Chinese govt. jerks on purpose, not accidentally

Posted By Uncle Jimbo

The Weekly Standard's Michael Goldfarb, an interesting dude, weighs in as well. When the Chinese told the USS Kitty Hawk it could not dock on Thanksgiving in Hong Kong, thereby screwing a bunch of sailor's families who spent their own money to meet the ship there, it had to be a mistake, right?

Guess not

                        BEIJING - China's last-minute cancellation of a U.S. Navy visit to Hong Kong was not the result of a misunderstanding, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said Thursday, adding that ties had been "disturbed and harmed" by Congress' honoring of the Dalai Lama and U.S. arms sales to Taiwan.

Spokesman Liu Jianchao denounced an earlier report from Washington that said Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi told President Bush the incident was a misunderstanding.

We need to get our ducks in a line with these guys, because they are starting to cause trouble again. The sheer size of their economy demands it and Wal-Mart can stock it's stores with US products.

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Comments

[Teresa]

Absolutely! I was really ticked when I read this a couple days ago. I'm also wondering if our government has a clue... It didn't make anywhere near the amount of news it should have as far as I'm concerned.

[exhelodrvr]

Carrier visits to ports bear a lot more weight than other ships' visits, both economically, for the locals, and from a political perspective. In the past they have been used as a "reward" for good behavior, and to show political approval/concern. (i.e. Carrier port visits to Israel were generally offset by carrier visits to Egypt.)

[Robert]

I agree

[Lands’nGrooves]

Thank you for shopping at Walmart.

[Caleb]

I don't understand. How can this be. There is a whole plethora of Navy admirals, including Adm. Fallon, whom Bush put in charge of Centcom, that say that China is not a bad country and that they can be worked with and co-operated with. The head of CIA, Gen. Hayden, former head of DIA and, I believe, an Air Force general says that we can talk to the Chinese, that they will be reasonable. Geez, Amb Negroponte, former tsar of the entire American combined Intel establishment says that the Chinese can be dealt with. Then there is the head of Bush's National Security Council at the White House, I forget his name, that also says that the Chinese can be reasonably dealt with. That is why our military showed their military our Los Angeles class subs and the whole fire control center on our Aegis class destroyers. I guess that is why we souldn't worry about that Chinese sub that popped up undetected within torpedo range of the Kitty Hawk in the middle of the battle group.

In all seriousness, I do know that every time a U.S. vs China situation is war gamed, the results are somewhere between terrible and horrific. But I still don't think that justifies the attitude taken by our military, particularly the flag ranks within the Navy. It would have to be a last resort thing to go to a hot war against the Chinese, but they surely do not respect us for our restraint. Like the Arab jihadists, they take it as a sign of weakness.

[Infidel]

Caleb hits the nail on the head. And the only difference between the chinese and the radical jihadists is the agenda. The chinese agenda is political. The islamic agenda is religious. And besides, the chinese are just pissed because they can't seem to stop sending us toys coated with lead paint...........

[thebronze]

Infidel is right, but their agenda is both political AND economic.

China is our enemy, whether the highr-ups in our gov't want to acknowledge it or not.

The rest of us better wise up or we're going to get more than lead-laden toys...

[jordan]

Denial is a powerful thing. It does appear as if the Navy's leadership is afraid of angering China over this, and that IS looking like weakness, to China and to the rest of the world. Adm. Keating response was that he was "perplexed". Perplexed? It seems clear as a bell to me.

The flags keep going over there with an extended hand, giving the Chinese tours of our own ships (well, they probably manufactured most of the components, so maybe it's nothing new for them). "It's hard to see this in a positive light" is not responding from a position of strength.

Coming just on the heels of the publication of the new maritime strategy, a touchy-feely, globalist, multi-national appeal to the world to like us, I'm also "perplexed" about the direction of this Navy. It could almost be read as an apologia for unilateral, pro-American defensive actions, essentially saying "we're sorry, we'll play nicely so you'll be our friend. We won't step out of line if you don't like it". Alliance, partnership and cooperation with world Navies is great -- Naval diplomacy is probably the most effective kind.

But do we have to kiss up to our enemies? That time right after Bush entered office when our surveillance plane and crew were captured was a picture-perfect handling of an international crisis. Bush was enraged, but controlled and methodical. After numerous failed discussions he said in a deadly serious tone, that "It's time for our servicemen and plane to come home." No pleasantries, no thank yous, do not pass Go. They were returned.

[Ymarsakar]

China can be worked with, you just have to show that Americans aren't pussified Westerners retarded with things called "violence doesn't solve anything". Once you prove that and win a trade war with China, China will have far more reason to treat you all as equals worthy of respect. Until then, you get treated as the Japanese treated hairy barbarians in WWII

[Ymarsakar]

The Iraqis didn't respect Americans when Americans refused to bring down the iron fist of law and order in Baghdad post 2003. Such people respect strength and ruthlessness, they don't respect multi culti UN based "negotiations" or "diplomacy".

And anyone that does act like a multiculturalist will be seen as worse in China, given that a multiculturalist doesn't even have a culture he believes in as being superior to everyone else.

[Pantera]

I wouldn't worry too much about a war with China. Yes, they can carry out anti-satellite attacks that could really hurt us, but what could they honestly do beyond that? B-52's still hold 70,000 pounds of bombs, guided or unguided. Soldiers can still fight, even if they aren't plugged into the network.
Besides, the two things any nation considers when it goes to war are; "can I win?" and "what do I have to gain from winning?". Neither of these are in China's favor. China would lose a conventional war real quick and their economy would sink faster than a bucket of lead-painted toy if they attacked us.
I don't know why everyone thinks a war with China in imminent, perhaps they're just being cautious, but it seems extremely unlikely.