By Here is what one Air Force General has to say about the developing missile defense network in the Pacific:
The man at the pointy end of the spear of missile defense and of nuclear weapons warned today that the US must carefully weigh any increase in missile defense — particularly on the west coast — to avoid triggering a “destabilizing” reaction by the Peoples Republic of China.
“We have to be cautious about missile defense…[which] can be destabilizing if you are not careful,” said Air Force Gen. Kevin Chilton, commander of Strategic Command and one of the military’s brightest brains. When the US places anti-ballistic missile assets on the West Coast, “What does it make the Chinese think…?” he asked. But the difficult calculus of deterrence includes other threats, Chilton made clear: “On the other hand, how do you deal with a North Korea?” Then he added Iran to the threat equation.
But his efforts at balance notwithstanding, Chilton was most passionate in his missile defense remarks about China, a fact noted by a military observer at this morning’s breakfast. In fact, they were the only remarks that elicited a clear emotional response from the general during more than an hour of delivering a speech and answering questions at this morning’s breakfast sponsored by the National Defense University Foundation. [DOD Buzz]
What it should be making the Chinese think is that maybe they should do something about North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs if they want to slow down the development of the US’s missile defense system.
According to recently declassified Japanese intelligence documents the Chinese agreed to North Korea’s possession of nuclear weapons. So why reward the Chinese by limiting our own defenses against a problem they helped create?
Plus the Chinese have long been improving their DF-31 and DF-41 ICBM’s to strike the US, long before the development of the US missile defense program to include stealing US nuclear technology through espionage. Plus I seriously doubt whether or not the US continues to build it’s missile defense system will make any difference in the pace and speed that the Chinese are currently employing to further develop their ICBM’s to better reach and accurately target strategic areas in the US.
So what do you think, should the US limit its missile defense capabilities to appease the Chinese?:
6:08 am on November 16th, 2009 1
Another weak General looking to become a talking head after retirement. It’s a good thing Generals don’t make the final decisions regarding our national defense.
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6:17 am on November 16th, 2009 2
We should expect more courage from our military leaders.
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6:52 am on November 16th, 2009 3
“…said Air Force Gen. Kevin Chilton, commander of Strategic Command and one of the military’s brightest brains.”
Ahhhh… this explains some things.
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6:54 am on November 16th, 2009 4
This is a political issue, which, for better or worse, is out of the hands of such generals. While no country wishes to attack China, especially with nuclear weapons, China, in turn, will not keep a loaded gun without others taking issue with such.
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8:22 am on November 16th, 2009 5
If you look at a rotating globe, Chinese missiles would fly over the polar ice cap anyways, because why would they piss around targeting Hawaii, Alaska, or the West Coast when they can easily range New York or Washington, D.C.?
Forget Cobra Dane, Greely, SBX, and Aegis SM-3…Thule is the only thing between us and China.
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8:52 am on November 16th, 2009 6
The U.S. doesn’t have much choice but to bow Geopolitically to the Chinese. With the Chinese holding so much of the U.S. debt the U.S. will slowly but surely weaken it’s presence in Eastern Asia.
The Elephant in the room is Taiwan. One of two things will happen: One, the U.S will go to war (unlikely) to save Taiwan from Chinese takeover. Or Two, the Chinese will takeover Taiwan with relative ease. The day that happens will be officially recognized as the end of the U.S. Empire.
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November 16th, 2009 at 12:31 pm
“The day that happens will be officially recognized as the end of the U.S. Empire.”
Can’t wait. It’s about time the world is no longer run by one or two empires and “superpowers”, how matter how benevolent they think they are.
But seriously, the “China owns so much of our debt so we have to kowtow” talk is silly. China needs the US as much as the US needs China. It is called “interdependence”. None of us can afford to screw the other.
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12:03 pm on November 16th, 2009 7
You’ve got to be kidding me if you seriously believe that the DRPK is the reason why the Americans are try to develop and deploy the MDS in East Asia. Come on. China is the big prize. Just like when the Americans blatantly lied that their MDS in Europe is only targeting Iran (the Americans probably think the Russians and the Chinese are so dumb that they will never get it). Give me a break!
And please, you still haven’t got over with that humorous Japanese document alleging that the Dear Leader received the OK from China and Russia to hang on to their nukes in 2002?
The funniest thing about the whole thing is that the Americans, whose nuclear strike capabilities far out-strength those of China and Russia are planting this ludicrous so-called “MDS” all over the world. Unlike us (just a bunch of bloggers), General Chilton has a job to do and part of it is to make this type of assessment for policies and moves which will have broad implications. He only said what most sane people already knew. Imagine if you will, the US, as a second-tier country (like today’s China and Russia), is facing the lone superpower and global hegemon XXXXX (replace it with any country you think is America’s enemy or rival) whose presence is looming large, who wants to plant this type of “MDS” on your turf. Would you not be concerned? Come on guys, golden rules rule!
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1:12 pm on November 16th, 2009 8
I wish we could tell what he meant by “increase in missile defense.” Does he mean that we should stop the Japanese from successfully demonstrating their technology anymore? Or does he mean that we should not be considering inviting the ROK to join the joint US-Japan shield program and see what the Koreans can contribute in terms of research despite their lack in this tech? Or is he cryptically referring to our position on the defense of Taiwan?
