Chinese Disputes Over Claimed Territorial Waters is a Future Wake Up Call

There are many academics who believe that China's recent aggressive international behavior towards Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, and even the US Navy off their coasts is nothing to be concerned with, and that the US would do the same thing if there were incursions off our own coasts. Indeed, we would if there were incursions of pirates or drug smugglers. And realize we also only share our territorial waters with a few nations such as Mexico, Canada, and a few Caribbean Nation Islands.

Interestingly enough, we seem to be getting along fine unlike all the tensions off the coasts of China. There was an interesting paper put out by the Rand Think Tank not too long ago which insisted that China's international behavior was one of peace, not imperialistic visions of granger or strategies of world domination, however, I have a hard time buying into that academic fantasy based on actual events, and observations.

Not buying it for one-second.

In fact, with regards to issues in Tibet, territorial disputes with India, military conflict in Burma and the selling of weapons to Iran, Taliban, rogue governments of Africa, and to Iraq under Saddam - and the recent Japanese fishing boat incident, political rhetoric over Taiwan, and the many US Navy incursions, and displeasure of the US organization of all ASEAN nations, including challenges to friendly peaceful war games - I ask how could anyone buy into the logic that China's military ambitions are peaceful.

You see, there is simply no evidence for that.

And all this is above and beyond the "trade war" which China believes itself to be having with the USA, over such innocuous things as frozen chickens, subsidized steel, rare-earth elements - or its claim to water rights with bordering nations, or its theft of intellectual property. And we need not mention its ICBM anti-ship missiles, beyond horizon radars, spy satellites, or impeding sanctions and solutions to the Iranian or North Korean nuclear weapons programs.

No, I am not buying it.

And with that said, maybe none of us should buy into this nonsense or a peaceful China motif, in fact, maybe none of us should be buying anything from China at all when we can help it. Why? Because that's how many Chinese feel about US products, and perhaps that's why the trade between our two nations is so obviously lopsided and manipulated on their end.

No, I am not against China, rather I am marveling at their economic success, mostly because we funded it - it has been one impressive ride, but let's not be taken for a ride at our expense. I think China is a great nation with great potential, I just wish it would act and behave like it on the international trade front. Please consider this.

Ref.

1.) Wall Street Journal Article; "U.S., Allies Take Firmer Stance on China - Asean Seeks Stronger Positions on Territorial Disputes Amid Concern Over Beijing's Growth and Rising Military Powers," by Jeremy Page, Patrick Barta, and Jay Solomon, published on September 23, 2010.

2.) Wall Street Journal Article; "Beijing Discourages Japan Travel," by Hiroyuki Kachi - published on September 23, 2010.

3.) Wall Street Journal Article, "Business Sours on China - Foreign Executives Say Beijing Creates Fresh Barriers, Broadsides Patent Rules," by Andrew Browne and Jason Dean, March 27, 2010.

4.) Wall Street Journal Article, Editorial, "Farewell to America's China Station," by Mark Helprin,

5.) Wall Street Journal Article, "China Urges Restraint in Korean Crisis," by Evan Ramstad.

Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank. Lance Winslow believes some times it makes sense to use one of the phone companies and stay in contact with your trading partners, rather than engaging in trade wars or disputes.

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Chinese Disputes Over Territorial Waters - More to Follow Predicted

My how things in just a few years, especially in Asia - why I can remember the RAND Think Tank putting out a really nice piece (nearly 300 page report) on China's International Behavior, assuring us that China was no threat to the rest of the world. Still, when I look deeper we see RAND is sponsored by various groups one of which, I truly believe is somewhat white-washing reality to propel a different sort of agenda, of which I don't fully understand.

Now then, if you will recall just a couple of years ago Japan basically told the US to pack up our stuff and move our military base there, downsize and put a little satellite base there, downsize and put a little satellite base out of the way. Remember the big uproar, it was a major campaign issue, and the Japanese voters threw out the old guard and took over the country in a political firestorm.

