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Special Report - How China is replacing America as Asia's military titan
Reuters ^ | David Lague, Benjamin Kang Lim

Posted on 05/09/2019 10:25:04 AM PDT by Zhang Fei

Xi’s dramatic accumulation of power was unexpected. He took a low profile as he slowly worked his way up the Communist Party and state bureaucracy, according to multiple Chinese familiar with his early career.

His first job out of university in 1979 was serving in a junior post as a uniformed aide to General Geng Biao, then minister of defense. Xi’s official biography records this three-year posting as “active duty.” In this role, he had access to classified military documents, including files on the 1979 Chinese invasion of Vietnam, according to sources with ties to the leadership. He had to memorize hundreds of telephone numbers and was not allowed to rely on a telephone book, in case it was lost or stolen, they said.

He then began a series of provincial government and party postings. In these roles, his performance was relatively unremarkable.

And he was far from universally popular. He finished last in elections for alternate members of the party’s 200-strong Central Committee during the 15th Communist Party Congress in 1997.

This nondescript record appears to have worked in his favor. During his period as China’s paramount leader, President Jiang Zemin handpicked Xi for senior office because the younger man was perceived to lack ambition, according to sources with close ties to the Chinese leadership. Xi was also thought to be a pliable candidate because he lacked a power base, one source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

But as China’s top leader, he has shown a willingness to impose radical change at the top of the party, government and military.

“When I talk to my mainland friends, they all say he is a risk taker,” said Andrew Yang Nien-Dzu, former defense minister of Taiwan. “You never know what his next move will be.”

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


TOPICS: Extended News; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: china; maga; trump
What I found interesting about this article isn't so much the military stuff (6 carrier battle groups are suggested as China's goal for 2030), but the profile of Xi Jinping I've excerpted. It appears he got ahead by hiding his ambition until he got the top job, upon which he started going after the supporters of the people who elevated him to his position. The movie title Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is apparently an allusion to ambitious personalities who feign humility while flattering their superiors to advance their careers.
1 posted on 05/09/2019 10:25:04 AM PDT by Zhang Fei
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To: Zhang Fei

Just from sheer size China is a weight that can be confronted only with great difficulty. There are several countries most threatened by them, so job one is to get those countries to cooperate with one another diplomatically and militarily. And then provide them with the backing they need to stand their ground.

I have always said that war with China will be fought with bags of money under the table, and we’ll never know that it was waged and that we surrendered.

People like the Clintons, Obamas, Bushes, are China’s governors appointed to oversee their American provinces. Trump is the troublemaker who will have to be dealt with. Maybe they can just wait him out, or maybe they’ll have to count on their other minions to push him out.


2 posted on 05/09/2019 10:32:30 AM PDT by marron
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To: marron

Anyone that seriously thinks ^ is a dope.


3 posted on 05/09/2019 11:47:22 AM PDT by Phil DiBasquette
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To: marron

“I have always said that war with China will be fought with bags of money under the table”

Communist China is the number one force for corrupting politicians in the world today. It is their signature tactic, and they have been fantastically successful with it.

The book “Year of the Rat” clearly details how the communist Chinese bought off then President Clinton. As a result, they got admitted to the World Trade Organization with favorable status, open access to all our technology, and a massive download of our top secrets. They then totally revised their Military strategy and budgets, to precisely target what would best serve them in defeating us (encryption codes, cyber technology, missile and nuclear weapons design, anti-satellite weapons, carrier killers, etc.). American Leftists tutored them on how to defeat us, in great detail. They were really worth the money that the communists investing in bribing them.

The essence of the One Belt, One Road initiative, is buying off local politicians, to sell out their Countries, into debt traps set up to enrich the elites of the Chinese communist party.

“Bags of money under the table” has been the main weapon used in China’s rise.


4 posted on 05/09/2019 12:36:47 PM PDT by BeauBo
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To: Zhang Fei

Great post..!


5 posted on 05/09/2019 4:12:36 PM PDT by gaijin
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