Are We Going To Have An Arms Race With China?

Report: Time For A New Arms Race With China
-- The Danger Room

A new report about U.S. military relations with China has just emerged from a State Department Advisory Board. And not only is it all kinds of hawkish. But the paper comes at the same time that we're loading up Taiwan's arsenal.

The Washington Times describes the paper here. Hans Kristensen at the Federation of American Scientists excoriates it here. But two telling passages need highlighting. First: "In addition to improving the ability to defend U.S. force capabilities targeted by the Chinese, the United States should focus R&D on high technology military capabilities not included in China's military plans -- military systems that will demonstrate to Beijing that trying to get ahead of the United States is futile (much the way [the Star Wars missile defense program] did against the Soviet Union)."

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My Comment: I do not have doubts that we can outspend the Chinese in an arms race, but the question that must be asked is .... why? China has enough problems to handle, and while their military is modernizing, it's internal political, social, and political problems will be with it for a very long time.

Taking a long view I can easily see China becoming a regional superpower, but then it will have to confront India, Japan, and Russia. From my point of view the U.S. will be best positioned as an outsider looking in .... it will also be cheaper.