Why does everyone think China is such a military and nuclear threat?

I heard they got underground sub bases in caves,they are going out the roof besides america in military spending,this whole deal with taiwan.Why people are saying China is the new Soviet Union in comparison?

[edit on 17-5-2008 by alienstar]

Because someone's gotta be the number two.

The "China threat" is being hyped because the military-industrial complex is a very hungry tumor on the American body politic, and needs to be constantly fed with an ever increasing number of tax dollars.

Thus we're constantly bombarded with fear propaganda in order to scare up more money to feed it.

China is a "threat" only in the sense that it is becoming marginally able to defend itself from the US. And our stated policy is that no nation should be allowed to reach military parity with us - even on their own territory.

reply to post by xmotex


I could not have said that better myself - have a star!

Insecurity; the need for a threat to arise at any moment; a new 'red under the bed'; keeps certain people on their toes.

The day America does not have a true enemy - it will simply create one!!!

Brei.

Because they are a bunch of damn Commies!
I hate Socialism and Communism.
I hate their system of Government.

Check out what China has been doing militarily:

SinoDefense.com

I've been watching China since the mid-90s. They have been busy. They really want Taiwan back. So, they have been preparing to meet any one who would try and stop them -- US & Japan.

reply to post by guppy


Yes, I agree. I'm expecting a war withing the next 20 years with Taiwan, altough I don't think it'll go nuclear, and the US will largely back off. It'll be up to Japan and S. Korea, but trust me, it's gonna get messy.

We all have to remember that:

A.) They have the worlds largest armed forces. (Altough poorly equiped)
B.) China is Socialist (Competing ideals with the west)
C.) They aren't afraid to use their military (Case in point, Tiananmen Square)
D.) Their surrounded by enemy countries (N. Korea being the only exception. It's been at war with all it's other neighbours.)

The whole mix makes for a very volitile situation.

Double Post

[edit on 21-5-2008 by hpsfl]

The whole Taiwan thing is just a smoke screen anyhow. In the last elections they voted out the party in favour of full independance for the pro China party.

Sounds like yet more propaganda being believed if you think Taiwan will be a flash point.

reply to post by Ford Farmer


I can't believe that some people still hold yesterday's negative values true today.

Ignorance personified.

The Chinese hold authority, family and respect close to their hearts and minds. That is their culture - their ethos and values.

Not so different from America? - only the material things seem to get in the way of this and that creates a false society. You know, there are lots of people who hate America because it has little or no values - especially in relation to other countries. Otherwise, it would be a great country.

Edit: Ps. how did you become a Writer / Scholar with a statement like that???

Brei.





[edit on 21-5-2008 by Breifne]

reply to post by hpsfl


Yes, I do question if US would actually "invest" in a conflict over Taiwan. Its probably less than 50%. If China decides to implement their Dragon's Lair strategy, then US might get involved. But, the Dragon's Lair strategy is a crazy gamble that can involve more countries than China is willing to face off against.

This is China's anti-U.S. sucker punch strategy.
It's designed to strike America's military suddenly, stunning and stalling the Air Force more than any other service. In a script written by Chinese military officers and defense analysts, a bruised U.S. military, beholden to a sheepish American public, puts up a small fight before slinking off to avoid full-on war.

Source: Dragon's Lair

reply to post by Shere Khaan


History tends to repeat itself.

Don't forget. Both Russia and China met to talk about the US-Iran situation. They both agreed that US should no longer be the only superpower. Perhaps Taiwan may not be the flash point. But I'm sure we can find many plausible scenarios that will turn into a flash point.

In the near future, I see EU being another major player. They have been ramping their own military forces -- separate from member countries military forces and under the EU direction. EU has also stepped up its role in World Policing. Keep a sharp eye on EU, too.


[edit on 22-5-2008 by guppy]

You are assuming that the EU will come with a unified force able to fight solely for EU matters. The British would happily be gone with Europe and the idea of the British Army fighting under the blue flag for a Brussels (non face) is laughable at best.

