Friday, May 25, 2012

Double Dealing over the Taiwan Question?

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What is the US' aim behind arms sales to Taiwan?

By Wang Xinjun (People's Daily Overseas Edition)

08:25, May 24, 2012

Edited and Translated by People's Daily Online

At a time when the China-U.S. defense ministers just reached a four-point consensus and people are full of hope to the new stage of the military relations between the two countries, the U.S. Department of Defense submitted its annual report on China's military and security developments on May 18, 2012, again clamoring the "China military threat."

On the same day, the U.S. House of Representatives voted through an act, approving selling at least 66 F-16C/D fighters to help it to resist the so-called "military threat from Chinese mainland." This shows that in order to make an excuse for arms sales to Taiwan and other military measures, the report turned a blind eye to the development and progress of cross-Strait relations in recent years but emphasized the so-called "cross-Strait military imbalance."

People still clearly remembered the first two points of the four-point consensus signed by China-U.S. defense ministers. First, both the Chinese and U.S. militaries are committed to develop a healthy, stable and reliable military relationship under the framework of mutual respect, mutual benefit and win-win partnership. Second, continue to strengthen the strategic communication between the two defense departments and the two armies, enhance the strategic mutual trust through dialogue and consultation and properly handle differences and sensitive issues.

However, how does the United States "respect" its partner and "properly handle" differences and sensitive issues?

The U.S. strategists know exactly that the cross-Strait relationship is the core interests of China and the most sensitive issue in China-U.S. relations. Therefore, it has the most advantageous value to the United States on its strategy against China. The United States thinks that it can always grasp the initiative in the China-U.S. relations as long as it knows this point clearly. When handling the cross-Strait relations, the United States always keeps double-dealing and benefits from it, but the purpose and content are different at different times. In the past, Taiwan was "an unsinkable aircraft carrier" in the U.S. strategy against China and now it became a strategic pawn for the United States to set a new order in East Asia region.

What is the US’ aim behind arms sales to Taiwan? (2)

By Wang Xinjun (People's Daily Overseas Edition)

08:26, May 24, 2012

Obviously, the United States' arms sales to Taiwan are closely linked with its adjustment of military strategy and the actual political and economic conditions in the country.

Firstly, the eastward shift of the strategic focus urged the United States to redefine the military strategic value of Taiwan. At the beginning of 2012, the United States declared the eastward shift of its strategic focus with a great fanfare and redefined the strategic status and role of Taiwan. The United States will make use of Taiwan to carry out "joint interdiction action", thereby reducing the burden of the U.S. military operations, lowering the risk of intensification of the crisis and giving full play to the key role of Taiwan in the United States' strategic rebalance in Asia-Pacific region.

Secondly, prevent too close cross-Strait relations and avoid the failure of the United States on controlling the cross-Strait relations. Some U.S. strategists said that it is good for maintaining the status quo of the cross-Strait relations to regularly stir the sensitive nerve of the cross-Strait people whether the arms sales to Taiwan are successful or not.

Thirdly, maintain a hard line to China to serve the presidential election. As the U.S. presidential election draws near, it seems a tough image of president would win more votes. Especially when some domestic political or economic problems appeared, a tough image can always transfer the public attention.

In addition, arms sales to Taiwan also have economic benefits. It is estimated that sales of F-16 fighters can bring 17 billion U.S. dollars of economic benefits for the United States and secure 87,000 job opportunities. If the transaction is successful, it can also award marks for presidential campaign.

Both the United States and China know clearly the above intentions.

However, an old saying in China said that "a promise is weightier than one thousand bars of gold." Any party who violates the promise of committing to building healthy, stable, reliable and sustained military relations certainly will undermine the bilateral strategic mutual trust.

On the occasion of China-U.S. military relations becoming relaxed, the United States still suspects and throws mud at China, deliberately provokes the cross-Strait relations and seeks excuses for its arms sales to Taiwan. China will firmly oppose to these behaviors of the United States.

Friday, May 18, 2012

US - China military cooperation?

