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Growing military buildup, spying in China: Pentagon
Reuters ^ | Fri May 18, 2012 1:33pm EDT | (Reporting by Phil Stewart and Paul Eckert; Editing by Jackie Frank)

Posted on 05/18/2012 10:42:34 AM PDT by Olog-hai

The Pentagon said on Friday it believes China spent up to $180 billion on its military buildup last year, a far higher figure than acknowledged by Beijing, and it accused "Chinese actors" of being the world's biggest perpetrators of economic espionage.

The Pentagon, in its annual assessment to Congress of China's military, flagged sustained investment last year in advanced missile technologies and cyberwarfare capabilities and warned that Chinese spying threatened America's economic security.

"Chinese actors are the world's most active and persistent perpetrators of economic espionage," the report said.

"Chinese attempts to collect U.S. technological and economic information will continue at a high level and will represent a growing and persistent threat to U.S. economic security."

The report was the first by the Pentagon since President Barack Obama last year launched a policy "pivot" to reinforce U.S. influence across the Asia-Pacific, even as planned belt-tightening shrinks the size of the U.S. military in many other parts of the world.

That pivot has fanned unease in China, with some PLA officers calling it an effort to fence in their country and frustrate Beijing's territorial claims.

China has advertised its long-term military ambitions with shows of new hardware, including its first test flight of a stealth fighter jet in early 2011 and its August launch of a fledgling aircraft carrier—a refitted former Soviet craft. …

China announced in March that 2012 outlays on the People's Liberation Army will reach 670.3 billion yuan for 2012 (about $106 billion), an 11.2 percent increase over 2011. …

The Pentagon suggested that China's 2011 figure was an underestimate, noting "poor accounting transparency and China's still incomplete transition from a command economy." The official Chinese figure, the Pentagon said, did not include things like foreign procurement as well as other major categories of expenditure.

(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: china; communism; espionage; military

1 posted on 05/18/2012 10:42:43 AM PDT by Olog-hai
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To: Olog-hai

Like anything else in our country. If they wanted to handle the problem, they would. If they can’t handle it, leave it to someone that can.


2 posted on 05/18/2012 10:45:03 AM PDT by RC2 (Buy American and support the Wounded Warrior Project whenever possible.)
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To: Olog-hai

I’ve seen a few Chinese movies. Here’s the range of a Chinese actor’s talent - “Oh, I’m surprised!”......”This is my determined and pissed-off look”.......”I’m floating over the trees!”....nope, I don’t believe Chinese actors did this....maybe Chinese spies.....


3 posted on 05/18/2012 11:18:26 AM PDT by blueunicorn6 ("A crack shot and a good dancer")
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To: Olog-hai

They should just do what they always do. Ask the sitting dim president for it, no fuss no muss.


4 posted on 05/18/2012 11:23:32 AM PDT by Iron head mike (The government will soon make criminals of us all.)
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To: blueunicorn6

Heh. JFTR, when the Pentagon says “actors”, they most likely don’t mean thespians (e.g. terms like “violent non-state actors” to refer to militias, warlords and terrorists) . . .


5 posted on 05/18/2012 11:28:02 AM PDT by Olog-hai
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To: Olog-hai

Well, it doesn’t surprise me that the pentagon doesn’t know what an actor is. Take any four-star out of there and ask, “Name an actor?” Here’s the replies you’ll get.....

“Orange”
“My cat Whiskers.”
“33 miles per gallon”
“There I was on his six”
“Who wants to buy my book?”
“I can do a mile in five minutes.”
“Snoopy?”
“Any four star. We all act like we know something when we don’t.”


6 posted on 05/18/2012 12:29:09 PM PDT by blueunicorn6 ("A crack shot and a good dancer")
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To: Olog-hai

7 posted on 05/18/2012 1:39:06 PM PDT by sten (fighting tyranny never goes out of style)
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To: Olog-hai

I’ll bet that $180 billion buys a lot more weapons in China than it would in the USA.


8 posted on 05/18/2012 11:02:23 PM PDT by clearcarbon
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