China's military build-up (a waste of money and prestige and possibly blood?)

[PeaceGen]

https://www.cfr.org/report/understanding-chinas-military-expansion-and-implications-us-policy


Understanding China’s Military Expansion and Implications for U.S. Policy

Testimony by Patricia M. Kim

May 17, 2018

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Chinese President Xi Jinping inspects troops at the People's Liberation Army Hong Kong Garrison as part of events marking the 20th anniversary of the city's handover from British to Chinese rule, June 30, 2017. Damir Sagolj/Reuters
Patricia Kim testified before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence on China’s worldwide military expansion. She discussed President Xi Jinping’s efforts to modernize the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and to strengthen his personal control over the military, the aggressive expansion of the PLA’s presence in the East and South China Seas, and the mutually reinforcing nature of China’s commercial and military activities abroad. Kim also highlighted the serious challenges China faces in its quest to become a global military power, from potential sources of internal instability, to Beijing’s relative lack of allies and soft power in the East Asian region and beyond.

When responding to China’s military expansion, Kim recommended that the United States should work with its allies and partners to shape the environment around China to disincentivize destabilizing behavior and to encourage Beijing to use its newfound power in constructive ways. To do this, Kim stressed that the United States must speak from a position of strength so that Beijing understands any attempts to restrict the United States’ presence in the East Asia will come at a great cost and set China back in its many ambitions.

Kim recommended that the United States focus on its comparative advantages by:

• Strengthening military capabilities and maintaining a leading edge in technological innovation. Defensive measures to protect critical industries from Chinese espionage and strategic investment are necessary but not sufficient to stay ahead in the race for technological superiority. The United States must invest in education and research, and facilitate collaboration across industries and with allies to maintain its lead.
• Strengthening alliances and security partnerships. Alliances are an invaluable asset that enable the United States to lead collective challenges against Chinese aggression and to generally shape outcomes in the global arena. The United States should work with allies to strengthen individual and joint military capabilities, and endeavor to resolve disputes with allies discreetly and without undermining the credibility of its commitments.
• Presenting a proactive agenda in the East Asian region and beyond. The United States should think boldly about what proactive measures it can take, such as rejoining the Trans-Pacific Partnership, to signal its constructive presence in East Asia. The United States should also work with allies such as Japan and Australia to channel private investment in Asia and provide technical assistance to states considering Chinese investment.
• Championing liberal values of open society, rule of law, respect for individual and political freedoms and democratic governance. Liberal values underpin the soft power of the United States and still resonate around the world, even in China, where many elites and citizens alike are disturbed by the increasingly authoritarian turn of the Chinese government. The United States should continue to reaffirm the importance of liberal values among like-minded allies and friends, and confront challenges to its democracy at home, so that it can stand as a beacon that inspires people in China and elsewhere to push for greater openness in their own political systems.
• Leveraging China’s desire for stability and prosperity at home to discourage destabilizing behavior, and to encourage its active participation in tackling global challenges. President Xi has set out several ambitious targets for his country which cannot be achieved if China is beset with chaos and instability due to a war, for instance, in the South China Sea or on the Korean Peninsula. Rather than engaging in transactional bargains, U.S. leaders should continue to make the case to their Chinese counterparts that Beijing should refrain from provocative behavior and cooperate to solve global challenges because it is in China’s long-term strategic interests to do so.

More on:

China


United States


Xi Jinping

South China Sea

The full written testimony can be accessed here, and a video of the hearing can be accessed here.

 

[Sugarcane]

When China is financing the rabid military of US then what's problem in spending on own military?

 

[Place Of Space]

You are not different to a salted fish if you have no ambitions.

 

[PeaceGen]

When China is financing the rabid military of US then what's problem in spending on own military?

Well it's been demonstrated clearly now that there is vocal hatred against the west.

so any military build-up is going to be a costly arms race at least, and a risk for large scale war at worst.

i hope i'm wrong and dealing with just a few vocal west-haters,
rather than the attitudes of those west-haters being dominant among the populations and governments of the countries they represent.

but i do fear that chinese mob-mentality. fear we have to fight that like we fought communism in the 1960s-1990s

 

[Sugarcane]

Well it's been demonstrated clearly now that there is vocal hatred against the west.

so any military build-up is going to be a costly arms race at least, and a risk for large scale war at worst.

i hope i'm wrong and dealing with just a few vocal west-haters,
rather than the attitudes of those west-haters being dominant among the populations and governments of the countries they represent.

but i do fear that chinese mob-mentality. fear we have to fight that like we fought communism in the 1960s-1990s

What's military expenditure of US? Add the military expenditures of other western country into it, compare it with rest of world combined and post result here so that we can fix the blame of arms race and military build-ups.

