US-China ties continue to strain

[-:Undertaker:-]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8490537.stm

China's state media has accused the United States of "arrogance" and "double standards" in pursuing arms sales to Taiwan. The state-run China Daily and the Global Times also warned that China's threats of retaliation were real. The Obama administration approved the $6.4bn arms sale to Taiwan last week. China has warned of "serious harm" to relations between the two powers, the suspension of military contact and sanctions against the firms involved. The US has said it will go ahead with the sale anyway.

China's state media said President Barack Obama must have been "insincere" when he promised not to "contain" China. The US move "exposes [its] usage of double standards and hypocrisy on major issues related to China's core interests," the China Daily said. "Washington's arrogance also reflects the stark reality of how a nation's interests could be trampled upon by another," it added. The Global Times, which is run by the People's Daily, the Communist Party's propaganda mouthpiece, said: "It's time the US was made to feel the heat for the continuing arms sales to Taiwan.

"It would be folly to underestimate Chinese unity over the Taiwan question. Punishing companies that sell weapons to Taiwan is a move that would be supported by most Chinese." The People's Daily said in a commentary that the arms sales showed Washington's "rude and unreasonable Cold War thinking". "When it comes down to it, the United States is still drawing lines based on ideology and coming up with a million ways to stymie China's development and progress," the paper's overseas edition said.

Totally support the US supplying arms to Taiwan. It is scary stuff though to think that one day there is a high probability that if Taiwan declares independance, not only will China launch an invasion but the US also has to legally become involved in the defence of the island-state.

Thoughts?

[Niall!]

Hmm, not sure I fancy having a war with china.

They have ninja task forces after all.

[GommeInc]

Hmm, not sure I fancy having a war with china.

They have ninja task forces after all.

And a Teracotta Army too

To be fair, you can't blame the Chinese, it's a pretty poor move by America, and they shouldn't really be "fueling" wars and hatred, look what it did with Iraq or whatever middle-eastern country they supplied weapons too :/

[alexxxxx]

france and britain collectively spend more money on military than china. and we're both a lot smaller than china in size.

[Smits]

I think china are over reacting.

[Black_Apalachi]

China should just focus on sorting out its own God damn country tbh. The word arrogance in that report being a nice dose of irony of course, as I imagine China thinks it's the best country in the world.

[-:Undertaker:-]

france and britain collectively spend more money on military than china. and we're both a lot smaller than china in size.

To keep up we need the technological edge, if Chinas military does ever become the worlds greatest then we are in deep trouble. If China rises, its the end of the western world. (either as a result of war, but more likely in decline/collapse itself)

China should just focus on sorting out its own God damn country tbh. The word arrogance in that report being a nice dose of irony of course, as I imagine China thinks it's the best country in the world.

The Chinese do think they are the best country in the world, historically it is rooted in their culture. China has always seen itself at the centre of the world, aka the 'Middle Kingdom'. They are very resentful that earlier on Spain and France had begun to catch up, and then especially the British Empire and United States going through industrial revolution to become the most powerful nations - they hated it. They call the last century their 'century of humiliation' with the Treaty of Nanking, civil war and so forth;- they feel we 'robbed' them, the Chinese who in their eyes are the superior race.

They are culturally and historically what we'd call a very racist country, they see the Han race as the naturally dominent race with the causcasian race equal to or just below with other races coming lower, darker being bottom of the pile. Of course their not all like that, but thats a very deep rooted part of Chinese civilization and can only be seen in their treatment of other races such as the Mongolians and Tibetians.