Sino US Military Exchanges

[xinhui]

Reading official Chinese OpEd is an art form, one must read between the lines.

President Hu Jintao met with President Push for several times to discuss how to jointly expand contact and develop relations between the two militaries.

Prez Push? Intended?

[xinhui]

The big stick.................. still, PRC is monitoring the build up in Guam very closely.












Guam, focus of new US strategy, faces hurdles


In this July 20, 2008 file photo provided by the U.S. Air Force, F-22 Raptors join 16 F-15E Strike Eagles on the flight line of Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. Over the next six years, nearly 25,000 U.S. Marines, soldiers, family members and civilian Defense Department employees are to descend on the tiny Pacific island of Guam, transforming the sleepy tropical outpost into a hub of America's military in the Pacific. (AP Photo/U.S. Air Force, Airman 1st Class Courtney Witt, FILE)


By ERIC TALMADGE

ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam (AP) — Sprawling toward the horizon in every direction, Andersen Air Force Base is surprisingly quiet, leaving the impression of a big, empty parking lot.

For now, anyway.

Over the next six years, nearly 25,000 U.S. Marines, soldiers, family members and civilian Defense Department employees are to descend on the tiny Pacific island of Guam, transforming the sleepy tropical outpost into a hub of America's military in the Pacific.

But the metamorphosis seems as fragile as it is ambitious.

Guam's transformation will cost at least $15 billion — with Japan footing more than $6 billion of the bill — and put some of the U.S. military's highest-profile assets within the fences of a vastly improved network of bases.

The newcomers will find an island already peppered with strip malls, fast-food franchises and high-rise hotels serving Japanese tourists who want a closer-to-home version of Hawaii. The plans for the base are fueling a fresh construction and real estate boom which Guam hopes will accelerate its prosperity.

But Guam is smaller than some Hawaiian islands, with a population of just 155,000, and many of its officials are worried that the military influx could leave the island's infrastructure — water, highways, and seaport — overwhelmed and underfunded.

Felix Camacho, the elected Republican governor of the U.S. territory, says he believes in the long run the troop influx will be "tremendous" for Guam's economy, but it will be "a difficult and complex process."

"I remain hopeful," he said in an interview with The Associated Press. "Our challenge is that we know that the Department of Defense and Japan will build a first-rate base." But Guam has "limited capacity" to develop its own infrastructure to absorb the influx, he said.

Joe Murphy, in a recent editorial in the Pacific Daily News, Guam's main newspaper, focused on the upside.

"The shift of Marines may cause problems," he wrote, but "Transportation should get better. Our nightclubs should get better. So should our restaurants and movie theaters. It all should trigger an advancement in the social scene on Guam. This is a new era, and we've got to move forward."

However, the whole plan could collapse if Japan fails to build a replacement for a busy Marine Corps air base on its southern island of Okinawa — a festering issue that one senior U.S. military official acknowledged is fraught with difficulties.

The buildup plan, to be carried out by 2014, represents a major realignment of U.S. forces in the Pacific:

_About 8,000 Marines are to be shifted 1,200 miles southeast, from Okinawa to Guam, making it the Corps' second largest permanent overseas staging and training area.

_The Navy has already deployed three nuclear-powered submarines to Guam and is seeking improvements to accommodate the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS George Washington, which carries about 5,000 sailors and airmen.

_The Army wants to deploy a ballistic missile defense task force, which would bring roughly 630 soldiers and 1,000 dependents to Guam.

_Long-range B-2 bombers have begun regularly deploying to Guam, along with squadrons of F-16 fighters. Military planners are considering bringing in the new F-22 fighters as well — though details remain sketchy — along with Global Hawk unmanned surveillance aircraft and a dozen tankers.

The buildup is designed in large part to ease the long-standing over-concentration of forces on Okinawa, the U.S. military's key Pacific outpost since the 1950s, without pulling them back too far from such potential flash points as Taiwan and North Korea.

Although China and Russia, the U.S.'s main rivals in the Pacific, have been quiet, North Korea is characteristically wary. In an editorial, the state-run Minju Joson newspaper said it was meant to enable the Pentagon "to carry out its strategy for a surprise pre-emptive attack."

