CIA chief says China's rapid military buildup troubling

[Dida]

WASHINGTON (AFP) - CIA chief Michael Hayden charged Wednesday that China was beefing up its military with "remarkable speed and scope," calling the buildup "troubling."

The Chinese, he said, had fully absorbed the lessons of both Gulf wars, developing and integrating advanced weaponry into a modern military force.

Hayden said while Beijing's new capabilities could pose a risk to US forces and interests in the region, the military modernization was as much about projecting strength as anything else.

"After two centuries of perceived Western hegemony, China is determined to flex its muscle," he said in a speech at Kansas State University. "It sees an advanced military force as an essential element of great power status."

But it is the intelligence community's view that any Chinese regime, even a democratic one, will have similar national goals, said Hayden, once the highest-ranking military intelligence officer in the armed forces.

A Pentagon report said this year that China had boosted total military spending in 2007 to more than twice its declared budget.

The report raised concern over China's expanding military power, including its development of cruise and ballistic missiles capable of striking aircraft carriers and other warships at sea, anti-satellite weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles.

The Pentagon estimated China's total military spending in 2007 at between 97 and 139 billion dollars, more than double China's declared budget of 45 billion dollars.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080430/wl_asia_afp/uschinamilitaryintelligence

China is getting ever closer to its goal of destroying our democracy!

 

[CaptainF]

China is getting ever closer to its goal of destroying our democracy!

Fat chance (in hell).

 

[Shylock]

Attack a major trading partner and so close to the Olympics?

Not very likely. They take us down they're coming with us even if they win.Which while more likely thanks to disarming the populace is still going to be a hell of a fight they'll either lose or reach a pyrrhic victory. The U.S is trying to set up a police state slowly and it's working, but China coming in a putting one up overnight? Won't fly.

This is probably just an exercise or building up in case Tibet gets any ideas. Or it's yet more FUD and excellent intel from the CIA, or How I learned to stop doing my job right and tell politicians what they want to hear.

 

[sonorakitch]

They still have a long way to go....

~Chris

 

[The Yankee]

They'd be a bit more likely to smash a couple of other nearby democracies, but I don't see how they're threatening ours, yet.

 

[scy12]

China is getting ever closer to its goal of destroying our democracy!

You can't let them , can you ? Better to attack first when they least expect it. I believe the most sensible thing to do would be to nuke them at the time of the Olympics. That would protect your democracy .

 

[Elrohir]

China is getting ever closer to its goal of destroying our democracy!

Yeah, right. They don't have the power projection capabilities to invade the Hawaiian Islands, much less invade the continental United States and "destroy our democracy."

If I were living in Taiwan, Japan, India, Pakistan, Russia, or any other nearby nation...I'd be a lot more worried, though.

 

[a_propagandist]

Japan, India, Pakistan, and Russia have nothing to fear. Taiwan, however, does. Also, they spend a fraction of what we do. Unless our military is tossing cash away and spending inefficiently, we should keep our edge.

 

[scy12]

Japan, India, Pakistan, and Russia have nothing to fear. Taiwan, however, does. Also, they spend a fraction of what we do. Unless our military is tossing cash away and spending inefficiently, we should keep our edge.

I think that people should realize that any decline and rise of any power will be economical in nature rather than militaristic. How viable is a clash among Titans ? Or among any Titan and a giant (hint -not Iraq) ? Not much to make it decisive. If People across the Atlantic fear China they should for it's economy and not for it's military although that could prove an issue for them.

 

[LesCanadiens]

Most non-NATO nations are increasing military spending right now, and quite a few NATO nations are as well. There is nothing unusual going on in Beijing.

 

[OttoManD]

Though China's military buildup has certainly been accelerating, I think a couple things should be noted also.
First, their naval buildup has distinctly not been towards a power projecting blue-water navy. This isn't to minimize it, as it certainly is concerning to Taiwan, South Korea and Japan, but beyond the China Seas, the Pacific is still an American lake.
Second, there has been a focus on "asymetrical" capabilities. The best example of this is probably the anti-satellite operation, but some of the RAND stuff i've been reading suggests a similar effort towards anti-navy asymetrical capability,
Third, the economic interdependence between the US and China suggests that China doesn't want to upset the applecart anytime soon.
Fourth, the economic leverage they hold against the US is probably a sufficient deterrent against any American policy that gets too assertive in the region.
Finally, the Navy and Air Force need some sort of justification for procurement of new multi-million dollar platforms such as submarines, blue-water surface ships and fighters, especially when there are two wars going on against technologically inferior foes.

