Beijing Feeds the Hype
In the last few days, China has voiced its disapproval of the new Pentagon report evaluating China’s military. The comments have been about what you’d expect, along the lines of the Foreign Ministry spokesman that accused the Pentagon of a "Cold War mentality."
But that didn't stop Beijing from feeding the hype by unveiling an ambitious new program to “enhance its capability to innovate, develop and rapidly supply new-generation weaponry” on the same day it was criticizing the US for "continuing to peddle the so-called 'China threat.'"
The 15-year endeavor will include “new and high-technologies for the space industry, aviation, ship and marine engineering, nuclear energy and fuel, and information technology for both military and civilian purposes,” with a “focus on development of new and high-tech weaponry.”
The effort to develop new technologies may run up against China’s continuing difficulties with fraud in its scientific and R&D communities, although the government is also introducing initiatives to confront these problems.
In truth, the new military technology plan doesn’t appear to mark any actual departure from the trends the Pentagon report already noted – this is new PR and packaging, not new policy. But you’d think someone would realize that it’s difficult to protect your international image as a peaceful, stabilizing presence the same day you’re trying to instill national pride in your new, powerful, high-tech military. Maybe they should divert a few yuan to modernizing their media operation.
It’s actually been a rough couple of weeks for Chinese spokesmen addressing security relations with the US. Last week, they had to deal with a Taiwanese sales rep for Lockheed who pled guilty to spying for China and attempting to purchase US military technology for shipment to China. A few days later, they were criticizing a State Dept announcement that none of the Department’s thousands of new Lenovo computers would be used on classified networks, out of security concerns with the Chinese company’s systems. The FBI’s Chinese spy is still in the news as well.
So it looks to be a trend of hawks and pessimists steering the technology/security policies of both countries lately. Not to worry – our China policy remains as muddled as ever: In developments that are apparently completely unrelated, this month China (and the American Chamber of Commerce in China) asked the US to relax export controls of high-tech goods, and apparently that won’t be a problem.
-- Matthew Tompkins
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I lone Chinese food, women and Kung Fu movies But, China's One Child policy has made it a nation of male homosexuals. China must now invade and occupy Taiwan just for its women not to mention its economic infrastructure, skilled workers, fishing and oil rights, navy ports and military bases. The Taiwan Government keeps disrespecting the PRC and soon the PRC will stop taking it and will attack with a never before seen super blitzkrieg action which I call the J. Scenario. Taiwan will never know what hit it! As an American and a direct descendent of the HungWell Family of China, I will be saddened to see Taiwan fall. But fall it will and give birth to the Chinese Union with North Korea joining also. China will then be one nation, people and one great military superpower. Peace.
Sincerely,
Jaye
Posted by: Jaye at June 1, 2006 06:29 PM