Pentagon urges China to explain military buildup

[UpInArms]

http://today.reuters.com/news/newsarticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyid=2006-05-23T171631Z_01_N23274861_RTRUKOC_0_US-CHINA-USA-MILITARY.xml&src=rss&rpc=81

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - China's rapid military modernization has altered Asia-Pacific military balances and could pose threats to other forces, the Pentagon said on Tuesday in an annual report that repeated U.S. calls for the Chinese to explain the purpose of their build-up.

The 2006 China Military Power Report said China's military build-up retained its long-standing focus on rival Taiwan but that years of double-digit growth in arms spending gave it the ability to project power further afield.

"Long-term trends in China's strategic nuclear forces modernization, land- and sea-based access and denial capabilities, and emerging precision-strike weapons have the potential to pose credible threats to modern militaries operating in the region," said the report's executive summary.

The Pentagon has been raising alarms over China's military modernization for several years, and the United States has been joined by Japan in calling for China's communist rulers to be more open about military budgets and policy.

Earlier this year, the Pentagon in a new long-range strategy blueprint called China the rising power with the greatest potential to compete militarily with the United States. It recommended new long-range weapons and a greater military presence in the Pacific.

...more...

:eyes:

[Mythsaje]

1. "We plan to kick your ass, round-eye..."

"Once we've bankrupted YOU, WE will be the world's major military power. And there's nothing that can stop us from twirling our Fu Manchu mustache and kicking Japan and Taiwan around. Japan because they deserve it, and Taiwan because NOBODY escapes China."

Sorry...couldn't resist.

My advice? Make your kids and grandkids learn Chinese. They're going to need it.

[htuttle]

5. "You have no chance to survive make your time!"

"HA HA HA HA...."

[Mythsaje]

10. China has a long revolutionary history...

they're going to find staying on top of things and keeping the people down will be a lot harder the more money they have. Democracy is probably inevitable. Eventually.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

26. It takes more than 230 years, apparently.

[Mythsaje]

27. Oh, we ALMOST made it...

We just kept stumbling over capitalism along the way.

[AlamoDemoc]

2. Funniest thing! These people are so outrages about their demands

I'm lost for words!!!!!

[cantstandbush]

40. This is almost comical! Every nation that can should be building

their military to defend against the US.

[TroglodyteScholar]

3. Does anyone really need an explanation?

The Bush gang speaks this language......

[Rex]

4. Three words - Military Industrial Complex

What? Like you didn't KNOW we scare the shit outta the rest of the world? Generals will follow headlong into the abyss screaming 'who knew'? :eyes: Fucking brass Morororororororans.

[saigon68]

37. You got it

[leesa]

43. Really. I wonder if we remembered to take the price tags off the stuff we

sold them. The US wants everybody militarized...our economy depends on it. It's the only stuff we have to sell.

[Kikosexy2]

6. Lucy!...

ju got lot of plainin' to do...

[sendero]

7. Our country..

... in the name of making a quick buck and consuming cheap goods, has handed China all the technology and infrastructure they need.

They do not have to explain JACK SHIT to US or anyone else. Soon, they will be the world's powerhouse and we handed it to them on a silver platter.

While we are squandering our resources on a pointless an ineffective war, they are building, building and building some more.

I'm not particularly afraid of China messing with us, it is Taiwan who needs to be afraid. What I am is AMUSED that our government apparently thinks we have a say. BWWAAAAHAHAHAAHH!

[Miss Chybil]

8. Perhaps they got a bit worried over the Preemption Doctrine?

Or, simply the fact we have a fucking nut in the White House, or, maybe they just need more oil. Whatever. I wonder why the US doesn't start demanding they give up their nukes? Surely, it's because they actually have some.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

9. Everybody wants something... it's only when two interests want

the same thing that you see this sort of buildup.

[Joe Chi Minh]

11. Difficult to imagine anything that could more clearly illustrate that

their sense of humor is precisely on a par with their sense of shame. I mean that word, "urges" would almost make you feel sorry for them in their naive earnestness.

You could almost imagine the Chinese leader talking down to them as to an infant: "When we grow up, we find that we can't always have our own way; we meet many hurdles and even disappointments in this life." What's that saying about always being nice to people on your way up?

