Two on China
The Communist Government of China has been flexing its muscles recently.
From the
Epoch Times International:
CCP Official Claims Sino-Japanese War Possible by Year’s End
Yuan Hongbing: CCP’s turn towards fascism is the most urgent danger for humankind
Tang Chunfeng, the former commercial counselor for the Chinese Embassy in Japan, said in Hong Kong recently that a war could break out between China and Japan this year. The remark followed on the heels of Chinese General Zhu Chenghu’s speech on the use of nuclear weapons against the United States. Former Beijing University professor Yuan Hongbing said that Tang’s speech proves again that the CCP’s turn toward fascism presents the most urgent danger for humankind. The danger is no less than before World War II.
On August 10, Tang Chunfeng, who now works for the Department of Commerce, said in Hong Kong that a military clash could erupt between China and Japan by the end of this year. He fears that Japanese Prime Minister Koizumi, faced with a domestic political crisis, "is bound to provoke a dispute with China, playing on the tensions over the disputed ownership of the East Sea oil and gas fields."
I had written about General Chenghu here:
China's War
Next up is this question from
Jane's
Is China building a carrier?
Chinese shipyard workers have been repairing a badly damaged ex-Russian aircraft carrier and have repainted it with the country's military markings, raising the question once again of whether China is pursuing longer-term plans to field its first carrier.
In the latest developments, images show that workers at the Chinese Dalian Shipyard have repainted the ex-Russian Kuznetsov-class aircraft carrier Varyag with the markings and colour scheme of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy (PLAN). Additional new photographs show that other work, the specifics of which could not be determined, appears to be continuing and that the condition of the vessel is being improved.
JDW believes that PLAN technicians have also conducted thorough studies of the basic structure of the Varyag during the past few years to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the carrier's structural design. Former PLAN commander General Liu Huaqing stated in his memoirs that China had purchased blueprints for the carrier - a fact that Russian sources confirmed to JDW. Moreover, Gen Huaqing added: "The competent departments of the defence industry employed Russian aircraft carrier designers to come to China and give lectures."
Still, China's ultimate intentions for the Varyag remain unclear. One possibility is that Beijing intends to eventually have it enter into some level of service. A military strategist from a Chinese military university has commented publicly that the Varyag "would be China's first aircraft carrier".
Why do they need it -- are they in danger of being attacked?
Or do they have plans to expand their territories to include parts of Japan and Taiwan. We have know what good overlords they have been in Tibet...
Posted by DaveH at August 25, 2005 4:48 PM