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| China-Japan-Koreas |
| East Asia allies doubt U.S. could win war with China |
| 2005-11-23 |
| The overwhelming assessment by Asian officials, diplomats and analysts is that the U.S. military simply cannot defeat China. It has been an assessment relayed to U.S. government officials over the past few months by countries such as Australia, Japan and South Korea. This comes as President Bush wraps up a visit to Asia, in which he sought to strengthen U.S. ties with key allies in the region. Most Asian officials have expressed their views privately. Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara has gone public, warning that the United States would lose any war with China. "In any case, if tension between the United States and China heightens, if each side pulls the trigger, though it may not be stretched to nuclear weapons, and the wider hostilities expand, I believe America cannot win as it has a civic society that must adhere to the value of respecting lives," Mr. Ishihara said in an address to the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies. Mr. Ishihara said U.S. ground forces, with the exception of the Marines, are "extremely incompetent" and would be unable to stem a Chinese conventional attack. Indeed, he asserted that China would not hesitate to use nuclear weapons against Asian and American cities—even at the risk of a massive U.S. retaliation. The governor said the U.S. military could not counter a wave of millions of Chinese soldiers prepared to die in any onslaught against U.S. forces. After 2,000 casualties, he said, the U.S. military would be forced to withdraw. "Therefore, we need to consider other means to counter China," he said. "The step we should be taking against China, I believe, is economic containment." Officials acknowledge that Mr. Ishihara's views reflect the widespread skepticism of U.S. military capabilities in such countries as Australia, India, Japan, Singapore and South Korea. They said the U.S.-led war in Iraq has pointed to the American weakness in low-tech warfare. "When we can't even control parts of Anbar, they get the message loud and clear," an official said, referring to the flashpoint province in western Iraq. As a result, Asian allies of the United States are quietly preparing to bolster their militaries independent of Washington. So far, the Bush administration has been strongly opposed to an indigenous Japanese defense capability, fearing it would lead to the expulsion of the U.S. military presence from that country. On Nov. 16, Mr. Bush met with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. The two leaders discussed the realignment of the U.S. military presence in Japan and Tokyo's troop deployment in Iraq. During his visit to Washington in early November, Mr. Ishihara met senior U.S. defense officials. They included talks with U.S. Defense Deputy Undersecretary for Asian and Pacific Affairs Richard Lawless to discuss the realignment of the U.S. military presence in Japan. For his part, Mr. Ishihara does not see China as evolving into a stable democracy with free elections. "I believe such predictions are totally wrong," Mr. Ishihara said |
| Posted by:Glavimble Glaish7143 |
| #22 Ishihara isn't "controversial". He's a "nationalist" gaijin-hating certified wackjob. And to the Japanese, that's 'contraversial'. I met Mr. Ishihara (briefly) at a social function once some years back. Let's just say the meeting was not a pleasant one and a mild embarassment to our host. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2005-11-23 21:02 |
| #21 Whoa doods, just back from a peek at a certain Turkish installation, the brothers are ready to rumble and crumble ifn you catch my drift. Drift! Yes! A little horizontal motion lotion is a relief to all concern. Now Brother Frank, don't fear the Fly Ash, it is your friend. But in all things proportions. |
| Posted by: Fly Ash Liberation Army 2005-11-23 18:52 |
| #20 uh oh - here comes a missive from the Flyash Liberation Army.... |
| Posted by: Frank G 2005-11-23 18:11 |
| #19 China's 3 Gorges Dam is the #1 glass house on the planet. Recognizing that, any war would mean the end of southern china in the time it takes the flood to rage to the sea. |
| Posted by: 3dc 2005-11-23 18:00 |
| #18 A Nationalist Red Ken of Japan, huh? |
| Posted by: .com 2005-11-23 17:03 |
| #17 Ishihara isn't "controversial". He's a "nationalist" gaijin-hating certified wackjob. This is roughly equivalent to that Arab press article from yesterday pushing David Duke as a representative voice of American politics. Especially considering that the article only quotes Ishihara directly, while claiming that other allies are stating this sort of thing privately. Who is Insight Magazine? Some sort of new venture by the Moonies at the Washington Times? |
| Posted by: Mitch H. 2005-11-23 16:57 |