On one hand, I am in favor of “increasing” the scope of the shield to, at the least, cover Taiwan, and also improving the technology: we definitely should be working on maturing the technology with Japan. And I do not see why we should feel threatened by Chinese disapproval asking the ROK to join the shield, since China does not have anything to say on the matter, given the fact that they are propping up the lone regime responsible for destabilizing the far east. But on the other hand, if he is referring to Taiwan, then he makes an obviously good point. But we should go ahead and aid Taiwan with missile defense technology anyway. The issue of our deterrence aid to Taiwan should not be something we should be caving in on or bargaining away.
On one level, defending a free Taiwan should not be equated with China’s patronage of the brutal and thuggish DPRK. But if China ever brings up their agitation with our missile defense program being placed in their back yard, we damn well should be telling them that we and our friends feel threatened by Chinese support of a DPRK, who flagrantly threatens us.
To tell you the truth, I have not even considered–and will not consider–Chinese concerns on the shield to be something we should be concerned about.
And regarding the debt issue, China is not going to use their leverage to destabilize us. The fact is that the current leadership in China understands that a collapsed America would savage their own economy. A failed America would trash the world economy and the repercussion would strike back at China. And for related reasons, they have no intention of going to war over Taiwan any time soon. China, too, has to deal with the concerns their immediate neighbors have about them and invading Taiwan would do as much damage to their standing among Asians as anything. It would consolidate the regional fears that currently are simmering just under the surface. The result would be that everyone on China’s periphery would form a security arrangement directed at China. The Chinese know this and they don’t need that. They, too, know how to play the hegemon’s game.
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1:30 pm on November 16th, 2009 9
What a nonsense, nothing will stop the Chinese from satisfying their superiority complex.
Understanding the Chinese intention is easy if you know their history. The Han ethnics, the rulers on modern China, were conquered and ruled many times in history by foreign forces like the Manchus, Mongolians and several western powers (for instance the last dynasty to rule the Hans was of Manchurian origin). Now that they finally got back their sovereignty they will do whatever is needed to protect it from falling to a foreign power again. In that sense, they will keep developing their weapons regardless of what the rest of the world will do to assure that the history will not repeat again.
That’s the reason why they interfered in the Korean War and keep feeding the ailing North Korean regime at any cost. Their superiority pose is nothing but a sense of fear and insecurity carefully masked.
An arm race is what we need to curb the Chinese ambition in Asia.
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1:46 pm on November 16th, 2009 10
lollabrats,
Off topic… but I was wondering…
Which is it?
Lolla Brats
LOL La Brats
L’ Ol’ La Brats
L’ Ol’ Lab Rats
LOL Lab Rats
LOL La Bra TS
…or the cryptically backwards…
Star Ball O1
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1:46 pm on November 16th, 2009 11
“The funniest thing about the whole thing is that the Americans, whose nuclear strike capabilities far out-strength those of China and Russia are planting this ludicrous so-called “MDS” all over the world.”
You’re nuts! The reason we even planned the MDS program for eastern Europe is because the eastern Europeans themselves feel directly threatened by Russia and their cronies, like the government of Belarus. Poland, for one, would very much like to feel more secure about their national security. Sure, blaming the Iranians for the MDS was silly. But the truth was an open secret and the Russians knew it was their missiles the MDS was designed to protect against.
“Unlike us (just a bunch of bloggers), General Chilton has a job to do and part of it is to make this type of assessment for policies and moves which will have broad implications. He only said what most sane people already knew.”
Fortunately for him, MDS in east Asia should not be a big deal for anyone concerned. Hell, the Russians don’t care.
“Imagine if you will, the US, as a second-tier country (like today’s China and Russia), is facing the lone superpower and global hegemon XXXXX (replace it with any country you think is America’s enemy or rival) whose presence is looming large, who wants to plant this type of “MDS” on your turf. Would you not be concerned? Come on guys, golden rules rule!”
Yes, let’s remember the golden rule! And let’s remember why we are installing the MDS in the far east. We are doing this not because we want to get involved in an arms race with China; we are doing this because the DPRK flagrantly and quite openly are developing nuke and missile technologies to aim at the US, Japan, and the ROK. DUH! And the reason why the DPRK is still around is because China is actively working to keep that government around to threaten us.
One day, you will see that your analogy is completely idiotic. The fact is, if Japan and the ROK want missile defense on their sovereign territory, then wtf does China have to whine about? The fact is, neither Japan nor the ROK have any desire to increase their military funding to a level that adequately meets their security concerns. So even if they install MDS on their territory, China would certainly understand who their real concern is (it’s the DPRK). Oh, and by the way, if we can use the DPRK to help keep Taiwan a free democracy, then fantastic! I don’t think any American feels queasy about defending Taiwan from potential Chinese aggression. If China wants people to stop treating them as a threat, then they should stop supporting the DPRK!
For the life of me, I don’t understand how someone commenting at the ROK Drop has yet to notice that the people of the ROK actually are facing a real threat of a missile atttack at its own border! So, should we be concerned if Poland or the ROK asks America for MDS? Uh…What do you think?
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1:55 pm on November 16th, 2009 12
To ChickenHead
I liked the name for the curiosity factor you just described. ^^;
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