But keeping the Marines at their present levels on Okinawa has become unrealistic.

By treaty with Tokyo, more than 50,000 U.S. troops are stationed throughout Japan, which pays billions of dollars each year to support them, more than any other country with a U.S. base on its territory.

Okinawans have long complained that their crowded island has to absorb too much of the presence, and of the crimes and other misbehavior of U.S. personnel stationed there. More than half of the U.S. troops in Japan are on Okinawa, as is Kadena, the biggest U.S. air base in the region.

In U.S.-Japanese negotiations, Guam has emerged as the most practical alternative.

Okinawans have generally welcomed the move, and Tokyo has pledged to invest nearly $3 billion in building barracks, offices and other facilities for the troops on Guam, and to lend another $3.3 billion for developing supporting infrastructure.

Roughly 10,000 Marines are to stay on Okinawa, however, and Tokyo has run into serious opposition in trying to move the Futenma Marine Corps Air Station to a less congested part of Okinawa. Many Okinawans want it off the island altogether.

Lt. Gen. Edward Rice, commander of the U.S. forces in Japan, says the whole move to Guam depends on Futenma getting new premises on Okinawa.

"There are serious and significant challenges that remain for us to facilitate the transfer," he said at a news conference in Tokyo.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/...HgMiQD95FSH580

[gunnut]

by the way,

the chinese were really unhappy with this one- they canceled more than just "a few". it's making life hell for me right now. man, i love the PRC.

That's why you get paid the big bux for...:))

[xinhui]

US to continue with Taiwan arms policy: Pentagon

The United States is to continue with its policy of arms sales to Taiwan. US Defense Spokesman Bryan Whitman said in a recent interview with The Washington Times that the United States' long term policy would not be affected by the desire to resume military exchanges with China.

Wow, I guess people do ready PLAdaily.

In December China's army newspaper PLA Daily said that China's military relations with the United States were at a difficult stage but said responsibility for this lay with Washington.

Whitman said that Washington's policy of arms sales to Taiwan had been in place for nearly thirty years and had been a forger of peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region. Under the terms of the Taiwan Relations Act, the United States has committed to supply Taiwan with arms to maintain a self-defense capacity. The policy has been a long-standing source of tension between the United States and China, which views Taiwan as part of its territory.

Military exchanges between the United States and China have been suspended since last year, with the announcement of a 6.5 billion US dollars arms deal with Taiwan. In December China's army newspaper PLA Daily said that China's military relations with the United States were at a difficult stage but said responsibility for this lay with Washington.

http://english.rti.org.tw/Content/Ge...ontentID=71545

[Greg]

In addition to $6.5B worth of weapons, US Pacific Command should accidently lose a dozen nukes (and blame Taiwan for stealing them) - that would give the Chinese a taste of their own herbal medicine (I refer to the Chinese nuke transfer to Pakistan and North Korea).

[xinhui]

No nuke was exchanged.

The Pentagon admitted that it had mistakenly shipped four triggers for inter-continental nuclear missiles to Taiwan, and they were returned. The US government made a bigger deal out of it then the Chinese government. The Chinese government worries more about conv-weapon sells.

and blame Taiwan for stealing them

Not sure where you get your news from.

[xinhui]

March 26, 2008
US blunder sent nuclear components to Taiwan
Tom Baldwin in Washington
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle3620767.ece
The Pentagon admitted yesterday that it had mistakenly shipped four triggers for inter-continental nuclear missiles to Taiwan, an island with which Communist China maintains a state of war.

Officials said that the components had since been returned to the United States but added that they had began a full investigation into the incident which occurred two years ago.

The blunder represents the second embarrassing misplacement of nuclear-related equipment to come to light in recent months. Last year the military lost track of nuclear warheads for several hours after an Air Force bomber was incorrectly armed with them — and then flew over the length of the US before the error was discovered.