 

[PeaceGen]

What's military expenditure of US? Add the military expenditures of other western country into it, compare it with rest of world combined and post result here so that we can fix the blame of arms race and military build-ups.

it's the country/countries trying to surpass the militarily-strongest that are guilty of starting *and* continuing any arms-race.

 

[seven7seven]

it's the country/countries trying to surpass the militarily-strongest that are guilty of starting *and* continuing any arms-race.

So you think militarily weak nations should just accept being dictated to by the militarily strong?

China, like any other country, who have the means, can do whatever they like to secure the sovereignty of their country and protect their people. In any arms race, nobody is guilty and nobody is innocent. Don't be a little cry baby when countries are trying to better themselves on the World stage.

You might think China should be subserviant to the West but Chinese people have never seen themselves inferior to white men, even though this might be your train of thought. China are civilization builders and they are showing that to the World again. China needs to build military far bigger and superior to any other, to keep the savages away.

 

[TaiShang]

it's the country/countries trying to surpass the militarily-strongest that are guilty of starting *and* continuing any arms-race.

Your doctored title suggests that you are surprised. Why surprised?

Besides, if it is wasting China's money, you should happy and encourage China to continue with military build-up.

After China burns all of its money (hard to burn through near 4 trillion USD reserves, but likely possible), the world remains for your ilk to take over.

As for blood part, don't join the game if you are going to chicken out at the first sight of blood. Leave history to history makers.

 

[PeaceGen]

i try to actively prevent bloodshed, not welcome it.

and we have no intention of oppressing anyone who doesn't need to (by attacking us physically or as described in the first paragraph of my reply at https://defence.pk/pdf/threads/keep...s-didnt-back-down.572280/page-3#post-10708152 ).

in fact, with our free entertainment and news industry, we're not likely to repeat past mistakes anymore.

and yes, i do hope we stop making new mistakes. but we are only human. all humans make mistakes.

So you think militarily weak nations should just accept being dictated to by the militarily strong?

China, like any other country, who have the means, can do whatever they like to secure the sovereignty of their country and protect their people. In any arms race, nobody is guilty and nobody is innocent. Don't be a little cry baby when countries are trying to better themselves on the World stage.

You might think China should be subserviant to the West but Chinese people have never seen themselves inferior to white men, even though this might be your train of thought. China are civilization builders and they are showing that to the World again. China needs to build military far bigger and superior to any other, to keep the savages away.

i'm not crying. i'm warning you about the possible consequences to your economy and standard of living if you as a very large wealthy nation embark on this arms-race that you seem so dedicated to.

the russians faced breadlines after they lost their arms race against us.

now you're trying to set up some kinda new communist alliance with them, and trying to divide the EU and US and Canada at the same time,

i'm telling you it's going to backfire.

we're the ones with the experience in dealing with prolonged arms races.
you think that by knowing "everything" about how we dealt with it in the past, makes you suited to defeat us in the future.

don't force us to prove you wrong, Chinese.

this kind of wars of attrition of economic strength through arms races, we don't like having to do that.
well, a lot of our military people might like it, but not our politicians and peoples, i can tell you that for sure.

same for me. i'd much rather spend my time productively on my business than having to teach you the basics of acting like you're supporting a responsible, honest, just world-power.

and yes, we here in the west also have work to do on becoming more responsible and honest and just.
that's why i have a campaign running by email (to western governments and widely read mass media organisations) and possibly later on US forums as well, to contain the meddling the US has to do to keep Iran's militant ambitions outside it's own borders, as much as possible.
same for the US stepping out of the climate accord, i'm lobbying/campaigning against that too.

now please tell me, are you willing to talk to your own government when it does something morally objectionable or something you believe will harm your own people or people outside your borders in the short or long-term?

why aren't you publicly speaking out against the invasion of Taiwan huh?

why aren't you publicly for restoring Tibet's monestaries and religion in their autonomous region Tibet?

i think i know why, but i'll let you answer first. @Two you too dude.

 

[Tshering22]

i hope i'm wrong and dealing with just a few vocal west-haters,
rather than the attitudes of those west-haters being dominant among the populations and governments of the countries they represent.

Why are you as a Dutch concerned? It is about China and USA here. Netherlands still remains untouched.

 

[PeaceGen]

Why are you as a Dutch concerned? It is about China and USA here. Netherlands still remains untouched.

