Post by gillan1220 on Apr 22, 2022 14:37:45 GMT
Illegal immigration was a growing and pressing issue for a lot of Americans in 2004/2005. I remember taking part in the discussions of it, reading it, watching it and listening to it.
Reaction to China was never abandoned nor cosied up to; the die had been cast in the second Clinton term in strategic terms, even as there was an ill-advised push to bring them into the WTO and bind them closely to the international system.
In the Bush years, there was a growing hostility if anything else, which had been coming since Tiananmen Square in 1989. The spy plane incident did cause a pretty large political reaction and politics is downstream of culture. Stratcom stuff doesn't matter - politics matters, as warfare is the continuation of politics by other means. There was even a certain keenness, just as there is now, to get the Middle East out of the way so that they could focus on China.
The Red Chinese have missiles nominally capable of hitting a CVBG...as long as it is following the Chinese playbook and not using its whole range of capabilities, including that darn cheating habit of shooting back.
If anything, it wasn't the colour of the enemy, but their beliefs and their religion that was the big issue for the majority of certain people back then.
Russia: Joint Military Exercises With China A Result Of New Strategic Partnership - Radio Free Europe, August 18, 2005
The Chinese and Russian chiefs of general staffs, Liang Guanglie and Yurii Baluyevskii, meet in Vladivostok on 18 August Russia and China kicked off their first-ever joint military exercises today in the city of Vladivostok in Russia's Far East. Some 10,000 troops from air, land, and sea forces are due to take part in the eight-day drill, which will be centered along China's northeastern coast. Both countries have actively sought to reassure the United States that the war games are not aimed at any third country. Experts say the goal of the drill, in fact, may be more commercial than military.
Moscow, 18 August 2005 (RFE/RL) -- Russian and Chinese military commanders marked the launch of the exercises today by laying wreaths at a World War II memorial in Vladivostok.
The drill, dubbed Peace Mission 2005, will simulate a scenario in which troops are deployed to restore order in a third country torn by massive ethnic unrest.
The maneuvers will take place mainly in the Yellow Sea and culminate on China's Shandong Peninsula.
They will involve as many as 10,000 soldiers -- mostly Chinese -- as well as 140 naval ships and submarines, Russian Tu-22M long-range bombers, and Tu-95 strategic bombers.
General Liang Guanglie, the chief of the Chinese Army's General Staff, told a news conference in Vladivostok today that the drill is intended to strengthen the capability of the two armed forces in jointly fighting terrorism and extremism.
His Russian counterpart, Colonel General Yurii Baluyevskii, said the drill will help both countries protect stability in the region.
"The main aim of these exercises is to ensure the training, to ensure the readiness of the structures in charge of the subdivisions taking part from the armed forces of the Russian Federation and the People's Republic of China, precisely in order to counter the challenges we face today in the Asia-Pacific region, and in the world as a whole," Baluyevskii said.
"The main aim of these exercises is to ensure the training, to ensure the readiness of the structures in charge of the subdivisions taking part from the armed forces of the Russian Federation and the People's Republic of China, precisely in order to counter the challenges we face today in the Asia-Pacific region, and in the world as a whole."
The joint exercises, Baluyevskii added, underline the growing ties between Russia and China.
"Today, the development of relations with the People's Republic of China occupies a key position in the foreign political relations of our state, our armies and our peoples," Baluyevskii said.
Baluyevskii also stressed the maneuvers were not meant to intimidate any third country.
Both Moscow and Beijing have been eager to dispel U.S. fears that the exercises are aimed at creating a Russian-Chinese military union.
The United States views with distrust the strengthening ties between the two nations. Moscow and Beijing have developed what they call a strategic partnership to oppose what they perceive as U.S. domination in global affairs.
Russia and China are also seeking to check the presence of the United States in Central Asia and to consolidate their own influence in the volatile region.
Also on hand for the drill are member-state observers from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization -- a security group that comprises Russia, China and four of the five Central Asian states. Their presence has further fueled speculation that the exercises are intended as a message to Washington to stay away from the region.
