China’s increasing military spending unnerves neighbors

[Airbornelawyer]

China’s increasing military spending unnerves neighbors

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/...314_story.html

China’s military spending has been rapidly spiraling upward, and the growing amounts are unnerving Beijing’s Asian neighbors and policy planners in the Pentagon, who are openly wary about the country’s long-term intentions.

Getting a handle on Chinese military spending is difficult because much of it is opaque and off the books, such as the People’s Liberation Army’s spending on research and space exploration. But various international think tanks estimate that China’s military spending has risen from about $20 billion in 2002 to at least $120 billion last year.

The United States still spends four times as much on its military. But by some accounts, China is on course to surpass the United States in total military spending by 2035.

... .

Interesting choice of words further down in the article from Maj. Gen. Luo Yuan:

“Actually, our rapid spending increase in recent years is more like compensation for the past,” Luo said. “Second, the huge increase in our budget is because China faces a lot of threats, traditional and nontraditional. We have a lot of land occupied by other countries. We’re also one of the countries in the world with the most neighbors.”

Since Taiwan is not considered by Beijing to be another country, but rather a renegade province, it is probably not them to which he's referring. Which other countries are occupying lots of Chinese land? India, Vietnam, Russia, Mongolia? And how should they feel about these assertions?

[PedOncoDoc]

Right now there is a lot of tension between Japan and China over a small group of islands to which both countries lay claims. A quick google search will give you a list of stories, including a few incidents revolving around this dispute.

There may be others, but this particular issue has been escalating over the past few months.

[TiroFijo]

Nobody with a sane brain would feel confident and safe with a neighbour like China... it is only a matter of when, where, and how bad the first collission will happen.

[BOfH]

Originally Posted by PedOncoDoc

Right now there is a lot of tension between Japan and China over a small group of islands to which both countries lay claims. A quick google search will give you a list of stories, including a few incidents revolving around this dispute.

There may be others, but this particular issue has been escalating over the past few months.

Nationalism and heavy defense spending in light of political[1] and potential economic turbulence(increasing population, growing economic gap[2]) are rarely a good combination, I see a scapegoat in the making. Time will tell.

My .02

[1] http://www.brookings.edu/research/ar...nsition-cpc-li
[2] http://www.businessweek.com/magazine...4013648109.htm

[Dusty]

Originally Posted by TiroFijo

Nobody with a sane brain would feel confident and safe with a neighbour like China... it is only a matter of when, where, and how bad the first collission will happen.

That's how I feel about all countries.

[Richard]

The Dragon and the Bear - coming soon.

Richard

[MR2]

Originally Posted by Richard

The Dragon and the Bear - coming soon.

Richard

Who strikes first? Who strikes last? India. What about India?

[TiroFijo]

Not all "collissions" end up in open war. If you prepare enough (political, economical, military pressure), the time comes when no one dares to go to war with you over a few small islands or some other relatively minor issue.

And then you go to the next issue....

[TiroFijo]

Originally Posted by Richard

The Dragon and the Bear - coming soon.

Richard

Both Russia and China will surely pick on much smaller preys before bumping into each other.

[TiroFijo]

Quote:
Originally Posted by TiroFijo
Nobody with a sane brain would feel confident and safe with a neighbour like China... it is only a matter of when, where, and how bad the first collission will happen.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dusty
That's how I feel about all countries.

And that's the right approach...

BUT, some countries deserve more watching than others.

[ZonieDiver]

Originally Posted by TiroFijo

Quote:
Originally Posted by TiroFijo
Nobody with a sane brain would feel confident and safe with a neighbour like China... it is only a matter of when, where, and how bad the first collission will happen.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dusty
That's how I feel about all countries.

And that's the right approach...

BUT, some countries deserve more watching than others.

I've got my eyes on Canada. Who knows what those hosers are thinking under the tuques? I hear they're hoarding snowshoes, sleds and sled dogs, and waiting for winter.

[grigori]

Originally Posted by MR2

Who strikes first? Who strikes last? India. What about India?

India won't strike first, the government here doesn't have the balls to do so.
Of course India has to worry about the defense spending of the Chinese because their best friend(Pakistan) is our worst enemy.Other neighbors like Sri Lanka, Nepal, Myanmar and Bangladesh are pretty much more pro-China than they are pro-India. We can very safely assume that if somehow the Chinese declared war on us the Pakistani's will definitely jump at the opportunity to join them. The Japanese and the South Koreans are worried about this development too. As someone has mentioned in this thread about the Island skirmishes with Japan and South Korea has to worry about China-North Korea.

But then we aren't too far behind. India too is spending a lot on its military, let me list down a few sales:

->Apache and Chinook Helicopters from the US

->126 Rafale fighter jets from France.

->Phalcon AWACS from Israel.

->12 C-130J aircrafts acquired.

->Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier to be delivered with Naval Mig-29K's from Russia.We have 2 more indigenous aircraft carriers in production.


->Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft/Sukhoi PAK-FA project with the Russians.Test flights have been made.


->Artillery guns on order from BAE.

So basically to sum up they may have the upper edge on quantity but we have the edge on quality. Also to add that India is having a lot of exercises with the USAF,USN and US Special Forces along with the British,Russian,Israeli and French armed forces.We are getting to learn and train with the best, the Chinese aren't availing this opportunity.

The Indian Army due to its Counter-Insurgency ops. in Kashmir and the North-East has seen much much more combat than the commie PLA.

I wouldn't worry much about the Special Ops front. I somehow feel that the Chinese aren't that ahead in Special Forces given their attitude of Mass Production. They probably wouldn't match our Para's and the MARCOS and neither do we underestimate them. Since some members here have been part of exercises Vajra Prahar with Indian SF maybe then can give a better comparison.

In the end we(India) are worried about this development and steps are being taken to counter it. I have never liked the Chinese and probably will never trust one.

[grigori]

Originally Posted by TiroFijo

Both Russia and China will surely pick on much smaller preys before bumping into each other.

I'd pay to see them go at each other first.

[Fox583]

Does anyone else feel like we have seen a rise of a new Soviet Union......

[ZonieDiver]

Originally Posted by Fox583

Does anyone else feel like we have seen a rise of a new Soviet Union......

Mitt Romney?