I have seen all the war movies made by Hollywood.
And so i hate real war.
Let alone tension buildups that do lead eventually to world war.

Can't police the entire internet myself, or even all the subforums of world affairs, but i can make a stand in one sub-forum, even if it costs me several hours per week, for months or years.

i don't like warmongering. i don't tolerate it where i choose to make a stand.
and you people don't realize how much the US-bashing and western bashing on this forum morally-supports those who would actually become violent. that type of talk, when not countered, can even facilitate financial and organisational support for the actually-violent.

 

[seven7seven]

i try to actively prevent bloodshed, not welcome it.

and we have no intention of oppressing anyone who doesn't need to (by attacking us physically or as described in the first paragraph of my reply at https://defence.pk/pdf/threads/keep...s-didnt-back-down.572280/page-3#post-10708152 ).

in fact, with our free entertainment and news industry, we're not likely to repeat past mistakes anymore.

and yes, i do hope we stop making new mistakes. but we are only human. all humans make mistakes.



i'm not crying. i'm warning you about the possible consequences to your economy and standard of living if you as a very large wealthy nation embark on this arms-race that you seem so dedicated to.

the russians faced breadlines after they lost their arms race against us.

now you're trying to set up some kinda new communist alliance with them, and trying to divide the EU and US and Canada at the same time,

i'm telling you it's going to backfire.

we're the ones with the experience in dealing with prolonged arms races.
you think that by knowing "everything" about how we dealt with it in the past, makes you suited to defeat us in the future.

don't force us to prove you wrong, Chinese.

this kind of wars of attrition of economic strength through arms races, we don't like having to do that.
well, a lot of our military people might like it, but not our politicians and peoples, i can tell you that for sure.

same for me. i'd much rather spend my time productively on my business than having to teach you the basics of acting like you're supporting a responsible, honest, just world-power.

and yes, we here in the west also have work to do on becoming more responsible and honest and just.
that's why i have a campaign running by email (to western governments and widely read mass media organisations) and possibly later on US forums as well, to contain the meddling the US has to do to keep Iran's militant ambitions outside it's own borders, as much as possible.
same for the US stepping out of the climate accord, i'm lobbying/campaigning against that too.

now please tell me, are you willing to talk to your own government when it does something morally objectionable or something you believe will harm your own people or people outside your borders in the short or long-term?

why aren't you publicly speaking out against the invasion of Taiwan huh?

why aren't you publicly for restoring Tibet's monestaries and religion in their autonomous region Tibet?

i think i know why, but i'll let you answer first. @Two you too dude.

Military hard power is necessary to exert political soft power. Most countries stay silent on Taiwan and Tibet issue because China is now militarily and economically more powerful. Same as why few countries openly criticise USA for their war-mongering ways. Military power strengthens a country's geopolitical influence.

China strengthening their military might be seen as a negative influence to you, and that's your prerogative to think that way. However, there are many people around the World who welcome China's military rise as a healthy counterbalance to USA's military. White people only respect hard power. China knows this and China will obtain it, regardless of whatever a random Dutch pseudo-pacifist thinks.

 

[rambro]

U should be more worried about US zionist regime more than anyone else given their track record of wars n conflicts in just 200 years since the founding of America.

 

[PeaceGen]

Military hard power is necessary to exert political soft power. Most countries stay silent on Taiwan and Tibet issue because China is now militarily and economically more powerful. Same as why few countries openly criticise USA for their war-mongering ways. Military power strengthens a country's geopolitical influence.

China strengthening their military might be seen as a negative influence to you, and that's your prerogative to think that way. However, there are many people around the World who welcome China's military rise as a healthy counterbalance to USA's military. White people only respect hard power. China knows this and China will obtain it, regardless of whatever a random Dutch pseudo-pacifist thinks.

Then... take it slow, don't repeat past mistakes whenever you can, allow for international arbitration (like for the Chinese Sea, see https://defence.pk/pdf/threads/keep...navy-plane-but-the-us-didnt-back-down.572280/ ) and stay reasonable and polite towards others.

or i refer you to what i said in https://defence.pk/pdf/threads/chin...tige-and-possibly-blood.572478/#post-10708639

U should be more worried about US zionist regime more than anyone else given their track record of wars n conflicts in just 200 years since the founding of America.

i admit i don't know enough about them.
can you give me a few (links to) summaries of what they are accused of doing wrong?

 

[atan651]

Get real, in these days and age if you are militarily weak some assholes aka the West and their allies (US, Britain, france, Jap) will undoubtedly bully you at every turn. China must and will build up its military at all costs, only to protect its own interests.