The military drill has also sparked worries in the United States that China might be preparing for a possible surprise strike against Taiwan before other countries can intervene. Beijing has vowed to attack Taiwan if the island formally declares its independence.
Ivan Safranchuk, the director of the Moscow-based Center for Defense Information, said the military exercises are certainly part of China and Russia's efforts to show the West they are solid partners.
"From a political point of view, I would not say this [drill] is taking an anti-American or anti-Western position," Safranchuk said. "But it demonstrates that Russia and China can be close partners."
Military experts were also downplaying the practical military objectives of the drill itself.
Many said it is more of a commercial opportunity for Russia to showcase its military hardware to China, the world's top purchaser of Russian armaments and equipment.
"For the Chinese side, these exercises are needed to gain experience in the use of the military technology it is buying from Russia," Safranchuk said. "For Russia, accordingly, these exercises are an opportunity to show China the capabilities of the equipment it is buying, but also that of the equipment Russia would like to sell to China in the future."
Beijing might be particularly interested in acquiring sensitive military equipment and technologies that Moscow has so far refused to sell. Experts said the inclusion of Russian strategic and long-range bombers in the drill is no coincidence.
Over the past decade, massive Russian arms sales to China have favored the development of bilateral cooperation. According to estimates by the Moscow-based Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies, Russia has been delivering an annual average of $2 billion worth of arms to China since 2000, including fighter aircraft, submarines, and destroyers.
(RFE/RL correspondent Antoine Blua contributed to this report.)
Moscow, 18 August 2005 (RFE/RL) -- Russian and Chinese military commanders marked the launch of the exercises today by laying wreaths at a World War II memorial in Vladivostok.
The drill, dubbed Peace Mission 2005, will simulate a scenario in which troops are deployed to restore order in a third country torn by massive ethnic unrest.
The maneuvers will take place mainly in the Yellow Sea and culminate on China's Shandong Peninsula.
They will involve as many as 10,000 soldiers -- mostly Chinese -- as well as 140 naval ships and submarines, Russian Tu-22M long-range bombers, and Tu-95 strategic bombers.
General Liang Guanglie, the chief of the Chinese Army's General Staff, told a news conference in Vladivostok today that the drill is intended to strengthen the capability of the two armed forces in jointly fighting terrorism and extremism.
His Russian counterpart, Colonel General Yurii Baluyevskii, said the drill will help both countries protect stability in the region.
"The main aim of these exercises is to ensure the training, to ensure the readiness of the structures in charge of the subdivisions taking part from the armed forces of the Russian Federation and the People's Republic of China, precisely in order to counter the challenges we face today in the Asia-Pacific region, and in the world as a whole," Baluyevskii said.
"The main aim of these exercises is to ensure the training, to ensure the readiness of the structures in charge of the subdivisions taking part from the armed forces of the Russian Federation and the People's Republic of China, precisely in order to counter the challenges we face today in the Asia-Pacific region, and in the world as a whole."
The joint exercises, Baluyevskii added, underline the growing ties between Russia and China.
"Today, the development of relations with the People's Republic of China occupies a key position in the foreign political relations of our state, our armies and our peoples," Baluyevskii said.
Baluyevskii also stressed the maneuvers were not meant to intimidate any third country.
Both Moscow and Beijing have been eager to dispel U.S. fears that the exercises are aimed at creating a Russian-Chinese military union.
The United States views with distrust the strengthening ties between the two nations. Moscow and Beijing have developed what they call a strategic partnership to oppose what they perceive as U.S. domination in global affairs.
Russia and China are also seeking to check the presence of the United States in Central Asia and to consolidate their own influence in the volatile region.
Also on hand for the drill are member-state observers from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization -- a security group that comprises Russia, China and four of the five Central Asian states. Their presence has further fueled speculation that the exercises are intended as a message to Washington to stay away from the region.
The military drill has also sparked worries in the United States that China might be preparing for a possible surprise strike against Taiwan before other countries can intervene. Beijing has vowed to attack Taiwan if the island formally declares its independence.
Ivan Safranchuk, the director of the Moscow-based Center for Defense Information, said the military exercises are certainly part of China and Russia's efforts to show the West they are solid partners.
