The Pentagon has raised the alarm on China’s military expansion. It claims that China has some 700 short range missiles aimed at Taiwan, which are increased by 100 a year. The Pentagon's report also asserted that China will deploy long range ballistic versions, which are capable of carrying N-warheads that could hit anyone on the globe
The Pentagon is not happy with China's military build-up as it puts regional balances at risk. It avers that China does not face a threat from any other nation therefore there is no reason for China to invest heavily in its military.
No threat? Isn't there a country called the USA who claims it has the right to conduct preemptive strikes on anyone it doesn't like?
Ever since the Bush Administration showed its arrogant hand in the way it invaded and occupied sovereign nations, bombed a couple, and threatened others with wars of preemption, the world fears the USA.
The USA is in fact a threat to many countries including China. Nelson Manadala called the USA the most dangerous nation in the world. Look around and see who have suffered from its military?
The USA wants to contain China, purely for its own interests as it intends to retain its current sole superpower status and preeminent military position. China considers the USA its biggest threat and has no intention of being contained as the Americans had tried to do during the Cold War.
That explains the wooing of India and Vietnam by both to pre-empt each others strategic manoeuvrings. India and Vietnam will benefit from both sides by walking the narrow path in between – and why not! Even Russia which had originally been prepared to walk a less militarily prominent path has now re-embarked on a military program to regain its military capability a la its old USSR days, to counter the American menace.
That also explains why China in concert with Russia have promoted the Shanghai Cooperative Organisation (SCO) as a bloc to neutralize American aspirations and presence in the Central Asian region.
The Pentagon claims China’s military modernisation is aimed at winning a war with Taiwan. Let me correct the Pentagon’s disingenuous assessment. Though China has no plans to invade or seize Taiwan by force (and why should it when it is enjoying an economic boom, and the world recognises that Taiwan is an intrinsic part of China), it intends not to lose in any confrontation over Taiwan, even and especially if the USA intervenes.
Its military development and expansion are planned to intimidate the USA with the message that it will punish the Americans severely if the latter intervenes for any Taiwanese self proclaimed breakaway. For example, if Taiwan declares its independence, and the US Seventh Fleet moves in, regardless of what carrier force the Americans dispatches, China with a thousand over short range missiles will strike. It doesn’t have to physically invade Taiwan. All it needs to do is to interdict the Island.
Recently a Chinese general has sounded the war cry of a possible nuclear war if the USA dares to interfere over Taiwan. The reality is Chinese generals don't make independent talk without approval by political leaders. The Chinese has virtually conveyed the message directly to Washington that, as far as the Taiwan issue is concerned, China will go to any extent to win, or drag everyone down together with her.
The Taiwan issue is just as important to China as Tibet, because if it doesn’t do anything, (1) its inaction may give ideas to its “difficult” north-west regions, and (2) it may encourage hostile forces to surround her.
It is significant that the report is by the Pentagon and not the State Department. The Pentagon may want to use this report as justification for its own military expansion, or just test the Chinese "waters".
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