China defends military rise, says faces threats

[WhiteTara]

here we go...ratchet up another notch.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061229/ts_nm/china_defence_dc

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's military modernization will focus on strengthening its navy and air force as it faces security threats from border spats, historical disputes and self-ruled Taiwan, a defense white paper released on Friday said.

But China, whose increasing defense spending and military build-up has been a source of friction with the United States, will never engage in an arms race or threaten any other nation, the policy paper said.

"The navy will gradually ... raise its marine combat and nuclear counter-attack capabilities," it said.

"The air force aims at speeding up its transition from territorial air defense to both offensive and defensive operations, and increasing its capabilities in the areas of air strike, air and missile defense, early warning and reconnaissance and strategic projection."
snip
Analysts said the report reflected China's primary goal of deterring both Taiwan independence and the prospect of U.S. intervention in the Taiwan Strait.

[IWantAChange]

1. Everyone should file this away and then refer to it say around 2020/2025...

World should be a very interesting place in another generation. Unfortunately the opening moves of the new millennium chess game of life played by the neocons have caused America to lose our Knights, Rooks, Bishops and maybe even our Queen already.

[Career Prole]

2. That's it? $36 measly billion?

Hey media...try $532.8 Billion on for size. That's the 2007 U.S. defense budget. $532.8 Billion.

If anyone should have to defend extravagance in military spending it's the U.S.

That's the second article I've read today on the increase in China's military spending which makes no mention of what the U.S. spends. I guess if the papers made the comparison for their readers it would make China's "increase" look a bit silly.

[HannibalBarca]

3. But

..I would guess that China's true spending might be significantly greater than that, additionally the US is undoubtedly spending alot more than the quoted public figure.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

6. China's military budget is 7.5% that of the US. In terms of fraction of GDP they're roughly the same

eom

[Supersedeas]

4. Propoganda is not meant to contain rational comparisons--Condi has a job to do

[flamin lib]

5. Yeah, and the Pentagon can't account for 25% of the $532 B. nt

[Igel]

8. But the numbers are meaningless.

Really.


I like to express things not in terms of dollars, but in terms of loaves of bread (assuming that the bread isn't subject to price controls) or "average apartments for a four-person family". Hard to get those numbers; much easier to plug numbers into a formula.

When you express things in dollars you're ignoring what the currency spent actually gets you. In the Czech Republic in '94 a dime got you a pint of really good beer, and $1.50 got you a good dinner--in the US it would have cost easily 10x as much.

Take the Chinese example. If the yuan gets revalued upward by 10%, the dollar value of what they spend will increase by 10%. But does that mean the Chinese military will suddenly be able to buy 10% more stuff?

[TomClash]

10. Try adjusting the Yuan first

to its estimated true value - then redo the calculation.

[gratuitous]

7. Does the magic talisman work for China, too?

After all, whenever Bush says "national security," all conversation, debate and discussion on a matter stops dead. "You want the terrorists to win!" squeals the Amen Chorus all over the media. Questioning anything that Bush does in the name of national security, whether it's sending our troops out to invade nations that haven't attacked us and are no threat to us, or torturing people without charge or cause, is tantamount to "letting the terrorists win" according to a reliable sector of the media elites.

Now China escalates (or should I say "surges"?) a policy that may destabilize world relations -- or at the very least challenge American hegemony -- and invokes the sacred rubric of national security. Does that work for the Chinese as well as Bush? Or can only Republican presidents use the magic charm (whether they mean it or not)?

[mainegreen]

9. Taiwan better figure out what it's going to do soon.

I doubt the US is in a position to do anything to help them.
Perhaps a nuclear Japan?

:P