China’s increasing military spending unnerves neighbors

[Airbornelawyer]

China’s increasing military spending unnerves neighbors

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

China’s military spending has been rapidly spiraling upward, and the growing amounts are unnerving Beijing’s Asian neighbors and policy planners in the Pentagon, who are openly wary about the country’s long-term intentions.

Getting a handle on Chinese military spending is difficult because much of it is opaque and off the books, such as the People’s Liberation Army’s spending on research and space exploration. But various international think tanks estimate that China’s military spending has risen from about $20 billion in 2002 to at least $120 billion last year.

The United States still spends four times as much on its military. But by some accounts, China is on course to surpass the United States in total military spending by 2035.

... .

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

“Actually, our rapid spending increase in recent years is more like compensation for the past,” Luo said. “Second, the huge increase in our budget is because China faces a lot of threats, traditional and nontraditional. We have a lot of land occupied by other countries. We’re also one of the countries in the world with the most neighbors.”

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?

[PedOncoDoc]

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.

[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.

[Dusty]

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.

That's how I feel about all countries.

[Richard]

The Dragon and the Bear - coming soon.

Richard

[MR2]

Originally Posted by Richard

The Dragon and the Bear - coming soon.

Richard

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

[TiroFijo]

Originally Posted by Richard

The Dragon and the Bear - coming soon.

Richard

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

[Red Flag 1]

Originally Posted by Richard

The Dragon and the Bear - coming soon.

Richard

Yup!

China never forgets, and has even greater capacity for waiting for the right time.

RF 1

[BOfH]

Originally Posted by PedOncoDoc

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.

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