Europe will make a unified force but Britain will stand with America before France and Germany.

Russia is not next years black, they will never be able to field the armies needed to beat NATO. Those days are gone.

China is not the monster they are portrayed has in geopolitical terms. I’d rather have America, China and India competing than that ex KGB nutter in Moscow joining the fray.

We all have to remember that:

A.) They have the worlds largest armed forces. (Altough poorly equiped)
cause we have one fifths of the world's population,but we dont have one fifths of the world's army,much much less than that proportion,and the army's stucture and strategy is defensive.

B.) China is Socialist (Competing ideals with the west)
just in name of socialism,come to china you will see what kind of the"socialism thi is.it is a market oriented economy and the fastest growing one in the world,people and country benifited a lot from the unique system in last 2-3 decades .

C.) They aren't afraid to use their military (Case in point, Tiananmen Square)
i was there in the square that time,and i would say any government would do the same in that situation,otherwise the whole nation would fall anarchy and china would be dragging back to warlords period little less than 100 years ago,people here generally love peace and unity of the nation.dont like to see the turmoil happened in east europe one year after the tiananmen incident,many years passed and now more and more people believe that was
a must to restore peace and order that gives us the present prosperity in china.(although a little bit heavy handed,i personally believe)

D.) Their surrounded by enemy countries (N. Korea being the only exception. It's been at war with all it's other neighbours.)
i dont see we are surrounded by enemies.all the neigbouring countris have very good relationship with china,and i travelled to some,they are very friendly to china and chinese influence there is very strong,you can spend chinese money there.some argument doesnt mean we are enemis,just like small frictions bw us and mexico.

Originally posted by haidian

C.) They aren't afraid to use their military (Case in point, Tiananmen Square)
i was there in the square that time,and i would say any government would do the same in that situation,otherwise the whole nation would fall anarchy and china would be dragging back to warlords period little less than 100 years ago,

You weren't in the square then, no one who was there agrees with what the military amd military did.

i was born and grew up in beijing,i was there and some of my friends are there too,many of us agree on that.where were you at time?

i remember the morning on june 4,1989,after i got back home i even argued fiercely with my father ,i was really mad for what the government did.and the arguement travelled far,later my neigbours sometimes still mentioned that .but now,after nearly 2 decades,i admitted my father was right.a country's order and unity is more than anything else.and many chinese people came to the same conclusion years after that event.after witnessed what happened in east europe and recieved these much benifits throught the amazing ecomonical development.

reply to post by Infidel 101


Assuming EU will become a unified force? Yes and no. Its my opinion that it may happen in the near future (15 - 35 years). A lot can change within that timespan. Never say never.

People make predictions based on present data and trends. But only time will tell. Change can come drastic or slowly. The infamous day of 9/11/2001, changed the world drastically. On the polar opposite, people living at the end of WW2 probably would never have guessed Japan would turn into such an economic giant and ally of the US.

As for Russia, I agree with you. If you read my previous post, I believe Russia is just thumping their chests, like an attention-craving bully who got humiliated the previous day.

This is nothing but guess work we are doing here.

In my opinion, China is a Clear And Present Danger.

But, I do hope the world politics turns into Joss Whedon's Firefly series. Where US and China's cold war turned 180-degrees. Both countries became allies and brought a new era for Earth.

reply to post by haidian


Haidian, this might be an interesting article for you to read.

From the "Tiananmen Massacre" to the Lhasa Protests"

a very good article,i suggest all the people here read it.

reply to post by haidian

I don't see we are surrounded by enemies. All the neighbouring countries have very good relationship with China, and I traveled to some. They are very friendly to China and Chinese influence there is very strong. You can spend Chinese money there. Some argument doesn't mean we are enemies, just like small frictions by US and Mexico.

posted by Breifne
The Chinese hold authority, family and respect close to their hearts and minds. That is their culture - their ethos and values. Not so different from America? - only the material things seem to get in the way of this and that creates a false society. You know, there are lots of people who hate America because it has little or no values - especially in relation to other countries. Otherwise, it would be a great country. Edit: Ps. how did you become a Writer / Scholar with a statement like that? Brei.

