James Stavridis, Bloomberg: China’s Military Seeks New Islands to Conquer
Allies in the Pacific are worried that the U.S. and Europe are no longer reliable.
A Defense Department report warns that China’s military buildup is reaching the point where it can attempt to “impose its will on the region and beyond.” Visiting recently with senior officials from two U.S. allies in the region, Japan and Singapore, gave me a visceral feeling of how things look on the ground (and at sea). “We are deeply concerned about the US long-term commitment in the region, starting with troops in South Korea – especially in the face of China and their determined military expansion,” a senior Japanese official told me.
The constant refrain was simple: The West is becoming a less reliable partner. These allies are dismayed by a U.S. administration that has repeatedly criticized its closest partners and accused them of freeloading on defense. They are also worried about weakness and distraction of a Europe facing Brexit. This is compounded as they watch China increase pressure on Taiwan to accept a “one nation, two systems” deal a la Hong Kong and militarize the South China Sea by constructing artificial islands.
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WNU Editor: This should surprise no one. China wants to be a major power on the world scene, and they will need bases around the world to do so.
20 comments:
There will be a point which is reached that China will have to face reality. Again, no way does the West (US) allow China to control the global transit system!! You can take that to the bank.
China seems very well aware of reality. Thus far, I see no nation challenging these island moves
James Stavridis isn't he the retire USN Admiral making the rounds criticizing Trump every time he gets on the soap box? I believe he is.
Yet Japan is working extremely close to Trump on defense acquisitions involving F-35's, Standard ABM missile and Okinawa buildup. Doesn't sound like they are doubting Trump's commitments. As for South Korea they seem delighted that Trump and Kim are negotiating instead of threatening to unleash atomic hell on one another.
The real issue here is Trump upsetting status quo on trade. South Korea and Japan grew fat on easy access to US markets while the US defended them. Trump wants adjustments. We'll see how that goes. Europe on the other hand is now a sideshow for the US, anyone can see why Trump wants distance from them and their lack of interest to defend themselves. If anything Trump's conduct shows the US is determined to maintain its Pacific standing by redirecting resources from Europe to Asia.
China is a Fascist state which is behaving very similar to Nazi Germany some 80 years ago. Superior-minded and authoritarian. Imprisoning tens of thousands of its own citizens in "reeducation camps". Belligerent and expansive with no other cultural allies. The only way China can expand is by coercion or force. Eventually it will require force to stop them.
THis is nonsense, including every one of the comments above.
Nobody has more troops outside of their own borders than the US does. And don't believe the propaganda that the US military is a stabilizing factor. Look at the MIddle East. There'd be no ISIS if the US had never invaded Iraq in the first place, and that happened because the Cheney/Bush administration invented fake intelligence to justify it all. The war party in Washington has never stopped lying since because nobody went to jail for that original crime. So, instead of making all kinds of accusations against China, shouldn't we Americans be engaged is some serious self examination?
Carl, you are ignorant on many things including ISIS predating the US in Iraq. ISIS was AQ before it became ISIS and existed long before the USA invaded. AQ was active in Iraq for as long as AQ existed. With the Iraq invasion, by 2010 or so, AQ was driven out of Iraq into hiding in Syria where it morphed into ISIS. With the American withdrawal from Iraq, that was when ISIS became the threat that it was and now isn't.
Second the US does have significant military abroad, nearly all those troops are by invitation of the host governments. Japan, South Korea and Germany make up the vast majority of deployed troops. None of those countries want US troops gone and in fact would be terrified if the US troops left.
Carl needs to remember that we went through eight years of deep self examination and self loathing from '09 to '17. Apology tours and economic give-aways to any adversary. And daily reminders of how awful the USA is for exactly the tired reasons he states above.
One year post 9/11 there was no way Saddam Hussein or his sons Uday/Kusay could be allowed to remain in regime. Re: the "Fake" intel on WMD, I'd remind Carl of the Iran/Iraq war. And the Iraqi city of Halabja.
Without US military invasions of Europe and Asia in the '40's, there'd be no Western Civilization. Without the US military build up in the 80's there'd still be a USSR.
The US Military will also be needed to stop Communist China.
So thank the US military for the opportunity to naval gaze and argue those points on a credit-free forum.
RussinSoCal
You will have to excuse the many innocent people of Iraq II who died needlessly in a criminal war against a country, a people who had done nothing against America, if they don't salute the flag. There are several other countries and dead people.
