Taiwan the latest victim of Free Trade politics

[LJ_Reloaded]

Now China can bully the U.S. into not selling F16s to Taiwan.

http://news.yahoo.com/us-no-taiwan-arms-seen-sign-china-clout-111014713.html

US 'no' on Taiwan arms seen as sign of China clout
By PETER ENAV - Associated Press | AP – 2 hrs 43 mins ago

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — A U.S. decision not to sell Taiwan new F-16 fighter jets is being seen by many U.S. allies in Asia as a sign of China's growing clout.

The pre-eminent military power in East Asia for a half-century, the U.S. has explicitly and implicitly provided a security umbrella for countries from Singapore to Japan, helping to keep the peace that has fostered stunning economic growth.

While few of these allies believe the U.S. is lessening its commitment to the region, they still see Washington's refusal to make the F-16 sale — privately confirmed by congressional aides Sunday and then made public Wednesday — as showing a new deference to Chinese interests.

China is a "big factor ... that can't be discounted," Philippine Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin told The Associated Press. "All things are always considered in a decision and China is a world player now."

The top U.S. diplomat for East Asia, Kurt Campbell, publicly confirmed in New York on Wednesday that the Obama administration will upgrade Taiwan's existing fleet of F-16s, postponing for now the sale of new models that Taipei sought. The decision brought a swift, angry denunciation from Beijing, where Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Zhijun summoned U.S. Ambassador Gary Locke to warn that exchanges between the militaries, security cooperation and overall ties will suffer.

After reducing its footprint in East Asia during the administration of President George W. Bush, the U.S. began pushing back in last year. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton offered strong support to Asian allies in response to their unease about a more assertive Chinese naval posture in the South China Sea, and the U.S. military conducted high-profile drills with Japan and South Korea.

 

[JackLuis]

Now China has their first aircraft carrier. Just a little ex-Russian Jump Jet one, but the first the Chinese Navy has ever deployed.

Terror in the South China Sea!

 

[Spacefender]

LT won't see this but on this I agree with him.

http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/...itories/china/territorial-disputes/index.html

Tensions over those conflicts rose sharply in the late summer of 2010, complicating China’s attempts to present the country’s rise as a boon for the whole region. The disputes have also handed the United States an opportunity to reassert itself — one the Obama administration has been keen to take advantage of, potentially creating wedges between China and its neighbors.

Yeah, I think it'd be hard to find too many people in that region outside of China and North Korea who view China as a "boon to the region". I also love the "creating wedges between China and its neighbors". Looks like China is plenty good at creating wedges all on its own.

http://www.china-briefing.com/news/...n-the-south-china-sea-and-east-china-sea.html

International relations expert Joseph Nye also said in December last year that the region was “very much scared about China,” which in turn makes a continued U.S. presence more reassuring for neighboring countries.

So in effect, China is rehabilitating America's image in that region of the world. Thanks, China.


My inclination would have been to tell China to go fuck itself and sell Taiwan whatever it wants. Probably the wrong reaction to have but that's what I would have done.

 

[mercury14]

Now China has their first aircraft carrier. Just a little ex-Russian Jump Jet one, but the first the Chinese Navy has ever deployed.

Terror in the South China Sea!

Pretty sure we could sink it from Arkansas.

 

[LJ_Reloaded]

Pretty sure we could sink it from Arkansas.

For now. Years ago I said on here that China was modernizing. Then after that they put a man in space, now they have an aircraft carrier.

These things always start small.