I think you get to name yourself on ATS.

Why do we act like we do? Propaganda! Endless, ceaseless, pernicious, omnipresent, from 1949 until today. China - PRC - Cuba - Iran and now add Venezuela. On China, I doubt any American born after 1949 knows a teaspoonful about Taiwan and Formosa. On the USSR, we have shot ourselves in the foot there. But what’s new?

As long as the likes of the Dulles brothers - Wall Street Bankers - remain in power, the R&Fs care not a whit who is president. That’s sort of an honorary title anyway. Akin to the old radio show not Queen but King for a Day! The Dulles brothers were John Foster, Secretary of State and Allen W., Director of the CIA, under Eisenhower. The 3 of them hatched the Bay of Pigs “Liberation of Cuba” fiasco. The 3 of them sent the first 800 Army MAAG - Military Assistance and Advisor Group - to South Vietnam. So was Ike SMART or just LUCKY on June 6?

posted by Shere Khaan
The whole Taiwan thing is just a smoke screen anyhow. In the last elections they voted out the party in favour of full independence for the pro China party. Sounds like yet more propaganda being believed if you think Taiwan will be a flash point.

In a revolution beginning in 1911, Dr. Sun Yat Sen (and others) overthrew the Qing (Manchu) dynasty and established the Republic of China in 1912. The Kuomintang (KMT) Party was created to bring 300 million Chinese into the 20th century. Chiang Kai Shek was his successor both as head of the KMT and as Generalissimo of the Republic of China. General in Chief. (Akin to Bush43). He was never able to end the local violence and overpower the regional war lords. Mao Zedong drove the Nationalists - KMT - off the mainland in late 1949 where they became ensconced in Formosa.

Then we began to call it Taiwan because we did not want to be annoyed over the fate of the 3 million Formosans who already lived on the island. See Note 1. Say Hello Israel.

Today for example, I’m listening to History Channel and it has been WAR and WAR and more WAR all day. This is the primary meat of our national tv. War. The endless glorification of WAR! I can tell you I served 2 years in the Army National Guard and 6 years in the US Air Force in the 1949-1964 years. I was never subjected to such propaganda as ordinary Americans are today.

It’s basically super simple propaganda. I call it the Josef Goebbels Theory. “A big lie told often enough becomes the truth.” Christian - good, Muslim - bad. Peace - weak, WAR - strong.

More: We have 10 supercarriers, 2 under construction and 4 in early planning. Weapons - security, plow shears - danger! You don’t have to be at all smart to join in the hoopla. My comfort comes from 2004, where 50 million people rejected the Bush Doctrine. (OTOH, 53 million bought into it). So, to the world a warning - Watch Out!

Note 1.

Taiwan. Capital, Taipei.
An island 120 miles east of China. Population, 22,920,946, 2008. land area: 32,260 sq km (12,260 sq mi) includes the Pescadores, Matsu, and Quemoy islands.
Median age: 36 years (US: 36.7 years) Infant mortality: 5.45 deaths
(US total: 6.3 deaths)
Longevity: 77.76 years (US: 78.14 years)
GDP per person $29,800 (2007) (US $46,000 (2007)
unemployment rate 3.9% (2007) (US 4.6% (2007)
Below poverty level 0.95% (2007) (US 12% (2004)
Export partners: China 24%, Hong Kong 15%, US 13.4%, Japan 6.7% (2007)
US Export partners: Canada 22.2%, Mexico 12.9%, Japan 5.8%, China 5.3%, UK 4.4% (2006)
Import partners: Japan 21%, China 12.7%, US 12.2%, South Korea 7.1%, Saudi Arabia 4.6%.
US Imports partners Canada 16%, China 15.9%, Mexico 10.4%, Japan 7.9%, Germany 4.8% (2006) All from the
www.cia.gov...

[edit on 05/05/2008 by donwhite]