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China-US military ties advance

By Zhao Xiaozhuo (China Daily)

16:49, May 18, 2012

Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie paid a six-day visit to the United States last week. It was the first visit by a Chinese defense minister in nine years and also the first high-level military exchange since bilateral military ties were disrupted by the US' planned arms sale to Taiwan last year.

Four consensuses have been reached between Liang and his US counterpart Leon Panetta on further developing military ties and strengthening pragmatic communication and cooperation, demonstrating the general direction of the bilateral military ties is now toward stability, mutual trust and cooperation. The joint statement indicates that the US may refrain itself from harming China's core interests, and China will also try to avoid breaking military ties as revenge.

China-US military ties have not only been disrupted by the US' arms sales to Taiwan over the past 20-odd years, but also by the bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade in 1999, and the collision between a US reconnaissance plane and a Chinese fighter near China's coast that killed the Chinese pilot in 2001.

But the fundamental underlying reason for the ups and downs in Sino-US military relations is the lack of strategic mutual trust, which arises from their historical grudge against each other and long-standing differences in social institutions. Insufficient strategic mutual trust has impeded the progress of the military relationship, which, in turn, prevents both countries from building and furthering their mutual trust. The bilateral military relationship thus keeps going through a repeat cycle of souring, stagnation, resumption and development.

The two defense chiefs have agreed that the two sides should try and break this cycle. However, whether they can succeed largely depends on whether the US eliminates the three major barriers in the way of their military relationship, namely US arms sales to Taiwan, the close-in surveillance activities in airspace and waters around China and the discriminatory restrictions set by the 2000 National Defense Authorization Act and the Delay Amendment on China-US military exchanges.

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China-US military ties advance (2)

By Zhao Xiaozhuo (China Daily)

16:50, May 18, 2012

Non-traditional security threats have become of increasing concern in recent years, posing a real and urgent need for China and the US to cooperate on the security front. According to the third and fourth consensuses reached between Liang and Panetta, both countries agree to enhance exchanges and cooperation in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief and other fields and to conduct joint humanitarian relief and mitigation, and anti-piracy exercises this year. The expanding and deepening military cooperation will facilitate their strategic mutual trust, forging conditions necessary for solving bilateral differences and sensitive issues.

The Pentagon unveiled a new military guidance entitled "Sustaining US Global Leadership: Priorities for 21st Century Defense" earlier this year, ushering in a new round of military contraction and a rebalancing toward the Asia-Pacific region. As it is returning to the region, the US is more aware of China's military modernization and is concerned that it will challenge its military dominance in the region. Meanwhile, China's belief that the US is pursuing a containment policy has been reinforced by the US enhancing its military ties with its Asian allies and the Air-Sea Battle operational concept signed into effect last year.

Nonetheless, China and the US are not necessarily at daggers drawn, especially as a more optimistic view on their relations has become the conventional wisdom in Beijing and Washington. Following on from Chinese President Hu Jintao's call for the two countries to build a new type of relationship between big powers, Liang said during his visit that China and the US should make efforts to establish a new type of military relationship that stresses mutual benefit and win-win cooperation.

For his part, Panetta said the US supports the idea of building ties between the two militaries that are future oriented and the two sides should step up their cooperation to confront common security threats and challenges together.

Liang's visit to the US has clearly been very fruitful, and we have good reason to remain optimistic for the future of the China-US military relationship.

