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| China-Japan-Koreas | |
| U.S. not to send aircraft carrier to Yellow Sea | |
| 2010-07-15 | |
The exercises were originally scheduled for late last month, but were delayed as the U.N. Security Council was discussing the sinking of the Cheonan, which killed 46 sailors in the Yellow Sea in March. "The carrier portion is expected to be in the East Sea," the official said, asking anonymity. "There are many other exercises, including naval exercises that are part of this package. Some of them will take place in the Yellow Sea. Some of them will take place in the East Sea. They involve different exercise scenarios, different capabilities, different assets and different places." China has repeatedly expressed concerns about joint exercises by South Korea and the U.S. near its own coast. There are allegations that the U.S. made a deal to listen to China regarding the Cheonan incident and joint drills in the Yellow Sea in return for China agreeing to new Security Council sanctions on Iran. The anonymous official denied such allegations. "We only consult with our allies about military exercises," he said. "We do not consult outside the alliance. There is no truth to the suggestion that somehow the decision about the shape of the exercise we do with the ROK is driven by consultation or diplomatic pressure from China." Technical considerations drive the military planners to decide on the shape of the exercises, he said. "People just assumed that the Cheonan was sunk here so that is where the exercise has to be," the official said. "But that is not what the military planners proposed. They have many technical considerations that go into their planning. Their proposal was for this to take place off the east coast." The official noted, "The George Washington just conducted a major combined exercise in the Yellow Sea seven or eight months ago. It has never exercised in the East Sea. That is one major consideration for the planners. "The other reason is that the George Washington has a schedule already," he said. "It is home-ported in Yokosuka (Japan). So the exercise on the Japan side means that they can spend more time training and less time just traveling." The official said that the aim of the joint exercises is to send a message to South Korea to "assure that the alliance is very strong and our joint resolve is strong." "These exercises are not about China," he said. "These are defensive exercises. And we are sending a message of deterrence to North Korea by demonstrating our capability and our readiness." The official said that the final decision on the joint exercises will be made next Wednesday when Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Defense Secretary Robert Gates visit Seoul to discuss the bilateral alliance and joint defense capabilities. "The secretaries and ministers will meet on the 21st (of July) to make a final decision," he said. "The first series of the exercises could begin any time after they give the green light." | |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #5 "Zero" blinks almost as much as Pelosi.... |
| Posted by: Uncle Phester 2010-07-15 19:47 |
| #4 Oblahblah is learning to Kowtow. |
| Posted by: NoMoreBS 2010-07-15 12:52 |
| #3 I suspect this is done because Jong Il is crazy enough to want to go out with a bang, and the Yellow Sea is too tricky to guarantee defensive coverage. He would probably order some suicide missions throwing Skvalls at it. "Go ahead, nuke my country. I don't care." |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2010-07-15 09:04 |
| #2 Somebody's a total vag. Not sayin who, but somebody. |
| Posted by: bigjim-CA 2010-07-15 04:34 |
| #1 IOW, the US-ROK MIL/NAVEXS will go on, just widout the "GEORGE" until after 07/21st + "TWO-PLUS-TWO" SUMMIT. * WAFF > US, S.KOREA NAVAL EXERCISE POSTPONED. * WAFF > RUSSIA TO TAKE DELIVERY OF FIVE S-400 ADS BRIGADES IN 2010 [TWO S-400 Brigades slated for deployment to RUSS FAR EAST, on the border either agz CHINA or more likely NORTH KOREA]. ARTIC = RUSS says that 90% of its S-400 MILSYS EQUIPMENT is good to last for 25-30 Years. * WAFF > [RIMPAC 2010] US SENDS A MESSAGE TO CHINA: "THE PACIFIC IS OURS". * WMF > STRATEGIC REVIEW: EAST ASIA REACHES A [decisive]"CROSSROADS": RISE OR FALL OF ASEAN + "ASIA RISING" AS A CONSEQUENCE OF THE US-CHINA RIVALRY, COMPETITION FOR EAST ASIA. * SAME WMF > JAPAN FACING NATIONAL BACKRUPTCY: CHINA MUST PREPARE FOR REGIONAL + GLOBAL ECON, GEOPOL CONSEQUENCES WROUGHT BY JAPAN'S NATIONAL DEBT BEING 229% OF ITS GDP. * SAME WMF > PEKING UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR: AS LONG AS KIM JONG-IL IS ALIVE, CHINA'S POLICIES TOWARDS NORTH KOREA WILL NOT CHANGE; + US CSIS PACIFIC FORUM DIRECTOR RALPH COSSAS CLAIMS THAT THE US WILL NOT REDUCE ITS MILITARY PRESENCE IN SOUTH KOREA [Japan?] AS LONG AS THE NORTH KOREAN THREAT TO THE SOUTH REMAINS. * PAKISTANI DEFENCE OFRUM > [Times of India] CHINA BUILDING THE "BIGGEST" LAND PORT TO CONNECT WID SOUTH ASIA VIA NEPAL. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2010-07-15 03:05 |