China, Not our Friend.

Defiant · August 11, 2003, 16:42

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,94355,00.html

What is China's position on space-based weapons (search)? Considering the gap between what officials in Beijing say and what they do on the issue, it's hard to get a straight answer. But let's look at the facts.

For some time now, China (search) has spearheaded an international movement to ban conventional weapons from space. More than a year ago, the Asian superpower--joined by Russia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Belarus, Zimbabwe and Syria--introduced a draft treaty at the United Nations to outlaw the deployment of space-based weapons (search).

But even as it tries to rally multinational coalitions and public opinion to oppose "the weaponization of space," Beijing quietly continues to develop its own space-based weapons and tactics to destroy American military assets.

China's strategy here is to blunt American military superiority by limiting and ultimately neutralizing its existing space-based defense assets, and to forestall deployment of new technology that many experts believe would provide the best protection from ballistic-missile (search) attack.

Chinese security experts have a keen appreciation of America's space-based assets and how the military envisions using them in future conflicts. Strategists in the People's Liberation Army (search) have studied our campaigns in the 1991 Gulf War, Kosovo, Afghanistan and this year's war in Iraq.

They have observed our overwhelming superiority in the general field of "C4ISR" (search) (command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance). More importantly, they have noted that our superiority in communication, reconnaissance and surveillance depends on what we have up in space.

These lessons have convinced PLA military planners that America's strength can become our Achilles heel. If they can neutralize or destroy our space assets, American forces will lose a critical advantage, leaving them far more vulnerable to China's larger but less-advanced military.

The importance the PLA attaches to space technology was stated most succinctly in a Dec. 12, 2001, article posted on the PLA Web site: "Whoever has control [or "hegemony"] over space will also have the ability to help or hinder and affect 'ground' mobility and air, sea and space combat." The article, dramatically entitled "The Weaponization of Space--A Call to the Danger," (search) dutifully calls for the "peace-loving nations and peoples of the world" to oppose this weaponization.

But a decade's-worth of technical articles in Chinese science digests discussing how to fight a war in space and analyzing U.S. strengths and vulnerability make it clear that Beijing has a long-running military program designed to challenge America's dominance in--and dependence on--space.

China's Technology Research Academy (search), for example, has been developing an advanced anti-satellite weapon called a "piggyback satellite." (search) The system is designed to seek out an enemy satellite (or space station or space-based laser) and attach itself like a parasite, either jamming the enemy's communications or physically destroying the unit.

The PLA also is experimenting with other types of satellite killers: land-based, directed-energy weapons and "micro-satellites" (search) that can be used as kinetic energy weapons. According to the latest (July 2003) assessment by the U.S. Defense Department, China will probably be able to field a direct-ascent anti-satellite system (search) in the next two to six years.

Such weapons would directly threaten what many believe would be America's best form of ballistic-missile defense: a system of space-based surveillance and tracking sensors, connected with land-based sensors and space-based missile interceptors. Such a system could negate any Chinese missile attack on the U.S. homeland.

China may be a long way from contemplating a ballistic missile attack on the U.S. homeland. But deployment of American space-based interceptors also would negate the missiles China is refitting to threaten Taiwan and U.S. bases in Okinawa and Guam. And there's the rub, as far as the PLA is concerned.

Clearly, Beijing's draft treaty to ban deployment of space-based weapons is merely a delaying tactic aimed at hampering American progress on ballistic-missile defense while its own scientists develop effective countermeasures.

What Beijing hopes to gain from this approach is the ability to disrupt American battlefield awareness--and its command and control operations--and to deny the U.S. access to the waters around China and Taiwan should the issue of Taiwan's sovereignty lead to conflict between the two Chinas.

China's military thinkers are probably correct: The weaponization of space is inevitable. And it's abundantly clear that, draft treaties and pious rhetoric notwithstanding, they're doing everything possible to position themselves for dominance in space. That's worth keeping in mind the next time they exhort "peace-loving nations" to stay grounded.

Larry M. Wortzel is vice president for foreign policy and defense studies at The Heritage Foundation, a Washington-based public policy institute

Geee, we wondered why we don't get any real support from this country. Just another point where they want to trip up our progress, as usual nothing is ever as it seems, politically. So lets just watch out for ourselves.

Lord Merciless · August 11, 2003, 16:50

So? America has published all kinds of plans on how to nuke China. Why shouldn't they do the same thing in return? Politics, politics, politics....

Harry Seldon · August 11, 2003, 16:56

Anyone who thought China was our friend was accepting money from them. Many of their politicians see the United States as their one true enemy and only await acheiving comparable strength and a sign of weakness from the US to attack. It's ludicrous to think our countries can or will get along.

Lord Merciless · August 11, 2003, 16:57

Quote:

Originally posted by Harry Seldon
Anyone who thought China was our friend was accepting money from them. Many of their politicians see the United States as their one true enemy and only await acheiving comparable strength and a sign of weakness from the US to attack. It's ludicrous to think our countries can or will get along.

Osama bin Laden loves you...

SlowwHand · August 11, 2003, 17:00

Not our friend.
You have a firm grasp of the obvious.

CorpusScorpius · August 11, 2003, 17:07

History has to have 2 Opposing sides USSR vs. USA.........CHINA vs. USA ..........

Pekka · August 11, 2003, 17:16

Not friends? You must be kidding

Dis · August 11, 2003, 17:59

If we don't attack them, they won't attack us.

