I've just been perusing the current news, and it seems that America is scared shitless that China has increased their weapons budget by 14% this year (however, it's still less than the US).
Roger Cliff of the RAND Corporation, a nonprofit that does many studies for the Pentagon, has recently released a written testimony saying, and I quote: "If the United States is to keep its qualitative military advantage over China, therefore, we will need to continue to develop and field systems that are significantly more advanced than the types currently in our inventory," which is essentially a request to further increase military spending, primarily in R&D in order to ensure they stay ahead of China.
Chinas military buildup is forcing the United States to revise plans for any showdown over Taiwan. US policy for decades has been to oppose any change to the cross-straits status quo by either Beijing or Taipei. Peter Rodman, assistant secretary of defence for international security affairs, stated that China's continuing military buildup "changes that status quo and requires us to adapt to the new situation".
President Bill Clinton sent aircraft carriers to the region, seen as one of Asia's most dangerous hot spots, after China fired missiles near Taiwan's main ports in 1996 in an attempt to sway voters in the island's first direct presidential election. Because of Chinas increase in military buildup on its coast across the 161km strait from Taiwan, James Thomas, a deputy assistant secretary of defence for resources and plans stated that to 'hedge any risk, Washington is weighing deployment of bombers to Guam "on a more routine basis" as well as boosting its naval presence'.
In July 2005 Major General Zhu Chengdu said China would be prepared to strike the United States with nuclear weapons if US forces stepped into a confrontation with Taiwan. Today, the United States strongly reaffirmed its strike-first policy of preemption.
It is definitely not serious yet, but if things continue and China is willing to deploy it's miliary with regards to Taiwan, then shit could escalate very quickly. The last thing this world needs is a battle between it's two superpowers. If that were to happen, I wouldn't be wrong in saying that we are all fucked.
Roger Cliff of the RAND Corporation, a nonprofit that does many studies for the Pentagon, has recently released a written testimony saying, and I quote: "If the United States is to keep its qualitative military advantage over China, therefore, we will need to continue to develop and field systems that are significantly more advanced than the types currently in our inventory," which is essentially a request to further increase military spending, primarily in R&D in order to ensure they stay ahead of China.
Chinas military buildup is forcing the United States to revise plans for any showdown over Taiwan. US policy for decades has been to oppose any change to the cross-straits status quo by either Beijing or Taipei. Peter Rodman, assistant secretary of defence for international security affairs, stated that China's continuing military buildup "changes that status quo and requires us to adapt to the new situation".
President Bill Clinton sent aircraft carriers to the region, seen as one of Asia's most dangerous hot spots, after China fired missiles near Taiwan's main ports in 1996 in an attempt to sway voters in the island's first direct presidential election. Because of Chinas increase in military buildup on its coast across the 161km strait from Taiwan, James Thomas, a deputy assistant secretary of defence for resources and plans stated that to 'hedge any risk, Washington is weighing deployment of bombers to Guam "on a more routine basis" as well as boosting its naval presence'.
In July 2005 Major General Zhu Chengdu said China would be prepared to strike the United States with nuclear weapons if US forces stepped into a confrontation with Taiwan. Today, the United States strongly reaffirmed its strike-first policy of preemption.
It is definitely not serious yet, but if things continue and China is willing to deploy it's miliary with regards to Taiwan, then shit could escalate very quickly. The last thing this world needs is a battle between it's two superpowers. If that were to happen, I wouldn't be wrong in saying that we are all fucked.
