NYT: Chinese Navy Buildup Gives Pentagon New Worries

[DeepModem Mom]

Chinese Navy Buildup Gives Pentagon New Worries
By JIM YARDLEY and THOM SHANKER

Published: April 8, 2005


ZHANJIANG, China - At a time when the American military is consumed with operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, global terrorism and the threat of nuclear proliferation in North Korea and Iran, China is presenting a new and strategically different security concern to America, as well as to Japan and Taiwan, in the western Pacific, Pentagon and military officials say.

China, these officials say, has smartly analyzed the strengths and weaknesses of the American military and has focused its growing defense spending on weapons systems that could exploit the perceived American weaknesses in case the United States ever needs to respond to fighting in Taiwan.

A decade ago, American military planners dismissed the threat of a Chinese attack against Taiwan as a 100-mile infantry swim. The Pentagon now believes that China has purchased or built enough amphibious assault ships, submarines, fighter jets and short-range missiles to pose an immediate threat to Taiwan and to any American force that might come to Taiwan's aid.

In the worst case in a Taiwan crisis, Pentagon officials say that any delay in American aircraft carriers reaching the island would mean that the United States would initially depend on fighter jets and bombers based on Guam and Okinawa, while Chinese forces could use their amphibious ships to go back and forth across the narrow Taiwan Strait.

Some American military analysts believe China could now defeat Taiwan before American forces could arrive at the scene, leaving a political decision about whether to attack, even though Taiwan would already be lost....


http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/08/international/asia/08china.html?hp&ex=1112932800&en=45e0b73ba7ac7c1c&ei=5094&partner=homepage

[xray s]

1. If China wants Taiwan its theirs for the taking

We would never go to war over Taiwan.

[Kerrytravelers]

2. *'s big dream. A war for the title of Superpower- a real life videogame

[leesa]

5. Pretty funny, huh? We're getting our asses kicked by 2 countries who

don't even HAVE militaries. All China has to do is wait until the Republicans finish destroying the economy. They will be the world power without needing to fire a shot.

[Johnyawl]

3. FEAR! FEAR! FEAR!

BE AFRAID! BE AFRAID BE AFRAID!

WE MUST SPEND MORE MONEY ON BIG BUDGET MILITARY HARDWARE!

MUST HAVE MORE SHIPS NOW!
MUST HAVE MORE PLANES NOW!
MUST HAVE MORE MISSLES NOW!

*****AND ABSOLUTELY MUST HAVE STAR WARS ANTI MISSLE DEFENSE WEAPONS RIGHT NOW!*****


Jaysus, did the Pentagon write that article? Or was it a press release from the Carlyle Group?

[Rose Siding]

6. They're pissy because China told them to quit blaming everyone

else for their mess ups.

[amber dog democrat]

4. Its just a matter of time before China does it.

they are powerful enough now and I don't see the US stopping it from happening.
I think we'll lose more than just prestiege - I don't honestly think it will make any difference.

[Javaman]

7. It's just amazing, I guess moron* needs a letter to tell him...

the reality's of life.

Any that has a clue, can see that China is moving all the pieces in place to be the next world power.

The Chinese aren't like us, in your face all the time. They are like a quiet creeping fog. Clear one moment, but then, suddenly, you are completely fogged in.

[Boo Boo]

8. Yes. China is building

a big ol' Oil-procuring Navy. Big surprise. The best part though is that they are using our money to build it! That is the part that really pisses me off. You have what is basically a fascist state (they sure ain't commies anymore) that we, and the Europeans, are building into a major power, with a major appetite for Oil.

This happened with Hitler as well. You can't build the worlds most potent military machine out of thin air. Germany was an economic basket case. It took major amounts of investment capital to do what he did. Blood money.

Anyway, it seems that China still has some major economic problems; it'll be interesting to see which eventuality happens:

1) China becomes a flowering Democracy (doesn't seem likely)
2) China crashes back to earth in a big economic collapse (apparently fairly likely)
3) War with China

My totally amateur analysis is that it'll be either number two or number three, and I'm puttin' my money on two.

[truthisfreedom]

9. they melted down the unanalyzed beams and columns from the WTC and

built these ships.

[dbt]

10. Are there any more reasons NOT to pour the military down

a big-ass hole in the sand in some War For Profit, based on LIES? What if you should need them someday, to face a REAL threat?