Now, it seems so much has changed with regards to all our best predictions of US Relations with Japan and China, in so many ways. For instance, we see China is not assisting (debated - but certainly not very hard) in the North Korea dispute to disarm their nuclear weapons, which I suppose could be expected, after all where do you think North Korea got that technology in the first place, and seriously, I do ask the reader not to give me that story about the world infamous Pakistani scientist and proliferator giving North Korea that technology.

We also find China selling advanced defense systems to Iran, trading weapons for oil to (what could be considered) illegitimate African Nation regimes. Challenging its neighbors for territorial waters (there have been many incidents between the US, Taiwan, Japan in the last couple of years), and while making "air craft carrier killer anti-ship ICBM like missiles. Surely, you recall the harassment of a US warship in the straits of Taiwan, the issues in the Sea of Japan with fishing vessels, and the Taiwan-China spats leading to further challenges in international diplomacy. And well, who can forget the P-3 incident which led to a stale-mate and increased international tensions between the US and China.

We see China building bases and sea ports along all the sea cargo corridors and straits, which seems to be more than just about trade cargo security of its fleets of cargo vessels in many cases, and more about strategic military-sea choke points (yes, one could debate that either way, but I see a pattern here). Consider if you will in the future, that is to say, once the anti-ship missiles go into those locations, and the radar systems (portable or fixed). You see, in my view, we will all know that the academics and politicians who don't know or understand China's good ole' boy communist leadership faction will have been shown wrong at that point.

However, I predict this within the next 24-months. Seriously people, let's not be so nave, consider these potential eventual realities. I am not trying to scare anyone here, but let's really look at the patterns of behavior and not be so quick to write off our observations for a few academic papers, a Rand Think Tank Report, or some wishful thinking. The trade winds are blowing, the trade wars are going, and the future is coming.

Like I said; "Chinese and Japanese Spat Over Territorial Waters Reminds Me of a Bully in Junior High." Hmm, but the China we know as an adolescent is growing up now, what will it be like in its high-testosterone 20's? Maybe it might be prudent to consider a little tough-love, draw some lines and boundaries of what is and what is not appropriate behavior in the world.

It's of course, always good to form your own opinion on threat assessments, don't just take my word for it, or adopt my views and opinions based on years of observations and studies. Do your own research, and with that -I offer some of the following for you to review and then I hope you will please think on this.

Now then, I recommend that you read some of the recent articles in the Wall Street Journal to see how the tension has been ramping up lately
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References:

1.) Sean Chen, John Feffer, " CHINA'S MILITARY SPENDING: SOFT RISE OR HARD THREAT?" published in ASIAN PERSPECTIVE, Vol. 33, No. 4, 2009, pp. 47-67.
2.) Stephen Daggett, " Quadrennial Defense Review 2010: Overview and Implications for National Security Planning," Congressional Research Service, May 17, 2010.
3.) "China's International Behavior - Activism, Opportunism, and Diversification," by Medeiros, Evan S. and Rand Project Air Force, Arlington VA, Published by RAND Think Tank, 2009, pp. 280, Accession Number: ADA508156 - ISBN 978-0-8330-4709-0.
4.) "Red Dragon Rising - Communist China's Military Threat to America," by Edward Timberlake & William C Triplett II, Regnery Publications division of Eagle Publishing, Washington DC, 1999, pp. 271, ISBN: 0-89526-258-4.
5.) "China - the Gathering Threat," by Constantine C Mengers, PhD, Nelson Current division of Nelson Communication, Nashville TN, 2005, ISBN: 1-5955-5005-4, pp. 567.

Lance Winslow is the Founder of the Online Think Tank, a diverse group of achievers, experts, innovators, entrepreneurs, thinkers, futurists, academics, dreamers, leaders, and general all around brilliant minds. Lance Winslow hopes you've enjoyed today's discussion and topic. http://www.WorldThinkTank.net - Have an important subject to discuss, contact Lance Winslow.

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