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| Caribbean-Latin America |
| The Monroe Doctrine - Equador To Offer China An Airbase |
| 2007-12-09 |
| EcuadorÂ’s president has offered the Chinese government an airbase currently serving as one of the last U.S. military outposts in South America. Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa said during his recent visit to China that he would offer Beijing a lease on the Manta Airport, the presidential website reported last week. Currently, Manta is used by U.S. military forces for operations. The contract is up in 2009 and Correa will not renew it, a transport and public works ministry communications official told BNamericas. Correa said access to the air base is part of a plan for Manta to become a "doorway" for ChinaÂ’s entry to Latin America. Air base operations are limited to one building, but it shares the runway with the city's Eloy Alfaro international airport terminal. Terminales del Ecuador, a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based Hutchison Port Holdings, is already operating MantaÂ’s port. Government officials have already spoken of additional Chinese investment for such projects as a rail system. Hutchison has close ties to communist leaders in Beijing and also operates ports at both ends of the Panama Canal. |
| Posted by:Anonymoose |
| #22 Joe nailed it again. 2018 and I'm out of here to meet the Mendiola babe in Equador. |
| Posted by: Phinater Thraviger 2007-12-09 21:17 |
| #21 I feel I almost understand that JosephMendiola says---I'm scared. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2007-12-09 20:57 |
| #20 A future Mendiola babe will see and meet you. Daughter or granddaughter, JosephM? :-) |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2007-12-09 20:22 |
| #19 If we still cared about the Monroe Doctrine, we would not have let San Franciso end up like it did. |
| Posted by: SteveS 2007-12-09 20:15 |
| #18 OTOH, CHINA MIMICKS THE USA + IS CHINA TURNING INTO THE USA? All together now, wid feeling, D *** NGED UNDERWATER WALKING "PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN" - AGAIN! GHOST [Patrick Swayze]> For a dead man to walk out of the Pacific he must will/think it. A future Mendiola babe will see and meet you. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2007-12-09 19:21 |
| #17 I like it Mr. Moose! My idea is to pack the whole thing up and put it in a Klein Bottle and send it to Swanson Bar in Omaha. |
| Posted by: Thomas Woof 2007-12-09 19:16 |
| #16 Dubya appears determined to continue the Regional-Global ENTRENCHMENT OF AMER - the Monroe Doctrine isn't dead as per the Dubya agenda i.e. "Global America" etc,. "JAMES", "KENNEDY", "CARTER", "REAGAN", and "BUSH 1", even "BILL", only went GLOBAL AND BEYOND thanx to 9-11! RIAN > RUSSIA has announ it does not have to share military info wid US-NATO, etc. after its CFE moratorium/suspension. IMO, PUTIN/RUSSIA > THE COLD WAR IS NOT ONLY BACK, + REAGAN/ REAGANISM DEAD [IN AMERICA?], BUT THE COLD WAR IS TO BEGIN HEATING UP TOWARDS A FOGGY, GLOBAL SELF/MUTUAL DESTRUCTIVE? FUTURE. * Lest we fergit, 2016-2022 [espec 2018] > RUSS-CHIN > "WAR AGZ AMERICA NOT ONLY POSSIBLE BUT DESIRED". CHINA > iff TAIWAN [NK] formally declares its total independence, A US-CHIN WAR > CAN BEGIN NOW. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2007-12-09 17:50 |
| #15 I propose we demilitarize the airbase before we leave by pouring irregular 20' deep slabs of concrete with I-beams sticking out of it at odd angles. Then just before we leave, seal off the ends of the sewers, and pump them full of water until they burst, the whole mess collapsing in on itself. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2007-12-09 15:23 |
| #14 The Arabs, Turks and Pakistanis (various tribes) are doing a fine job colonizing Europe without any help from their military establishments. There may be 1.5 million muslims in Canada within four years. |
| Posted by: Excalibur 2007-12-09 15:01 |
| #13 NS: Optimist. More like an end-of-history type. The idea that geographical boundaries are fixed for eternity because mankind has changed is silly. Western man has changed - the rest of the world is red in tooth and claw. Continued peace hinges on a balance of power provided by Uncle Sam's thumb on the scales in opposition to ambitious regional powers. |
| Posted by: Zhang Fei 2007-12-09 14:27 |
| #12 rjs: I don't think that sort of thing is liekly in the modern world. I don't think it's got anything to do with modernity. As long a Western nation with a strong navy serves as an offshore balancer, this is unlikely. But the idea that non-Western countries wouldn't send colonists abroad is something we haven't had a chance to prove out - they've never been powerful enough. Historically, they have generally expanded to the limits of their military power, and sent colonists to conquered territories to solidify their grip. The fact that they haven't been powerful enough to conquer non-geographically contiguous places says nothing about their desire to do so. |
| Posted by: Zhang Fei 2007-12-09 14:23 |
| #11 The Monroe Doctrine was about nations conquering and making colonies out of nations in the Western Hemesphere. I don't think that sort of thing is liekly in the modern world. Optimist. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2007-12-09 13:58 |
| #10 I don't see any mention of Chinese military use of the base. I suspect that it has more to do with trade (i.e. -- supplying WalMarts in Latin America). |
| Posted by: Darrell 2007-12-09 13:56 |
| #9 China can pretty much do whatever China wants to. There are more Chinese than ammo We can make ammo faster than they can breed. Make it so. |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2007-12-09 13:27 |
| #8 Indeed. Apparently the irony mines in SA are either closed or depleted. |
| Posted by: SteveS 2007-12-09 13:05 |
| #7 The Monroe Doctrine was about nations conquering and making colonies out of nations in the Western Hemesphere. I don't think that sort of thing is liekly in the modern world. The Monroe Doctrine is dead. |
| Posted by: rjschwarz 2007-12-09 12:54 |
| #6 China and SA a match made in heaven. You fear Imperialism from the Empire of the North? LOL! |
| Posted by: Thomas Woof 2007-12-09 12:40 |
| #5 China can pretty much do whatever China wants to. There are more Chinese than ammo A red herring when air- and missile-delivered armaments are concerned. The issue isn't ammo, it's our doctrine and whether / where we are willing to draw a line. |
| Posted by: lotp 2007-12-09 12:33 |
| #4 Senor Correa should get a Xmas card from teh White House: "Good tidings for 2008. Hope you're still alive to receive a card next year" |
| Posted by: Frank G 2007-12-09 11:53 |
| #3 China can pretty much do whatever China wants to. There are more Chinese than ammo. |
| Posted by: crosspatch 2007-12-09 11:52 |
| #2 apparently Ecuador wants to be on the embargo list? Oh well, they can trade with Venezuela |
| Posted by: Frank G 2007-12-09 11:51 |
| #1 I'd tell China this will be a potentially fatal problem. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2007-12-09 11:16 |