[DrDebug]

12. As Mao told Breznev in 1963

Breznev:
"If I have nuclear weapons, let 400 million Chinese die, 300 million will be left."
(leans closer)
Mao suffers from a mental disorder; we
know this a long time in my country.
(then)
This is the man you want to be your
ally?

Nixon:
He was your ally for twenty years, Leonid.

Breznev:
(makes a funny gesture)
Yes, yes, Dick. Life is always the best teacher, you know this -- and you too will discover how treacherous he can be.

http://sfy.ru/sfy.html?script=nixon1995

[Canuckistanian]

13. Go smell monkey tail, American cowboys

China wave bye-bye now.

[Giant Robot]

14. All your base are belong to us!

:rofl:

I kid I kid!

[crikkett]

15. You beat me to it!

That's a Japanese thing, though.

[Giant Robot]

17. I know but I was surprised no one else had said it yet! n/t

[ladjf]

16. Why would China feel a need to explain their military strategy to

Bush?

[IndianaGreen]

18. China is the next hyper-power and they owe Bush nothing!

I welcome a nation that can serve as a deterrent to Bush's imperial expansionism!

[dysfunctional press]

19. "all your base will belong to us"...

nt

[lovuian]

20. Right now China is in the race for space and for oil

and they have to explain to Rumsy
:rofl:

[diamondsndust]

21. China urges Pentagon to release the real Flt 77 tapes.....

:rofl:

[The Jacobin]

22. The only reason we're pissed

Is because they are making their own technology and weapons. If they were buying from us, then it would be all good.

[Theduckno2]

25. I think you are on to something there.

It is my understanding that the Soviet Union spent a very large portion of its Gross Domestic Product on their military in effort to "keep up" with U.S. spending and innovation. They were usually forced both to respond to our technological advances or copy them. Innovation was a luxury they could not always afford.

The Chinese on the other hand have a vibrant and growing economy and are on a course to overtake the U.S.A. as the world's leading economy. This would afford for a myriad of opportunities in missile systems, stealth weapons and unmanned aerial vehicles to name a few. Innovations could even go towards lesser known systems such as ballistic artillery.

Such innovation would have our economy struggling to keep our military edge and I think it is foolish to try to keep a decisive military advantage over all possible opponents. It IMHO would surely bankrupt us and I rue the day when our leaders write off repayment of Social Security in lieu of funding military expenditures.

[upi402]

23. The Pentagon needs a new Russia, China is the next big bogeyman

Duck and cover, this shit is gonna splat me thinks!

[Mythsaje]

28. Hah...China will make Russia look like the neighborhood bully...

Russia wasn't really competition. China WILL be.

[cliss]

29. That's how I see it, too.

Russia has tons of problems. They still do to this day. They are one of the few countries in the world which has a rapidly declining population. The population is shrinking because of massive pollution, illness, poor food standards, and lots of people moving out because of poverty.

Russia really never was the "Cold War". In my opinion, they were never the threat that the US built them up to be. But the US needed a Boogey-Man so they picked a likely target.

CHINA on the other hand, is a completely different story. They've got a growing economy, they've been growing by a staggering 9% year after year, for the past 30 years. Unbelievable. It has the world's largest population.

CHINA is our creditor. They hold almost $1 TRILLION dollars in our debt. Russia never had that. They literally have us by the short-hairs. WE need to come crawling to them. They could pull the plug on our economy whenever they want to.

BIG DIFFERENCE.

[Mythsaje]

30. Yep...

Back in the 80s and early 90s, everyone was afraid of Japan. That was the foundation of a lot of cyberpunk stuff. I never found that particularly credible.

And during the height of the cold war, a lot of people I knew thought the whole thing was bunk...just a way to keep the powerful in power. In BOTH Russia and the U.S. A game played on the populace, nothing more.

China is the real deal, and we don't stand a chance against them unless we totally change our priorities. And as long as the Repugs or anyone who thinks they have any credibility at all are holding the reins, we're screwed.

[upi402]

34. Yep, China is a threat Japan never was, Russia just a bogeyman

China is the next superpower and the world will miss the USA. The bi-polar balance of power is the most stable, as with USA and Russia, but with what BushCo has done there is likely to be a mess. I doubt there will be a cold stand-off between the USA and China.

Russia was hyped to Americans by the military industrial complex to get rich outside of direct war. Hence the term 'cold war'.