In fact, there is precious little that America has done over the entirety of its existence that they can really be proud of. From the genocide of the native Americans... to the enslavement of black people... to meddling (warring) in the economic and political affairs of third world countries that didn't embrace capitalism... to 9/11 (obviously an inside job...) ... to Vietnam, Iraq I and Afghanistan and this current perpetual "war on terror"... and at home, to these mass murders that occur with regularity and the politicians' cowardice when it comes to doing something about them... to letting tens of thousands of people go bankrupt over healthcare expenses, die every year for a lack of health care... to massive poverty and homelessness... to a crumbling infrastructure... to privatizing prisons and schools... to its refusal to do anything about climate change... to this oligarchy that now has the country by the balls and it is only going to get worse for at least the next three years.
Oh yeah and keep in mind that America created the Atomic Bomb and demonstrated its power on two cities populated by civilians of an already defeated country. Two cities of no war value whatsoever. A bombing capability that is just waiting for some asshole like the current President of the country to end life on Earth.
Dr. King once said, "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice." But that is one of the few things he got wrong. The country is in even worse shape today, fifty years later, in EVERY way, than it was in the 1960s. And things are not exactly looking rosy for the near future.
By the way on Halabja, was that a threat?
https://libcom.org/history/1988-the-halabja-massacre
Dear Mr. Huntley,
Your complaints too often ignore the historical reality that surrounds many of those complaints. Regardless, I wish you could spread your message more effectively to all those seeking to live here so that we here in the US would not have so many trying to get into America. Border fencing and other means of control are expensive methods of controlling one's borders.
While one could agree to some extent with some of your complaints, myself included, I suggest you not try to make a living writing history books. And if reincarnation is a fact, please don't emulate the late O.B.Lauden and sleep through history class your second time around.
Bob Huntley
Thanks for that regurgitation of US Late Night talk show indoctrination. Kimmel, Cobert & Myers. With a little Samantha C. (I mean B). They've been informing the ignorant for years. High five you nailed it! And you believe every bit of it.
/and how in the heck is my reference to Halabja a threat?
WEAPONIZED,
AUTISM,
R,
I just listened to a veteran of the 1990s inspections recount all the WMDS that they Iraqi government did not declare. A lot of it is still out there.
Meanwhile you are spreading drek, because you rely on nothing but Leftist news.
“The media's the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that's power. Because they control the minds of the masses.”
― Malcolm X
“The media’s the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that’s power. Because they control the minds of the masses. The press is so powerful in its image-making role, it can make the criminal look like he’s a the victim and make the victim look like he’s the criminal. This is the press, an irresponsible press. It will make the criminal look like he’s the victim and make the victim look like he’s the criminal. If you aren’t careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed and loving the people who are doing the oppressing.
- Malcolm X
So the guy runs the numbers on what was declared, what they found, what they were told by and what they never found.
But hey Robert, you keep believing you are the smartest guy in the room and the most informed.
If those who do not appreciate my comments and disagree with what I have posted would like to provide some serious rebuttal on all or any one thing, I am sincerely open to changing my impression of the history of the USA.
Anon
I have to agree with you on the WMD comment. Personally while the US had absolutely no justification in creating the criminal Iraq War II WMDs or not, I believe there were probably still WMDs in Iraq that were given to them by the US military, chemicals that is, to be used in their war against Iran and of course the Kurds.
People do provide serious rebuttal to you. You ignore and blunder on.
That is when you are not outright lying.
"I believe there were probably still WMDs in Iraq that were given to them by the US military"
So the US Military is designing SCUD missiles now? You are full of it.
Anon
Taking comments out of context. When your only rebuttal is misrepresentation, deflection, denial and insult, you show yourself to be a poster with a mission and it isn't to make intelligent commentary, or, response, it is something else. Why are you posting on this site if you have nothing conkrete to add?
You're the one arguing with Feldhake and others and telling them that you are the brightest if only they would see how bright you are.
Misrepresentation on your side.
You are what we say 'bent'. How did you get to be such a sick, twisted due?
The right wing deplorable love invective and eschew facts
Just like trump
Says the non-STEM major, who believes everything his shaman says.
Now the guy believes in men calling themselves women to be able to participate in women's sports.
Ah well, there was no brains to begin with
Iraq broke an armistice. An armistice is a temporary cessation of hostilities.
ar·mi·sticeDictionary result for armistice
/ˈärməstəs/Submit
noun
an agreement made by opposing sides in a war to stop fighting for a certain time; a truce.
I personally know a weapons inspector. There is still shit that they did not officially declare buried in the desert..
So all I am hearing from a certain dweeb is Monday morning quarterbacking from someone, who knows squat professionally and if they were a beta male it would be a big step up.
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