Economics, the military, and strategy
Don't know if the following Luttwak book has been discussed in this thread. Don't know this area well, so the following is for discussion. Don't know what to think:
Quote:
For any country whose rising strength cannot go unnoticed, the universal logic of strategy allows only military or economic growth. But China is pursuing both goals simultaneously. Its military buildup and assertive foreign policy have already stirred up resistance among its neighbors, just three of whom—India, Japan, and Vietnam—together exceed China in population and wealth. Unless China’s leaders check their own ambitions, a host of countries, which are already forming tacit military coalitions, will start to impose economic restrictions as well.
http://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.p...=9780674066427
Chinese spy ships close to America's Pacific islands?
'Is China 'reciprocating' US maritime surveillance?' A fascinating story from the Australian Lowy Institute e-newsletter, that opens with:
Quote:
Indeed, the most extraordinary thing I heard at the first full day of this year's dialogue here in Singapore came from a PLA senior colonel at a working session on maritime security.
It is common knowledge that China resents the presence of American surveillance ships and aircraft off its coast, in its 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ). China considers this bad for its national interest. After all, the Americans are presumably collecting data on Chinese military activities, among other things. China also presumably sees the ongoing presence as an insult to its national pride, a reminder of a history of humiliation by foreign powers.
Thus it was striking to hear a Chinese military officer reveal in an open discussion at this conference today that China had 'thought of reciprocating' by 'sending ships and planes to the US EEZ', and had in fact done so 'a few times', although not a daily basis (unlike the US presence off China).
Link:http://www.lowyinterpreter.org/post/...veillance.aspx
The venue was the Shangri-La Dialogue, an IISS event:http://www.iiss.org/en/events/shangri-s-la-s-dialogue
There are several threads on China's emerging power and stance on various regional issues, but this comment is so unusual it deserves its own thread, partly as I expect the US media will not mention it.