| #16 When the ball goes up, Chineses ports will be in a stranglehold blockade and all US debts will be invalidated (payback for 1949 confiscations x 1000). No exports, imports, or the money to pay for them makes takes the shine off the Chinese "miracle". |
| Posted by: ed 2005-11-23 16:09 |
| #15 why couldn't we win because they are good at having military parades? |
| Posted by: Jerelet Thineling2988 2005-11-23 16:02 |
| #14 I hope the Chinese believe this. |
| Posted by: Mahou Sensei Negi-bozu 2005-11-23 15:28 |
| #13 The Gub'ner's a second-rate button pusher at best. |
| Posted by: MunkarKat 2005-11-23 15:13 |
| #12 "I believe America cannot win as it has a civic society that must adhere to the value of respecting lives" Underestimating our ruthlessness due to the current media circus that is the war on terror. The minority that is the moonbat brigade within America is actually just that, a minority. He should be able to look at his own history to see what America is capable of when their backs are against the wall. |
| Posted by: Evil Elvis 2005-11-23 13:47 |
| #11 Governor Ishihara is known for being controversial. He also won't go much higher than the office he's in. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2005-11-23 12:22 |
| #10 I share some of the implied sentiments, believe me, but this isn't a comic book - it's the real world. It is my take that this has nothing to do with testicular fortitude - the clash of civilizations will ramp up naturally, the IslamoNutz will insist I suspect, and the responses will be commensurate as long as we do have a President with stones*. Further, under that presumption, I suspect there will come a tipping point when people have had enough - and more drastic measure will be employed. If we have a President who can't stomach the fight for the survival of freedom, then all bets are off, of course. * No that's not a sexist statement but simply using the vernacular in line with the original comment. |
| Posted by: .com 2005-11-23 12:14 |
| #9 Just point me in the right direction .com, I'm in a jumping mood today. While I'm at it, bombing Al-Jizzera is a good idea too!! |
| Posted by: Texican 2005-11-23 11:54 |
| #8 You missed a cliff or two, Texican. But please, keep jumping. |
| Posted by: .com 2005-11-23 11:51 |
| #7 This is our politically correct ideas on warfighting coming home to roost. Istead of laying waste to our enemies, as we are obviously capable of doing, they sit around in a big Washington circle jerk and worry about killing "innocents" and "torture", instead of winning the damn thing. Immediately after 9/11, Afganistan, Iraq, Iran, and Syria should have been destroyed. Instead, we go about pussyfooting around hoping it will make someone like us, instead of fear us. Why should we lower ourselves to fight on the terms of our enemies. We invested trillions of dollars in an arsenal that, while ghastly, is supposed to protect us from attack. It turns out that due to our lack of testicular fortitude, it was money wasted. |
| Posted by: Texican 2005-11-23 11:44 |
| #6 "extremely incompetent" Um...you might want to ask the Republican guard how incompetent the army is. Also, after the 1st Cav, 3rd ARC, 24th Inf. smash through your lines ask the Chinese again how incompetent the Army is, and the Air Force after they blow all your planes out of the sky, and the Navy, after they sink all your ships. Morons... |
| Posted by: mmurray821 2005-11-23 11:31 |
| #5 Define "win"... |
| Posted by: mojo 2005-11-23 10:25 |
| #4 Some of the Dem comments don't help. But the administration has been able to conduct this war exactly as it chose - the Dems haven't been able to block or influence a bit of the policy, and for the most part were too frightened to try. To the extent the "we can't control parts of Anbar" type statements are valid, it's fair comment on our capabilities as demonstrated on the ground. The coverage can be blamed on the Dems and their ilk, but not the policy or performance. |
| Posted by: Unereting Uloluque4083 2005-11-23 09:39 |
| #3 Mr. Ishihara said U.S. ground forces, with the exception of the Marines, are "extremely incompetent" and would be unable to stem a Chinese conventional attack. Somebody want to check his sushi? |
| Posted by: tu3031 2005-11-23 09:05 |
| #2 And the assessment is that the Chinese would win? What happens when the key economic engine disappears? What happens when millions go unemployed in an urban environment with raising expectations? And those jobs shift to alternate countries which are not antagonistic to that world class economic engine and unlikely to return? The observations seem to exclude several hundred years of Chinese history and internal tensions. |
| Posted by: Thomock Clamble2028 2005-11-23 08:47 |
| #1 Does anyone doubt this is a result of the Donks treason? |
| Posted by: Robert Crawford 2005-11-23 07:31 |