Whaleboy · August 11, 2003, 18:01

China rules!!

Combat Ingrid · August 11, 2003, 18:02

Does China really have any friends?

Panag · August 11, 2003, 18:14

Quote:

Originally posted by Combat Ingrid
Does China really have any friends?

north corea is one , ...

Whaleboy · August 11, 2003, 18:19

Quote:

Does China really have any friends?

ME!!!!

Anyone who can piss off Americans that much without putting them in any danger has to be good!!! Its something I'm trying to emulate. On the other hand, a little less communism, little more human rights, and we have the perfect country!!!

Sprayber · August 11, 2003, 18:35

Quote:

Originally posted by elijah
On the other hand, a little less communism, little more human rights, and we have the perfect country!!!

Just what do you call a little

I'd rather live in France than to live in China.

Bereta_Eder · August 11, 2003, 18:38

Quote:

Originally posted by Sprayber

Just what do you call a little

I'd rather live in France than to live in China.

Living in France aint so bad. Its the same as Belgium only a bit more "fiery". (more med)
how u'r doing

Whaleboy · August 11, 2003, 18:41

Quote:

Just what do you call a little

http://www.geocities.com/ben_j_elijah/mill.htm

Verto · August 11, 2003, 18:42

Maybe MacArthur was right in dealing with China. Look how Patton's view of the Russians turned out.

Nubclear · August 11, 2003, 18:46

China is another perfect example of why "Enemy of my enemy is my friend" is a bad idea.

KrazyHorse · August 11, 2003, 18:49

Paragraphs 4-6 were what made me do a double take and confirm my suspicion that this was a foxnews story.

Sprayber · August 11, 2003, 18:50

Quote:

Originally posted by elijah

http://www.geocities.com/ben_j_elijah/mill.htm

Why do I get the feeling you were wanting someone to ask you.

Pekka: The best part about France is that it's close to Germany or the UK.

Of course that was my impression when I went to Paris. Then again the rest of France may be ok.

BeBro · August 11, 2003, 18:50

I thought posting something from fox leads to a ban here?

KrazyHorse · August 11, 2003, 18:52

Hell, even when they're not saying anything outrageous (as in this article) the tenor comes straight trough and punches you in the face...

DRoseDARs · August 11, 2003, 18:53

*DRoseDARs innocently opens thread, reads*
"China, Not our Friend...http://www.foxnews..." ACK...!!! *Slams fist down on shiny red button*

***ACTIVATING FAUX NEWS BRAINWAVE DEFENSE SHIELD***

*Tink* *tink, tink* *thud* *tink* *thump, tink...*

***DEPLOYING SECONDARY FAIR-AND-BALANCED SHIELDING***
***READJUSTING POWER UTILIZATION OF NO-SPIN GYROSCOPES TO REINFORCE WE REPORT-YOU DECIDE BUFFERS***

*...tink* *thud, thud* *CRASH, GROOOooan* *SCREEEECH...thunk* *tink* *tink...*

Damn, that was close. Thank God for secondary systems. Now that that has finished, this behaviour on China's part isn't suprising in the least. What is suprising to me is that they think China could put up anti-satellite systems more advanced than MMiaC (Metal Marbles in a Can) systems before the end of the decade.

Whaleboy · August 11, 2003, 18:55

Quote:

Why do I get the feeling you were wanting someone to ask you

I'm trying to indoctrinate you people with my extreme libertarianism!!

Bereta_Eder · August 11, 2003, 19:02

Quote:

Originally posted by Sprayber

Pekka: The best part about France is that it's close to Germany or the UK.

Of course that was my impression when I went to Paris. Then again the rest of France may be ok.

I wish I was pekka. That way i'd know military fighting and be kicking people's asses

the rest of france is no offence, well pretty bad. i never saw villagers like i saw in france. paris is as good as it gets . and it does get pretty good imo.

Dis · August 11, 2003, 19:04

yes posting from Fox News is a bannable offense here.

Why do you guys think I never post articles from Fox news any more? Well that, and I don't like the way they write the articles on their website. Their website seems to be even more conservative than their newscasts, if that is possible.

Sandman · August 11, 2003, 19:33

China may not be your friend, but you're desperate to have them as an enemy. Why, a harmless China means there's no need for more military gadgets, and we can't have that, can we?

Sprayber · August 11, 2003, 20:15

Quote:

Originally posted by paiktis22

I wish I was pekka. That way i'd know military fighting and be kicking people's asses

the rest of france is no offence, well pretty bad. i never saw villagers like i saw in france. paris is as good as it gets . and it does get pretty good imo.

Sorry. I'm on a little medication and the screen moves on me at times.

mrmitchell · August 11, 2003, 20:49

Fox News is all you can come up with? If you want to be taken seriously, get a real news place.

Joseph · August 12, 2003, 00:59

China is not our friend, nor has it been our friend since 1949. One day you boys under 40 will fine out. I may be gone when it happen, but it will happen.
The Chinese do not think like western man, so the first thing that has to happen is don't used your western style thinking trying to understand the Chinese.
My wife is Chinese, but she was born here and her mother was born here, but her father was born in China in 1910. He died last Jan at the age of 92. For 38 years I tried to figure out why he did thing that did not make sense to me with my Calif. thinking. I learned a long time ago, it was because he was Chinese and he/they do not think like we do.

Dis · August 12, 2003, 01:02

ahh but take a look at their history. Do they go about trying to conqure the world? No

They are no threat to the U.S.