Ryan Henry, a senior adviser to Robert Gates, the Defence Secretary, said that the military was supposed to dispatch helicopter batteries to Taiwan. “It was not crystal clear exactly what happened,” he said, before describing the mistake as disconcerting and intolerable.
Related Links


The Pentagon has ordered the Navy and Air Force to make an inventory of all nuclear and nuclear-associated equipment. An examination of the site in Taiwan where the components had been stored indicated that they had not been tampered with. Mr Henry said that the triggers were “quite dated” as part of the Minuteman strategic nuclear missile system designed in the 1960s.

Michael Wynne, the Air Force Secretary, insisted that the items “could not be construed as being nuclear material”. He added: “It is a component for the fuse in the nosecone for a nuclear system.” But he added: “We are very concerned about it.”

Chinese officials, who have been informed of the incident, did not immediately respond to requests for a comment. Taiwan broke away from the mainland in 1949. Although Washington no longer formally recognises the island’s independence, it continues to provide the bedrock of Taiwan’s military defence against a possible Chinese attack.

[Greg]

Xinhui,

You misunderstood my post. I never meant that such an exchange took place in the past. I am recommending such an exchange (in a covert and deniable manner) as a means to deter Chinese aggession against the country of Taiwan and thus safeguard peace in the region. This will also cut another salami slice for Taiwanese independence in the future.

The above report that you posted is also, IMO, a deliberate attempt to transfer sensitive military technology to Taiwan - while maintaining a certain innocence on the part of the US. Its an example of responding to Chinese nuclear proliferation, using similar methods (i.e. taste of their own medicine).

[xinhui]

If US decided to do that what stop PRC just "give up" the six parties talk?


It takes more than "triggers" to build nuke.

[Greg]

Let me get this straight. PRC passes on nuclear weapons technology to NK and then "cooperates" by participating in 6-parties talk that will dissuade NK from nuclearizing.

We can also pass on the nukes to Taiwan and then participate in 10-party talks to convince Taiwan that it should return the nukes.

It takes more than "triggers" to build nuke.

I think you have regretfully arrived at an opinion that I am just plain stupid. Where did I imply the above? We cant have a productive debate if I have to devote half of my every post to clarify the previous one. Perhaps you should extend me the courtesy of reading my posts carefully before responding - otherwise its too tedious to continue.

[Officer of Engineers]

Let me get this straight. PRC passes on nuclear weapons technology to NK and then "cooperates" by participating in 6-parties talk that will dissuade NK from nuclearizing.

No, the Pakistanis passed the technology, actually only the only person we are sure of is AQ Khan, and not with Chinese approval.

The Chinese were so p!ssed off with the NK nuke that they moved an entire army to the border and frozed all funds and non-essential trade upto and including cutting off the electricity.

[Greg]

And despite that Sino-Pak relations flourished. With the kind of influence China has in Pakistan and NK, I find it highly unlikely that the Pakistan-NK exchange of nuclear tech/missile technology was not known to them. Its much more likely that the exchange was sanctioned by PRC and the anger that you refer to was feigned.

[Greg]

I was looking for this link that implicates China in proliferating the nuke technology to NK. I havent read the book - perhaps your info comes from there?

[Officer of Engineers]

Nope.

A lot of this is old news to China watchers. The Chinese never gave NK nuclear weapons technology though it is without a doubt that Beijing has helped with nuclear reactor technology. Given the state of NK's electrical grid, it is perhaps a good thing or else, a final collapse of North Korea and the resulting refugee crisis both south and north of North Korea.

The NK tried to go for all the marbles at the 1st go, going for a thermo-nuclear weapon that can fit their TD rockets. It is believed that the CICH-4 is too big for the TDs.

[Officer of Engineers]

And despite that Sino-Pak relations flourished. With the kind of influence China has in Pakistan and NK, I find it highly unlikely that the Pakistan-NK exchange of nuclear tech/missile technology was not known to them. Its much more likely that the exchange was sanctioned by PRC and the anger that you refer to was feigned.

AQ Khan was a sneaky bastard and has spread knowledge to where even Islamabad doesn't want. After all, their modified blueprints were found in Switzerland of all places.