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

India's missile threat

India Nuclear Missile Test: Agni-V Missile Has Capability To Hit Chinese Cities

By RAVI NESSMAN 04/18/12 09:07 AM ET

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NEW DELHI — India is planning to test launch a new nuclear missile that for the first time would give it the capability of hitting the major Chinese cities of Beijing and Shanghai.
The government has hailed the Agni-V missile, with a range of 5,000 kilometers (3,100 miles), as a major boost to its efforts to counter China's regional dominance and become an Asian power in its own right. The test launch was expected to come as early as Wednesday evening.
"It will be a quantum leap in India's strategic capability," said Ravi Gupta, spokesman for India's Defense Research and Development Organization, which built the missile.
China is far ahead of India in the missile race, with intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching anywhere in the country. Currently, the longest-range Indian missile, the Agni-III, has a range of only 3,500 kilometers (2,100 miles) and falls short of many major Chinese cities.
India and China fought a war in 1962 and continue to nurse a border dispute. India has also been suspicious of Beijing's efforts to increase its influence in the Indian Ocean in recent years.
"While China doesn't really consider India any kind of a threat or any kind of a rival, India definitely doesn't think in the same way," said Rahul Bedi, a defense analyst in New Delhi.
India already has the capability of hitting anywhere inside archrival Pakistan, but has engaged in a splurge of defense spending in recent years to counter the perceived Chinese threat.
The Indian navy took command of a Russian nuclear submarine earlier this year, and India is expected to take delivery of a retrofitted Soviet-built aircraft carrier soon.
The new Agni, named for the Hindi word for fire, is part of this military buildup and was designed to hit deep inside China, Bedi said.

Government officials said the missile should not be seen as a threat.
"We have a declared no-first-use policy, and all our missile systems, they are not country specific. There is no threat to anybody," Gupta said. "Our missile systems are purely for deterrence and to meet our security needs."
The launch window for the missile test, which is being conducted on Wheeler Island off India's east coast, opened Wednesday evening and closes Friday, Gupta said.
The Agni-V is a solid-fuel, three-stage missile designed to carry a 1.5-ton nuclear warhead. It stands 17.5 meters (57 feet) tall, has a launch weight of 50 tons and was built at a reported cost of 25 billion rupees ($486 million). It can be moved across the country by road or rail.
"Agni-V is a game-changer and a technological marvel," V.K. Saraswat, scientific adviser to the defense minister, was quoted as telling The Hindu newspaper.
The missile could also be used to carry multiple warheads or to launch satellites into orbit.
The planned test comes days after North Korea's failed long-range rocket launch. North Korea said the rocket was launched to put a satellite into space, but the U.S. and other countries said it was a cover for testing long-range missile technology.
The U.S. Embassy had no immediate comment on India's scheduled test. One Delhi-based Western diplomat dismissed comparisons with the international condemnation of North Korea's launch, saying that Pyongyang was violating U.N. Security Council resolutions requiring it to suspend its missile program, while India is not considered a global threat. The diplomat spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment on India's security affairs.
Even if India's test is deemed a success, the missile will need four or five more trials before it can be inducted into India's arsenal at some point in 2014 or 2015, Bedi said.
Some reports characterized the Agni-V as an intercontinental ballistic missile – which would make India one of the few countries to have that capability – but Gupta and analysts said its range fell short of that category.
India has no need for such sophisticated weapons, said Rajaram Nagappa, a missile expert and the head of the International Strategic and Security Studies Program at the National Institute of Advanced Studies in Bangalore.
"I don't think our threat perceptions are anything beyond this region," he said.

Earlier on HuffPost:

Monday, April 9, 2012

China's New Missiles

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People's Daily Online>>China Military

China makes breakthrough in terminal-sensitive projectile

(People's Daily Online)

15:01, April 09, 2012

The photo shows the launch of terminal-sensitive projectile of China. (PLA Daily/ Ma Yufei)

Edited and translated by Yao Chun, People's Daily Online

China has made breakthrough in the development of terminal-sensitive projectiles. At present China has established a system for the design, analysis, imitation, test and evaluation of terminal sensitive projectiles.

Terminal-sensitive projectile is also called sensor-detonated projectile. The intelligent shell can detect the targets and turn the warhead toward them when it explodes, said Wang Huaijun, director at a weapon test center.

Terminal-sensitive projectile is a kind of cluster bomb which contains a large number of smaller bombs and is very disruptive. It can be launched by cannons, long-range rockets or aircraft, and can automatically detect and recognize the targets and make accurate attacks, though it cannot continuously track the targets.

Known as a promising anti-tank weapon, terminal-sensitive projectile is characterized by its large attack range, high accuracy and outstanding damage effect. Besides, it is very economic thanks to its simple structure.

The terminal-sensitive projectile has a good operational performance and is finalized after it approving a series of tests on high and low temperature storage, firing range and accuracy carried out by the weapon test center during one year, said the director.

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