China’s increasing military spending unnerves neighbors
 

China’s increasing military spending unnerves neighbors

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/...314_story.html

Interesting choice of words further down in the article from Maj. Gen. Luo Yuan:

Since Taiwan is not considered by Beijing to be another country, but rather a renegade province, it is probably not them to which he's referring. Which other countries are occupying lots of Chinese land? India, Vietnam, Russia, Mongolia? And how should they feel about these assertions?

Right now there is a lot of tension between Japan and China over a small group of islands to which both countries lay claims. A quick google search will give you a list of stories, including a few incidents revolving around this dispute.

There may be others, but this particular issue has been escalating over the past few months.

Nobody with a sane brain would feel confident and safe with a neighbour like China... it is only a matter of when, where, and how bad the first collission will happen.

Nationalism and heavy defense spending in light of political[1] and potential economic turbulence(increasing population, growing economic gap[2]) are rarely a good combination, I see a scapegoat in the making. Time will tell.

My .02

[1] http://www.brookings.edu/research/ar...nsition-cpc-li
[2] http://www.businessweek.com/magazine...4013648109.htm

That's how I feel about all countries.

The Dragon and the Bear - coming soon.

Richard :munchin

Who strikes first? Who strikes last? India. What about India?

Not all "collissions" end up in open war. If you prepare enough (political, economical, military pressure), the time comes when no one dares to go to war with you over a few small islands or some other relatively minor issue.

And then you go to the next issue....

Both Russia and China will surely pick on much smaller preys before bumping into each other.

Quote:
Originally Posted by TiroFijo
Nobody with a sane brain would feel confident and safe with a neighbour like China... it is only a matter of when, where, and how bad the first collission will happen.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dusty
That's how I feel about all countries.

And that's the right approach... :D

BUT, some countries deserve more watching than others.

I've got my eyes on Canada. Who knows what those hosers are thinking under the tuques? I hear they're hoarding snowshoes, sleds and sled dogs, and waiting for winter. :D

India won't strike first, the government here doesn't have the balls to do so.
Of course India has to worry about the defense spending of the Chinese because their best friend(Pakistan) is our worst enemy.Other neighbors like Sri Lanka, Nepal, Myanmar and Bangladesh are pretty much more pro-China than they are pro-India. We can very safely assume that if somehow the Chinese declared war on us the Pakistani's will definitely jump at the opportunity to join them. The Japanese and the South Koreans are worried about this development too. As someone has mentioned in this thread about the Island skirmishes with Japan and South Korea has to worry about China-North Korea.

But then we aren't too far behind. India too is spending a lot on its military, let me list down a few sales:

->Apache and Chinook Helicopters from the US

->126 Rafale fighter jets from France.

->Phalcon AWACS from Israel.

->12 C-130J aircrafts acquired.

->Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier to be delivered with Naval Mig-29K's from Russia.We have 2 more indigenous aircraft carriers in production.


->Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft/Sukhoi PAK-FA project with the Russians.Test flights have been made.


->Artillery guns on order from BAE.

So basically to sum up they may have the upper edge on quantity but we have the edge on quality. Also to add that India is having a lot of exercises with the USAF,USN and US Special Forces along with the British,Russian,Israeli and French armed forces.We are getting to learn and train with the best, the Chinese aren't availing this opportunity.

The Indian Army due to its Counter-Insurgency ops. in Kashmir and the North-East has seen much much more combat than the commie PLA.

I wouldn't worry much about the Special Ops front. I somehow feel that the Chinese aren't that ahead in Special Forces given their attitude of Mass Production. They probably wouldn't match our Para's and the MARCOS and neither do we underestimate them. Since some members here have been part of exercises Vajra Prahar with Indian SF maybe then can give a better comparison.

In the end we(India) are worried about this development and steps are being taken to counter it. I have never liked the Chinese and probably will never trust one.

I'd pay to see them go at each other first.

China, Russia, North Korea and others.....
 

Does anyone else feel like we have seen a rise of a new Soviet Union......

Mitt Romney?