So, while we should keep a watchful eye on the force structure and size that China is developing, I think we also need to keep some perspective on it.

 

[Xenocrates]

Nice pie chart. MMMMM pie....

For those of you that don't read pie, the large wedge on the right represents US military spending in 2006. One of the tiny wedges on the left represents Chinese military spending in the same year. Also, bear in mind that the Chinese military was semi-obsolete recently (and largely still is), whereas the US has consistently upgraded over the years.

Obviously there could be some error in the calculations (maybe nuke budgets excluded), but that goes for every country, including the US.

But then again, plastic bottles of water can really sting if thrown correctly......

 

[Maneck21]

Before long China will have giant railguns, burst missile capable subs, giant flying aircraft carriers/missile launchers, laser cannons, and bunchs of nukes all launched from one island with a cool name. But, one American pilot will blow all of these things up with his 200 missiles.

ha, three jokes, a new new record

 

[sonorakitch]

Though China's military buildup has certainly been accelerating, I think a couple things should be noted also.
First, their naval buildup has distinctly not been towards a power projecting blue-water navy. This isn't to minimize it, as it certainly is concerning to Taiwan, South Korea and Japan, but beyond the China Seas, the Pacific is still an American lake.
Second, there has been a focus on "asymetrical" capabilities. The best example of this is probably the anti-satellite operation, but some of the RAND stuff i've been reading suggests a similar effort towards anti-navy asymetrical capability,
Third, the economic interdependence between the US and China suggests that China doesn't want to upset the applecart anytime soon.
Fourth, the economic leverage they hold against the US is probably a sufficient deterrent against any American policy that gets too assertive in the region.
Finally, the Navy and Air Force need some sort of justification for procurement of new multi-million dollar platforms such as submarines, blue-water surface ships and fighters, especially when there are two wars going on against technologically inferior foes.

So, while we should keep a watchful eye on the force structure and size that China is developing, I think we also need to keep some perspective on it.

Great post.

I don't understand the concern over China. At best, they seek to be a regional power in East Asia. China won't push the button over Taiwan in my lifetime, and they won't support N. Korea to the point of conflict with the south. The economic interdependence between the west and China will assure no bloody wars will be fought anytime soon.

The only concern the US and the west should harbor for China is the battle over resources. China is playing it smart; staying out of major conflicts and quietely building coalitions around the world. This is the war we should be fighting.

~Chris

 

[Fifty]

Don't you guys see what is happening?!

They are poisoning us with shoddy merchandise, waiting and watching as we all become fat and sick. But they realize that not everybody is going to get fat and sick... there are certain people who will carefully monitor their health and make sure that they are in peak physical condition... these people are called Olympic athletes and they are the only barrier between us and a Chinese invasion. As soon as all our athletes are gone off in Beijing they're going to strike... don't say I didn't warn you!

 

[Maneck21]

Don't you guys see what is happening?!

They are poisoning us with shoddy merchandise, waiting and watching as we all become fat and sick. But they realize that not everybody is going to get fat and sick... there are certain people who will carefully monitor their health and make sure that they are in peak physical condition... these people are called Olympic athletes and they are the only barrier between us and a Chinese invasion. As soon as all our athletes are gone off in Beijing they're going to strike... don't say I didn't warn you!

Plus they have super weapons and we don't! We will be pushed all the way to long island before we can mount a huge counterstrike and take back L.A. Of course we will do it with an epic orchestral piece in the backround. But the suicidal Chinese will try to blow up the world with a giant railgun, and we need to fly inside it to blow it up. Then everyone will live happily ever after. Until two more nations pop up out of nowhere and start killing eachother.

 

[Angry Ninja]

China's navy is comparable to a bunch of tin cans tied together with some hemp rope with some mounted AK-47s on the decks of the ships, compared to the USA's 11 Aircraft Carriers and support vessels.

Unless China's Army can walk on water, I'm doubting that China will EVER be able to invade the US in the near future.

Not that they have any reason to, anyway.

 

[Tee Kay]

Maybe the headline should say: Global rapid military buildup troubling.

 

[RedRalph]

WFT are people tlaking about China invading the US for? Furkin fantasy stuff.... join the real world. and Russia being worried? China attacked either Russia or the US it wouldnt exist within a few hours. Get real

 

[plarq]

Get real.

China may not even win against Taiwan.