Air China

Campus Report ^ | June 23, 2008 | Rachel Paulk

[bs9021]

Air China

by: Rachel Paulk, June 23, 2008

China has long been on the horizon as the U.S.’s hegemonic upset in East Asia, both economically and militarily. Indeed, foreign policy experts have extended arguments over how the U.S. should approach China—as our biggest ally, or our biggest enemy? The recent military development within the People’s Republic of China (PRC) illuminates the Chinese understanding of the friend/foe dichotomy, and indicates their future goals towards Asian supremacy.

Militarists tout aircraft carriers as the next step in China’s development into America’s worst nightmare. The U.S. owns and operates about eleven aircraft carriers, multi-billion dollar investments that ensure significant American muscle in foreign seas by guaranteeing extended American aviation capabilities. Were the Chinese to develop their own aircraft carriers, they would then be capable of maintaining a substantial military presence in the deep seas currently under American control. This would prove troublesome to the bipolar dynamic of the U.S.-China relationship.

Ron O’ Rourke, naval analyst for the Congressional Research Service, wrote the following in his report, “China Naval Modernization: Implications for U.S. Navy Capabilities- Background and Issues for Congress”:

“The issue of whether and when China might deploy one or more aircraft carriers, and what the design and capabilities of Chinese aircraft carriers might be, has been a topic of discussion among observers for the last several years. Developments since mid-2005 have suggested to some observers that China now intends to complete the unfinished ex-Russian carrier Varyag, which China purchased from Russia several years ago, and place it into service in the near future, possibly as an aviation training ship.”...

[steel_resolve]

NOT GUILTY!

[Raymann]

China isn’t an ally and won’t be as long as it stays Communist but the fact remains that we both have way too much to lose should we go to war. Taiwan isn’t worth it and propping up North Korea isn’t worth it.

China was an international pariah for so long that they really have no external threats against it. They want a blue water, power projecting fleet for the sole purpose of protecting their economic influence around the world.

That’s not to say I’m not worried, I am but I’m also a realist. If china wants to start building carriers then they will and it simply isn’t worth it for us to stop them. We need to fight them in other way: try to limit any foreign bases they might try to aquire, ally ourselves with surrounding nations to contain them. India, Japan, and Russia are the only nations in the area that can at least slow the Chinese down in case of war. Japan is already on our side, Russia is in the same boat we’re in except they’re trading military goods. India at the very least needs to be friendly toward us...they’re building a large navy as well and they have the same objectives as China. The US is two far away from them to be a serious threat so it’s logical that they’ll want to ally with us.

In any event, the South China Sea is going to be a very interesting place in a few years.

[PGR88]

China may possibly seek to buy or somehow jointly build 1-2 carriers, not to directly confront the USA, but to project same power to small nations of SE Asia and even possibly India.

They won’t seek to go toe-to-toe with the US Navy. They will instead seek “cheaper” ways to nuetralize US Carriers - especially closer to Chinese waters: anti-ship missiles, cruise missiles, submarines, electronic warfare.

[steel_resolve]

I agree with everything you say, but that chick is still hot.