'd be toast.... really. They need us desperately right now, or it all comes crashing down. Just go to Wal-Mart and read tags and you'll see what I mean.

And that is our very weakness. It is WE that are DEPENDENT upon them for everything. Whether it be clothes, shoes, basically EVERYTHING you see at Wal-Mart and just about anywhere else. There are very few products and goods that are still manufactured in the US, and you're right, the majority of them are made in China.

They have all of what we once had. They don't need any more of our money...

One last thing to consider. Has it ever dawned on anyone that the Sunburn missile, designed to deliver a nuclear burst over an aircraft carrier and destroy the entire battle group, begins with the word "Sun", as in "Sun Tzu"? I can only guess at what the "burn" designates...

[America's Resolve]

The first thing that hit me was the Taiwan gambit. Nice way to confuse NATO and have them sit on the sidelines if the US and China both requested their aid in a Taiwan fight. Not to mention the intelligence they can get out of it on our warplans, strategies and tactics.

Next thing that occured to me was that this could spell the end of NATO. Why bother to have NATO if every one is in it? Sort of makes it irrelevant to have a defense organization if all the bad guys are in the defense pact.

Thought you had to be a democracy (of one form or another) to Join Nato.

Just some thoughts.

Godspeed

PS I thinkt they DO have have a dog in the current fight. Uighir Muslims and I think Xianjiang Province. They have their own muslim problems but they've been able to terrorize them into quiet or buy them off.

[The Pheonix]

LOL, bwahahahaha

"sunburn" was the code-name given to the SS-N-22 by NATO

[The Pheonix]

Panama has diplomatic relations with TAIWAN and NONE with China

The supposedly 100000 of "Chinese people" keepimg shops in Panama are actually TAIWANESE ans NOT Chinese

[FormerLurker]

Next thing that occured to me was that this could spell the end of NATO. Why bother to have NATO if every one is in it? Sort of makes it irrelevant to have a defense organization if all the bad guys are in the defense pact.

Now that is a very astute observation. NATO would just become another arm of the UN. How convenient...

Treason in High Places

[FormerLurker]

LOL, bwahahahaha

I don't find it to be a laughing matter...

China More a Threat to Taiwan and US Than We Are Being Told

Sunburn in China

"sunburn" was the code-name given to the SS-N-22 by NATO

Well that's nice, but does it matter WHO named it that? Perhaps NATO had a sick sense of humor that day?

It doesn't end with the SS-N22 by the way..

New Russian Missiles Aid China, Iran -- May Spark New Arms Race

[FormerLurker]

Panama has diplomatic relations with TAIWAN and NONE with China

Is China in Control of the Panama Canal?

China Displaces Taiwan in Caribbean

[spycatcher]

I think that's the long term goal of the world socialism crowd to have NATO simply be the military arm of the UN enforcing law and order with the US marginalized.

[FormerLurker]

Exactly. If we're lucky. However, I believe China has other ideas on that..

[The Pheonix]

I am confident that NATO will know to deal with China.

NATO is a mature and capable organization