When newly appointed CIA Director Porter Goss recently warned that China's modernization of its military posed a direct threat to the U.S., was it standard budget time scare tactics? Or did it signal the growing influence of hard-liners in the Bush Administration who want to "contain" China and re-institute the Cold War in Asia?
A day later, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld delivered a similar message to the Senate Armed Services Committee. Rumsfeld claimed that within a decade the Chinese navy could surpass the U.S. Navy, and that China was "increasingly moving their navy further from shore." The 2005 Quadrennial Defense Review will reportedly take a similarly alarmist view of China's military. The CIA and Pentagon assessments offer nothing particularly new in their military analysis of China. However, both specifically excluded any mention of U.S.-China cooperation around North Korea or last year's CIA analysis that growing economic ties between China and the U.S. made military conflict less likely.
"It is a little surprising," James Steinberg, former national security advisor in the Clinton administration told the Financial Times, "that it [the CIA assessment] didn't say anything about the enormous emphasis China places on a stable international environment and constructive relations with the U.S." But not so surprising if the long battle between those in the Republican Party who favor engagement with China has begun to tip in favor of those who advocate confrontation and encirclement.
Introducing a new commentary from Foreign Policy In Focus
By Conn Hallinan
Conn Hallinan is a foreign policy analyst for Foreign Policy In Focus, online at http://www.fpif.org, and a lecturer in journalism at the University of California, Santa Cruz.
See new FPIF commentary online at:
http://www.fpif.org/commentary/2005/0502dragon.html
With printer-friendly pdf version at:
http://www.fpif.org/pdf/gac/0502dragon.pdf
For more analysis from FPIF:
Nepal--Nursing the Pinion
By Conn Hallinan (February 15, 2005)
http://www.fpif.org/commentary/2005/0502nepal.mil.html
J'accuse: War Crimes & Iraq
By Conn Hallinan (November 4, 2004)
http://www.fpif.org/commentary/2004/0411warcrimes.html
Indonesia: U.S. Underwriting Terrorism?
By Conn Hallinan (September 15, 2004)
http://www.fpif.org/commentary/2004/0409indonesia.html
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In conjunction with the IRC’s 25th anniversary, we have a new name: International Relations Center (formerly Interhemispheric Resource Center). We remain committed to our mission of “Working to make the United States a more responsible member of the global community by promoting strategic dialogues that lead to new citizen-based agendas.”
The IRC has been promoting “people-centered policy alternatives since 1979.” Please consider becoming an IRC member or donor. You can join the IRC and make a secure donation by visiting https://secure.iexposure.com/irc/donate.cfm . Thank you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Produced and distributed by FPIF:“A Think Tank Without Walls,” a joint program of International Relations Center (IRC) and Institute for Policy Studies (IPS).
For more information, visit http://www.fpif.org. If you would like to add a name to the “What’s New At FPIF” specific region or topic list, please email: communications@irc-online.org with “subscribe” and giving your area of interest.
Peace and Justice News from FPIF
http://www.fpif.org/
February 22, 2005
International Relations Center (IRC)
(formerly Interhemispheric Resource Center)
http://www.irc-online.org/
Siri D. Khalsa
Outreach Coordinator
Email: communications@irc-online.org
P.O. Box 2178
Silver City, NM 88062
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A day later, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld delivered a similar message to the Senate Armed Services Committee. Rumsfeld claimed that within a decade the Chinese navy could surpass the U.S. Navy, and that China was "increasingly moving their navy further from shore." The 2005 Quadrennial Defense Review will reportedly take a similarly alarmist view of China's military. The CIA and Pentagon assessments offer nothing particularly new in their military analysis of China. However, both specifically excluded any mention of U.S.-China cooperation around North Korea or last year's CIA analysis that growing economic ties between China and the U.S. made military conflict less likely.
"It is a little surprising," James Steinberg, former national security advisor in the Clinton administration told the Financial Times, "that it [the CIA assessment] didn't say anything about the enormous emphasis China places on a stable international environment and constructive relations with the U.S." But not so surprising if the long battle between those in the Republican Party who favor engagement with China has begun to tip in favor of those who advocate confrontation and encirclement.
Introducing a new commentary from Foreign Policy In Focus
By Conn Hallinan
Conn Hallinan is a foreign policy analyst for Foreign Policy In Focus, online at http://www.fpif.org, and a lecturer in journalism at the University of California, Santa Cruz.
See new FPIF commentary online at:
http://www.fpif.org/commentary/2005/0502dragon.html
With printer-friendly pdf version at:
http://www.fpif.org/pdf/gac/0502dragon.pdf
For more analysis from FPIF:
Nepal--Nursing the Pinion
By Conn Hallinan (February 15, 2005)
http://www.fpif.org/commentary/2005/0502nepal.mil.html
J'accuse: War Crimes & Iraq
By Conn Hallinan (November 4, 2004)
http://www.fpif.org/commentary/2004/0411warcrimes.html
Indonesia: U.S. Underwriting Terrorism?
By Conn Hallinan (September 15, 2004)
http://www.fpif.org/commentary/2004/0409indonesia.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In conjunction with the IRC’s 25th anniversary, we have a new name: International Relations Center (formerly Interhemispheric Resource Center). We remain committed to our mission of “Working to make the United States a more responsible member of the global community by promoting strategic dialogues that lead to new citizen-based agendas.”
The IRC has been promoting “people-centered policy alternatives since 1979.” Please consider becoming an IRC member or donor. You can join the IRC and make a secure donation by visiting https://secure.iexposure.com/irc/donate.cfm . Thank you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Produced and distributed by FPIF:“A Think Tank Without Walls,” a joint program of International Relations Center (IRC) and Institute for Policy Studies (IPS).
For more information, visit http://www.fpif.org. If you would like to add a name to the “What’s New At FPIF” specific region or topic list, please email: communications@irc-online.org with “subscribe” and giving your area of interest.
Peace and Justice News from FPIF
http://www.fpif.org/
February 22, 2005
International Relations Center (IRC)
(formerly Interhemispheric Resource Center)
http://www.irc-online.org/
Siri D. Khalsa
Outreach Coordinator
Email: communications@irc-online.org
P.O. Box 2178
Silver City, NM 88062
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