"From a political point of view, I would not say this [drill] is taking an anti-American or anti-Western position," Safranchuk said. "But it demonstrates that Russia and China can be close partners."
Military experts were also downplaying the practical military objectives of the drill itself.
Many said it is more of a commercial opportunity for Russia to showcase its military hardware to China, the world's top purchaser of Russian armaments and equipment.
"For the Chinese side, these exercises are needed to gain experience in the use of the military technology it is buying from Russia," Safranchuk said. "For Russia, accordingly, these exercises are an opportunity to show China the capabilities of the equipment it is buying, but also that of the equipment Russia would like to sell to China in the future."
Beijing might be particularly interested in acquiring sensitive military equipment and technologies that Moscow has so far refused to sell. Experts said the inclusion of Russian strategic and long-range bombers in the drill is no coincidence.
Over the past decade, massive Russian arms sales to China have favored the development of bilateral cooperation. According to estimates by the Moscow-based Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies, Russia has been delivering an annual average of $2 billion worth of arms to China since 2000, including fighter aircraft, submarines, and destroyers.
(RFE/RL correspondent Antoine Blua contributed to this report.)
Shanghai surprise - The Guardian, June 16, 2006
Fri 16 Jun 2006 16.16 BST
11
At the one day annual summit of the six-nation Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) on June 15, more limelight fell on the leader of an observer country than on any of the main participants. That figure happened to be the controversial president of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Despite the lowly observer status accorded to his country, Ahmadinejad went on to publicly invite the SCO members to a meeting in Tehran to discuss energy exploration and development in the region. And the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, proposed that the SCO should form an "energy club".
While making a plea that his country should be accorded full membership of the SCO, the Pakistani president, Parvez Musharraf, highlighted the geo-strategic position of his country as an energy and trade corridor for SCO members. "Pakistan provides a natural link between the SCO states to connect the Eurasian heartland with the Arabian Sea and South Asia," he said.
Given this, the old adage "money talks" ought to be modified to "oil talks".
Founded in 1996 primarily to settle frontier problems between China and its post-Soviet neighbors - Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan - the SCO expanded three years later to include Uzbekistan, which does not share common borders with China or Russia, the two countries at the core of the SCO.
Since then SCO has developed as an organization concerned with regional security, thus focusing on counter-terrorism, defense, and energy cooperation.
Energy-hungry China has its eyes fixed on the large oil and gas reserves that Russia and Kazakhstan possess, and even the modest gas reserves of Uzbekistan.
Another energy-hungry mega-nation, India, which shares a disputed border with China, has been keen to join the group. It has acquired a military base in Tajikistan, an SCO member. And it has excellent relations with Russia. It was with the joint backing of Russia and Tajikistan that India was accorded an observer status a year ago - along with Pakistan, Iran and Mongolia.
The declared aim of the SCO summit to pursue "joint security, energy and development goals, including enhanced cooperation against terrorism, Islamist extremism and separatism" resonates with India.
Equally significant was the summing up statement of the Chinese president, Hu Jinato, who chaired the meeting of 10 countries accounting for half of the human race, in Shanghai. "We hope the outside world will accept the social system and path to development independently chosen by our members and observers and respect the domestic and foreign policies adopted by the SCO participants in line with their national conditions," he said. This was a short hand for non-interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states, a message the United States does not like to hear.
Little wonder that, Iran applied for full membership; as did India.
Last year when the SCO accorded observer status to four countries, it rejected a similar request from the United States.
The reason is not far to guess. The SCO is based on geographical contiguity. Though Iran does not have common land frontiers with any of SCO members, it shares fluvial border with Russia and Kazakhstan in the Caspian Sea. The US does not share borders with any of the SCO members.
The rising importance and coherence of the SCO worries Washington - as well as its closest Asian ally, Japan. "The SCO is becoming a rival block to the US alliance," said a senior Japanese official recently. "It does not share our values. We are watching it very closely."
Even India and Pakistan were accepted to be members on June 9, 2017. This is confusing because India is a rival of both Pakistan and China but has good relations with Russia.