I always figured that Japan had too few resources and people to threaten the US, and were running white hot and destined to burn out fast.

[daleo]

24. China says "right back at ya"

The Pentagon has quite the gumption, questioning other countrys' military spending.

On edit - It's like the biggest drunk you know telling you not to have more than one glass of wine.

[HuffleClaw]

31. what complete hypocrisy

but, of course, exactly the sort of crap we've come to expect from this administration.

[yurbud]

32. CIA World Factbook: military spending--China $81 billion, US $518

Bottom line: China is only a threat to us if we try to invade them.

The conservatives have convinced us to piss ourselves every time other countries even sharpen sticks and pick up rocks.

And for the same reason that China is only a threat to us if we invade them, no other country would seriously think they could succeed at invading, let alone occupying, the US.

[upi402]

36. somehow the words; CIA and FACT BOOK just don't work for me

these days.

Until the "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" CIA is cleaned with a firehose, I completely discount absolutely everything associated with anything associated with anyone breathing the same air in the same (or any nearby) solar sytem in this -or perhaps any other- galaxy.

So, I guess I wont be getting a medal now, huh?

[yurbud]

38. they would have reason to OVERestimate China's spending and potential

threat, which is still pretty puny.

[Leber tsohG]

33. gee i wonder why China would wanna boost their military....

.....it couldn't be because of the U.S.'s aggressive foreign policy that requires absolutely no credible evidence to invade or attack another country could it?

HMMMMMMMMMMMMMM........

[upi402]

35. Welcome!

:hi:
That could be part of it huh?
China may want to secure and protect it's resource suppliers and energy friends. Kinda like what we failed to do.

Seems we went into Iraq to LIMIT oil supply. Cuz when supply is low, price is high. Now we're militarizing the Mexican border and pissing off THAT supplier. Not to mention a certain South American oil country.

[Sherman A1]

39. No longer having

The inflatable Soviet Threat Doll to use before Congressional Budget Hearings, we now bring out our newly purchased Inflatable Chinese Threat Doll (found at Wal Mart and made with pride by Chinese Political Prisoners) to stir the mix of money in the direction of our favorite arms producers. Take a look at GlobalSecurity. org for projections on Chinese Military strength for the next few years. Look at all the ancient equipment they are now operating and decide for yourself if we need another tax supported spending spree to "keep these guys in their place". Just who do the Chinese want to fight and why? Just what do they want and why? Are they just trying to upgrade their military in case we end up with another wacko in the White House?

[shadowknows69]

41. Dear U.S.

You're assholes.
China

P.S. You're stupid assholes. Keep shopping at Wal Mart! I've got your "best country in the world" right here.

[sidpleasant]

42. China's best weapon against the US is Bush's fiscal irresponsibility

The Chinese don't need to fire a shot to crush the US. All they would have to do is start dumping the hundreds of billions of dollars of US government debt that they hold thanks to Bush's unprecedented deficits and the value of the dollar craters. Blowing up our economy wouldn't be without consequences for China (Americans wouldn't be able to afford Chinese goods at Wal Mart if our dollar was reduced to ass paper) but I wouldn't bet that they couldn't ride it out.

[AnOhioan]

44. China urges the neocons to stick it where the sun don't shine n/t

[Eugene]

45. China: Military Buildup Is Defensive - AP

China: Military Buildup Is Defensive


Thursday May 25, 2006 3:01 AM

BEIJING (AP) - China on Thursday angrily rejected a U.S. Defense Department report
that says Beijing is a potential military threat, insisting that its multibillion-
dollar buildup is defensive.

Beijing is "strongly resentful of and firmly opposed to" the comments in an annual
Pentagon report on Chinese military power, state media quoted Foreign Ministry
spokesman Liu Jianchao as saying.

Liu complained that the report "severely violated the principles governing
international relations" and interfered in China's internal affairs.

<snip>

"China is a peace-loving nation and has insisted on a way of peaceful development,
with a national defense policy that is defensive in nature," news reports quoted Liu
as saying.

<snip>

Full article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-5843968,00.html

[upi402]

47. Well we've pissed off the Chinese. Nice work BushCo

Why am I not surprised???
:banghead:

[Eurobabe]

46. We own you, better learn Chinese quickly

PS. Don't try anything stupid, and keep shopping at Mao-Mart