Category: China

The Chinese continue to push this issues knowing full well that if they do not want THAAD in Korea then get the North Korea to quit making threats against the ROK:

China’s top diplomat to Seoul said Wednesday he is opposed to the possible U.S. deployment of an advanced missile-defense (MD) system in South Korea as it would hurt Sino-Korean ties, a lawmaker said.

The United States has said it is considering deploying a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery, an integral part of its MD system, to South Korea, citing evolving threats from North Korea. It is designed to shoot down short, medium and intermediate ballistic missiles at a higher altitude in their terminal phase using a hit-to-kill method.

The possibility has been a focus of media attention as it is seen as part of a broader U.S. attempt to get the Asian ally to join its air defense system and could spark tensions with China and Russia, who see it as a threat to their security interests.

“The THAAD would have a range of around 2,000 kilometers, which goes beyond the goal of countering missiles from North Korea,” Chinese ambassador to South Korea Qiu Guohong was quoted as saying by Rep. Won Hye-young of the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD).  [Yonhap]

You can read more at the link, but it is interesting that the Chinese do not care that the ROK has the Super Green Pine as well as the SPY-1 radars on their Aegis ships that can also have the range to look into China.

It will be interesting to see if the Chinese military decide to crush this guy to make an example of him

BEIJING (Reuters) – One of China’s most senior former military officers hoarded more than a ton of cash and precious jade in his basement, a Hong Kong magazine reported on Thursday, the latest details to emerge from the high-profile case amid Beijing’s war on graft.

Military prosecutors have said that Xu Caihou, a former vice chairman of the powerful Central Military Commission, had confessed to taking “massive” bribes in exchange for help in promotions.

Officials say Xu, who retired as vice chairman last year and from the ruling Communist Party’s decision-making Politburo in 2012, will likely face a court martial now that an investigation has been finished.

In March, prosecutors searched Xu’s luxury home in Beijing and discovered stashed in the basement “more than a ton” of U.S. dollars, euros and Chinese yuan, reported Phoenix Weekly, a magazine run by Hong Kong broadcaster Phoenix Television. (Reuters)

You can read more at the link.

China’s Selling the J-31, But Who’s Buying? http://t.co/ENP7oLxcVz

— The Diplomat (@Diplomat_APAC) November 19, 2014

Xinhua pretends NYT is denied visas because it violated rules. Everyone knows the Communist Party aims to censor NYT. http://t.co/MJ9msij05M

— Edward Wong (@comradewong) November 15, 2014

@isaacstonefish yes of course ! pic.twitter.com/SrbOWeWkSL

— Vladimir (@Vladimir258046) November 12, 2014

It is pretty amazing the length that the Chinese censors go to protect the image of their leaders:

It was a warm gesture on a chilly night when Vladimir Putin wrapped a shawl around the wife of Xi Jinping while the Chinese president chatted with Barack Obama. The only problem: Putin came off looking gallant, the Chinese summit host gauche and inattentive.

Worse still were off-color jokes that began to circulate about the real intentions of the divorced Russian president — a heartthrob among many Chinese women for his macho, man-of-action image.

That was too much for the Chinese authorities.

The incident at a performance linked to this week’s Asia-Pacific summit originally was broadcast on state broadcaster CCTV and spread online as a forwarded video. But it was soon scrubbed clean from the Chinese Internet, reflecting the intense control authorities exert over any material about top leaders while also pointing to cultural differences over what’s considered acceptable behavior in public.

“China is traditionally conservative on public interaction between unrelated men and women, and the public show of consideration by Putin may provide fodder for jokes, which the big boss probably does not like,” said Beijing-based historian and independent commentator Zhang Lifan. ( Associated Press)

You can read more at the link, but I wonder if China has some emergency command center where people monitor the news and social media all day to determine what to censor?

Smart @ZacharyKeck take on the US-China climate deal. http://t.co/f6x0Xjtqd5

— Matt Schiavenza (@MattSchiavenza) November 12, 2014

How times have changed:

It’s no secret that the United States has worried about the expansion of Chinese military power. The U.S., distracted by wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, has neglected Asia. The so-called “Asia Pivot” has been an attempt to correct that, broadening old alliances while forming new agreements with countries not traditionally American allies, but which share an interest in containing China.

Vietnam would probably like a full array of modern American weapons, but fiscal and geopolitical realities must temper expectations. American weapons are expensive — a single F-35 fighter bomber costs $100 million, and Vietnam’s entire defense budget is only $7 billion.

The United States will — at least for the foreseeable future — refuse requests to sell deadly weapons like bombs or missiles to Vietnam. If American weapons caused Chinese casualties, no matter who was at fault in the incident, the U.S. would be held responsible.

But Washington is providing Vietnam with non-lethal weapons that can document China’s territorial incursions, so they can be publicized and sent to international arbitration. The United States is in talks with Vietnam to provide refurbished surveillance aircraft. P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft were first introduced in the 1950s, and are currently being replaced in U.S. inventories by the newer P-8 Poseidon. The aircraft are equipped with sonar and radar, and are manned by a crew of 11. Although old, the aircraft are dependable aerial surveillance platforms capable of monitoring huge distances.  [The Week]

You can read more at the link, but the US and Vietnam definitely have shared interests now in the South China Sea.  The selling of non-lethal equipment I think is a smart move. If the Chinese continue to be aggressive in the SCS then the selling of lethal equipment to countries in the region can be used as a negotiation tactic to moderate Chinese behavior.

However, if I was the Vietnamese I would invest in a whole lot of anti-ship cruise missiles that are relatively cheap compared to buying expensive naval ships like the Chinese have.  Just the threat that the Chinese Navy would face severe losses from these cruise missiles if conflict was to occur may be enough to moderate Chinese behavior.  If the Vietnamese really want to send a message they could also invest in ballistic missiles that can threaten Chinese cities.

Farmer uses remote-controlled planes to spray crops in #Hunan Province，saving 70% on labor & chemicals. (Chinanews) pic.twitter.com/kDFKqCZWB4

— CCTVNEWS (@cctvnews) October 16, 2014

New interview with Moon Chung-in, who says deep divisions behind appearance of consensus in China-ROK relations http://t.co/VRjl9IQOYK

— NK NEWS (@nknewsorg) October 12, 2014