This is a scary report... Pentagon: China Gearing for Taiwan Attack By EUN-KYUNG KIM, Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON - China is boosting its missile stocks and military budget to prepare for what could be a quick and brutal showdown with Taiwan —and to prevent U.S. forces from getting in the way, the Pentagon said Wednesday. Defense officials said China was emphasizing a "surprise, deception and shock" doctrine in its campaign against Taiwan, which Beijing considers a renegade province. "Preparing for a potential conflict in the Taiwan Strait is the primary driver for China's military modernization," the Pentagon said in its annual evaluation of China's military. While focusing on Taiwan, China is developing weapons systems that would impede U.S. intervention on behalf of the island in any future conflict, the report found. "Beijing apparently believes that the United States poses a significant long-term challenge. China's leaders have asserted that the United States seeks to maintain a dominant geostrategic position by containing the growth of Chinese power, ultimately 'dividing' and 'Westernizing' China," the report said. China has about 450 short-range ballistic missiles but is expected to increase its inventory by more than 75 missiles each year, defense officials reported. Last year, the Pentagon estimated that China's military had acquired 350 ballistic missiles and was adding at a rate of 50 a year. The annual report is required by Congress to help keep lawmakers apprised of Beijing's military strategy. According to this year's report, China has amassed missiles more sophisticated and accurate than before, with its army developing longer-range models of the CSS-6 missile capable of reaching as far as Okinawa, Japan, where U.S. Marines are based. China also is spending far more on its defense budget than it has acknowledged. U.S. officials estimate the military budget that Beijing announced as $20 billion early last year actually falls between $45 billion and $65 billion, and the report noted a potential for annual spending to increase three or four times by 2020. Taiwan split from the mainland in 1949 after Nationalist Chinese leaders fled there following the communist victory in China. Beijing has expressed a desire for a peaceful resolution of the reunification dispute but also has threatened to retake the island by force if necessary. U.S. policy is to help Taiwan maintain a defense capability, but Washington does not favor Taiwanese independence. Derek Mitchell, a former Pentagon official and now a Southeast Asia expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, said there was nothing surprising about this year's report. "The overall concern registered about an increasing threat to Taiwan and of the increasing tension of the Chinese to realistic scenarios that include the united States are simply more of the same of what we have been concerned about for several years, including in the Clinton administration when these reports first started," he said. The Pentagon report also highlights China's acquisition of Russian-made submarines that could be used to cut off sea access to Taiwan and threaten American forces that might respond. China bought $2 billion worth of weapons from Russia, at least double its annual procurement from Moscow over the previous decade, according to the report. "China's force modernization program is heavily reliant upon assistance from Russia and other states of the former Soviet Union," the report said. "China hopes to fill short-term gaps in capabilities by significantly expanding its procurement of Russian weapon systems and technical assistance over the next several years." The report also found that Beijing may have acquired high-energy laser equipment that could be used to develop anti-satellite weapons, or devices to jam satellite-guided munitions.
Not surprising at all. They see the possibility of the US being occupied with other things (like the Middle East), and their improving technology may provide further deterrence. The situation illustrates quite nicely the absurdity of the argument that the US should wait for UN approval before doing something that is in it's own interest. Countries like China, which have a fundamentally different view of freedom than us, will not wait for the UN or the international community to exercise its power.
Holy smokes, what can we do about this? Would we be willing to go to war with China to protect Taiwan?
Why is anyone surprised? Unprovoked unilateral attacks are all the rage these days. You see, if China doesn't attack Taiwan now, someday they may pose a threat. The thing about smoking guns is that once they smoke it's too late or something... God I love the world the Bush Doctrine has created.
LOL, that is funny. If you think China has only now started lookig at the feasbility of attacking Taiwan, you are smoking crack. Read the darn article to dispel that myth. Or better yet, go back in history and see if unprovoked attacks rarely happen.
Wowming......I invite you to grow a brain. The Chinese have been planning to reconquer their "renegade province" since Taiwan broke in the fifties. Their entire military modernization, thanks to the Russians and the satellite technology that the Clinton admin allowed Loral to sell to them, is predicated on a campaign to quickly subdue their enemies and prevent a U.S. response. Here are some salient facts: Since the 1996, the Chinese PLA (People's Liberation Army) has bought from Russia......... Two Soveremny class destroyers equipped with the advanced Mach 3 sea-skimming Moskit missle, that is designed to kill aircraft carriers by virtue of its powerful conventional or nuclear warhead and is nearly invulnerable to U.S. SAMs and close in weapons systems Over 200 advanced Sukhoi Su-27 interceptors (equivalent to our F-15 fighters) and Su-30 fighter bombers (equivalent to our F-15E Strike Eagles, the finest such fighter bomber in the world) capable of carrying all sorts of precision guided missiles and capable of both interdicting Taiwanese targets on the ground and controlling their airspace above. Top of the line SA-10 and SA-15 SAM systems, supposedly better than our Patriot system China is also on the cutting edge of "information" warfare where hackers in the employ of the PLA would hack into and destroy the computers that control the vital nodes in both economic and military sectors. Seriously scary stuff. Tell me that's defensive....sure. Lastly, do you think that the UN has much sway over an aggressive China? Sure.....right.....uh-huh. This from the official Pentagon report: Read the whole report here: http://www.newsmax.com/articles/?a=2000/8/7/160447 I've always said the only thing that would put me back in the Corps is a war with China. I may have to get my Mameluke sword out of the closet.
