China’s military budget has been increasing by leaps and bounds, the country’s arsenal, land attacks, cruise missiles, anti-ship cruise missiles, indigenous surface-to-air missiles, sophisticated carrier-killing ballistic missiles, attack submarine and Russian fighter bombers. They are going to build aircraft carriers, pilots are being trained to operate from the carriers.
The military buildup was prompted by China not being able to challenge our carriers during the Taiwan 1996 crisis, also China wants to stop us from intervening in its sphere of influence.
China needs oil so it is getting footholds in Burma, Sri Lanka and Pakistan, where they are constructing a deep-sea port near the entrance to the Persian Gulf. They also have people in Nigeria (West Africa) to counter us because we have set up an army command there comprising about 1,700 troops.
Because of China’s buildup, Australia is spending multimillions shoring up its Northern Sea defense. We are spending $15 billion to make Guam a military arsenal. It will consist of Marines, specials ops troops, berths for aircraft carriers, attack subs and hundreds of long-range bombers.
We still are a trade partner with China. It holds $800 billion of our debt. We do $409 billion with them annually. We’re contributing to their buildup.
We are on a slippery path with China and cannot afford to tell the Chinese how they should run their government. How this partnership will turn out, only time will tell.
One thing for sure, China has its eye on oil and the Pacific.
Clovis Steele
Joplin
