Posted on 02/07/2008 9:30:00 PM PST by fishhound
BEIJING: For a procession of senior U.S. military commanders who have visited China in recent years, the complaint has become almost routine.
As part of a sustained military buildup, they say, China is investing heavily in so-called area-denial weapons without explaining why it needs them.
The term area-denial weapons refers to a combination of armaments, technology and tactics that could be used to dominate a specific area or keep opposing forces at bay in a conflict. And one of the most formidable examples U.S. commanders identify is the Chinese Navy's rapidly expanding fleet of nuclear and conventional submarines.
"I would say that the U.S. feels a strong threat from Chinese submarines," said Andrei Chang, an expert on Chinese and Taiwan military forces and editor in chief of the magazine Kanwa Defence Review.
"China now has more submarines than Russia, and the speed they are building them is amazing," Chang said.
U.S. and other Western military analysts estimate that China now has more than 30 advanced and increasingly stealthy submarines, along with dozens of older, obsolete types. "China is capable of serial production of modern diesel-electric submarines and is moving forward with new nuclear submarines," the Pentagon said last year in its annual report on the Chinese military.
By the end of the decade, experts say, China will have more submarines than the United States, although it will still lag in overall capability.
(Excerpt) Read more at iht.com ...
“China is investing heavily in so-called area-denial weapons without explaining why it needs them”
Well if they told us the subs are for stopping US forces would we behave any differently?
I do think McCane just might look at China a little harsher.
They got a whole lota boats now!
(Maybe they build one and an hour later they want another?)
Any day now they'll be free and democratic. Sure glad the "free traders" did their magic. I'll wait right here and watch the news wires. I'll ping everyone when it happens. It could pass anytime now . . . .
Looks like the War On Terror might not be the only war we’ll be fighting. We better gear up for a confrontation with China, including upgrading the Navy and Marines and reinstituting the draft, if necessary.
I wonder if this has anything to do with the fact that the PRC views America as an enemy, while our leaders make that country rich and allow their intelligence services and corporations to buy and steal all of our advanced technology.
The democrats do nothing about this problem.
It is great thing that we have Republican leaders who are so strong and relibale on national security that they have adequately addressed the failures of our policy toward China.
We should also worry about how much of America’s steel and microchips are produced in China. One day we may find ourselves in a conflict in which our diminshed manufacturing capablility is unable to produce or obtain military hardware and software.
So if China offered an adequate explanation of why these were needed, it would be different??
WAKE UP!
China is *replacing* America.
In every way.
And our own corporate leaders, are helping. Selling them rope. And the factories, to make the rope.
(and buying Chinese stuff at Wal*Mart certainly doesn’t help)
Sleepy... Sleepy... Sleepy...
Uh, and I just wonder who cut the submarine internet cables to India, Pakistan and the Arab countries this past week? Egypt reported no boats in sight.
America will probably be finished self-destructing before the Chinese can push the proverbial button. Maybe Russia will be left to worry with these subs. Couldn’t happen to a nicer group.
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This is a medium to low volume pinglist.
To the HE toon gifts I would add: clearance for them to purchase Cray supercomputers to run the missile guiidance technology. I remember in the 94 (I think I got the year right) state of the union, Willie said there were no missiles aimed at the US. When he left office, China had 200 that could reach the left coast.
It's amazing that we can connect those dots but you'll never hear a peep out of the MSM or most members of our gov't.
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