China is probably in shock at their good fortunes, I don't think they could have a more perfect scenario to ratchet up the hostilities toward Taiwan. The US is the only real military partners of Taiwan, right now we have an exhausted military spread thin around the world. I wouldn't be surprised if China and North Korea were having secret talks to coordinate their moves to cause the US as much stress as possible. If they are doing this who could really blame them for taking advantage of our inability to form a realistic defense of Taiwan. The US most likely could not continue an occupation in Iraq and war with N. Korea-- throw in protecting Taiwan and the situation is beyond hopeless. We seem to be digging a hole from which we may soon have a direct link with China.
They are licking their proverbial chops. North Korea can do nothing but bluster right now, because the rice paddies are filled with water, but come winter, when they freeze over they perform nicely as avenues for invasion. If I was the Chicoms and North Koreans, I'd launch an offensive around Christmas, when the West in wrapped up in the holidays and our military is it at a low state of readiness. A war on two fronts with the ability from either China or North Korea or both to hold us hostage by threatening Japan with nukes? Too ugly to even think about.
One thing to remember we still have 3000 active nuclear weapons more then enough to wipe every major Chinese City from the face of the earth tell them the second they either launch an attack towards Taiwan or South Korea we will launch our nukes I am not for nuclear war but M.A.D worked with the U.S.S.R for 40 years unless China is willing to fight a nuclear war they will back down
All I'm saying is that our moral highground is gone now. This is the legacy of the president select. Any country can attack any other country for any reason, at any time. They can even change the reason after the fact. I think it's swell. I never said China did not want to attack Taiwan long before "president" bush came along, I'm just saying that we of all nations have no right to complain, thanks to his doctrine. What's good for the goose...
Wowming, We always have the moral high ground. And on your point about the Bush doctrine, we can't guard every bridge, building and airliner in America. We must seek these assholes out and in the words of the founder of the Navy SEALS Roy Boehm..... "**** the ****ing ****ers before they **** us." Who cares if we have to run roughshod over other countries? If it protects our nation, so be it. Either you're on our side.....or you're in the crosshairs. Aggressor states like China will be even more aggressive if not for our resolve and ability to intervene with overwhelming force globally.
Hmm....well bad timing. Unfortunate. The world is corrupt! All right....you're right. I can't debate...
By buying weapons that are designed solely for offensive purposes.......for shaping their forces as a first strike weapon against their "renegade" province. By threatening Los Angeles with atomic weapons if we defended Taiwan. I could go on and on......but I think you see the point I'm making. Read my first post on this and tell me if those aren't the moves of an aggressive power gearing up for a run through Asia.
Good one. It was a joke, right? Seriously, if you stick with it long enough, someone will eventually laugh.
WTF!! You can´t claim to have a moral high ground and complain about aggressor states, and then go on and say that you think the US should be aggressive. The US is the biggest aggressor state in the world. You say you have the right to be one, but China does not. The actions of one country can not be judged differently deppending on that countries regime. If a democratic country unprovokedly attacks another country, it´s still a monstrosity. Your reasoning semms to be based on your beliefs that the US are the good guys of the world, fighting evil. Think it all you want, doesn´t make it true (it´s still an opinion). How is you thinking that different from a Chineese thinking China is the good force in the world. I say it´s the same, and they´re both BS. Being the biggest military power in the world gives you some sort of high ground, but it ain´t moral. Regarding the last part of your post. I think the Bush doctrine has made all somewhat aggressive states more aggressive. The US is making it possible for everyone else to attack the places they´ve always wanted to attack fighting the so called "war on terrorism". Though I can´t see how China could claim Taiwan terrorist, I´m sure they´re more creative than me.
Leg, Let me spell it out for you...... We are the good guys. We are that "City on the hill" that the rest of the world looks up to. China, on the other hand, butchers innocent students peacefully protesting for a more democratic government. The evil Chinese communists have murdered thousands and have enslaved thousands more to provide a cheap source of labor to sell us goods so they can get some hard currency to continue their present military buildup. If that isn't evil to you....what is? Us? Name one aggressive state that has attacked us besides those coward terrorists. I dare you. The answer is none. The North Koreans, despite their rhetoric, are coming to the negotiating table because they know that Bush is serious when he says something, unlike that weak numbnuts Clinton. You flat out amaze me. How can you consider our liberation of Iraq from the clutches of a dictator who killed thousands of his own people and tossed people into compactors to be no different than, say China's invasion of Tibet? There is no comparison. They conquer.....we liberate. We will return control of Iraq to a government of Iraqis...the Chinese will never leave Tibet. We reserve the right to attack our enemies. It's better to start a fight and get rid of a threat than to simply let it strengthen and eventually have to fight a much stronger enemy. Next time, do some thinking. Quit attacking the U.S. and cease your moral equivalence with us and the rest of the world.
Pre-emptive attacks are nothing new. The most famous one against the US was in Pearl Harbor by blood thirsty Japs. If there was a way for us to prevent another Pearl Harbor or 9/11, I would prefer pre-emption to nuke Japan 100 times over if it means saving American lives. Taiwan is really just an unfinished civil war. An internal issue that should be handled domestically by the Chinese. The Communist and Nationalist stopped fighting for 50 years. They are not ethnically cleansing or chopping of limbs as in other parts of the world. It's two political parties trying to gain/hold onto power. If we decide to stick our nose into their business, then we need to also look into Chechnya, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Kashmir, etc which are much worst and people are actually dying.
Really, you think it's the same when China doesn't value freedom or human rights or democracy? Don't let your dislike of the US get in the way of using your brain.
