China sees militarism in Obama's new strategy

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/usdetail/219821.html

China's state news agency warned against growing U.S. militarism, citing President Obama's new military spending strategy, which Chinese experts see as an effort to encircle them and reduce their influence in the region.

A number of news stories in China focused on this story, with a Chinese newspaper owned by the nation's ruling Communist Party warned against “appeasement” of the U.S. and urged China's military to adopt an “assertive” policy in response.

President Obama's strategy has been presented primarily as a “cut” in the U.S. media, even though it amounts to an overall spending increase. It reduces the number of ground troops but increases spending on both warplanes and naval power.

The change, particularly the increased focus on naval power, is seen by the Chinese as focusing on an inevitable intervention in the South China Sea, where China is in an ongoing dispute with other nations over some key islands. Antiwar

FACTS & FIGURES

The military strategy that President Barack Obama unveiled January 5 will lead to a smaller force in the Army and Marines and a shift to counter China's military might. USA Today

President Obama said the United States will strengthen its presence in the Asia Pacific region even as it cuts billions of dollars from overall defense spending. VOA

Administration officials have said they expect Army and Marine Corp personnel levels to be reduced by 10 percent to 15 percent over the next decade as part of the reductions. Reuters

The strategy emphasizes high-tech surveillance and drones, and the use of special forces to assist foreign militaries to quell conflicts. The U.S. nuclear force may also shrink. usatoday.com

China has warned the United States over its new military strategy, which includes a shift in focus to the Asia-Pacific region. globalpost.com

.. while boosting its military presence in the Asia-Pacific, the United States should abstain from flexing its muscles, as this won't help solve regional disputes. If the United States indiscreetly applies militarism in the region, it will be like a bull in a china shop, and endanger peace instead of enhancing regional stability. Xinhua

The FY 2012 budget requests a total of $676 billion for the Department of Defense (DoD). The base budget for DoD includes $553 billion in discretionary funding and $5 billion in mandatory funding, and an additional $118 billion is requested for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The budget request also includes $19 billion for defense-related atomic energy programs and $8 billion for defense-related activities in other agencies, bringing the total national defense budget to $703 billion. businessinsider.com

Adjusting for inflation, the level of funding proposed for the base defense budget in the FY 2012 request is the highest level since World War II, surpassing the Cold War peak of $531 billion (in FY 2012 dollars) reached in FY 1985. businessinsider.com

The United States spent $728 billion on its military in 2010, about 45% of the world’s $1.6 trillion total. U.S. spending amounts to more than the next fourteen largest military spending countries combined. In fact, the U.S. spends nearly 6 times more than the next largest military spender, China. In addition, most of the top-spending countries are American allies. antiwar.com

What is being proposed (as military cuts) are minor reductions in the rate of growth in projected defense spending. antiwar.com

China warns US on new military strategy

US naval forces in the Asia-Pacific region (file photo)

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/219773.html

China's state media has criticized the United States' major strategic shift into Asia-Pacific, accusing Washington of being a troublemaker responsible for tensions in the region.

"While boosting its military presence in the Asia-Pacific, the United States should abstain from flexing its muscles, as this won't help solve regional disputes," said an editorial published by China's state-run Xinhua news agency on Friday.

Xinhua warned that any American militarism in the Asia-Pacific region will “endanger peace instead of enhancing regional stability.”

The warning came a day after US President Barack Obama unveiled a defense strategy to expand the country's military presence in the Asia-Pacific and switch the Pentagon's focus to the Far East.

Obama claimed on Thursday that while the US military is in a "moment of transition" after a decade of war in Iraq and Afghanistan, the government will "maintain our military superiority."

China is concerned that Washington's new defense posture is aimed at encircling Beijing. There are riding concerns in the United States about China's growing military stature during the recent years both in size and capabilities.

West scrambling to divide China: Hu

Chinese President Hu Jintao

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/219077.html

Chinese President Hu Jintao has warned against efforts by the Western countries to “westernize and divide” China through “cultural warfare.”

"Hostile international powers are strengthening their efforts to westernize and divide us," Hu said in an article published on the latest edition of the ruling Communist Party's magazine on Monday.

President Hu urged China's Communist Party to meet the "growing spiritual and cultural demands of the people" in a bid to fight the "hostile international powers."

"We must be aware of the seriousness and complexity of the struggles and take powerful measures to prevent and deal with them," the Chinese leader warned.

He also accused the West of using its international culture to target China's "ideological and cultural fields.”

Hu's warning comes as Western cultural events such as the Valentine's Day are growing in popularity among the Chinese.

In an effort to counter the Western media propaganda, China has allocated a 45-billion-yuan (£4 billion) budget to expand its overseas media, including the US and UK edition of the state-run China Daily, the state news agency Xinhua and China Central Television's (CCTV).

China allays US fears over stealth jet

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/159696.html


China has told the visiting US defense secretary that a maiden test-flight of its first home-built prototype stealth fighter was not a show of muscle against Washington.

The test flight comes on the second day of US Defense Secretary Robert Gates' visit to China aimed at mending frayed military ties between the two sides.

Gates said Chinese President Hu Jintao has told him during a meeting that the flight was not timed to coincide with his visit.

"I asked President Hu about it directly, and he said that the test had absolutely nothing to do with my visit and had been a pre-planned test,” Gates told reporters.

Chinese media reported that the J-20 flew for about 15 minutes over an airfield in the country's southwest.

Ahead of his arrival in China, Gates had warned that Washington would respond to Beijing's development of a new stealth aircraft.

Defense analysts say the flight can eventually help end the US military dominance in the troubled region.

Gates has sought to resume military exchanges with China amid rising tensions between the two countries over a range of issues.

The developments come as senior officials in Beijing have strongly condemned the several rounds of joint US-South Korea naval war games recently conducted close to Chinese waters.

China says the drills were a fresh provocation "to China and its surrounding.”

Moreover, China has reduced its military cooperation with the Pentagon over the USD 6.4 billion US arms sales to Taiwan. China considers the island as part of its territory.

Reports say China is also building game-changing aircraft carriers, stealth jet fighters and advanced weapons that can pave the way for ending the dominance of the United States at sea.

China tests new Stealth jet fighter

Chinese Stealth jet, J-20

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/158912.html


China has reportedly tested a new Stealth jet known as J-20 that very much resembles the American Stealth version of the aircraft.

Chinese media reported that the J-20 flew for about 15 minutes over an airfield in the country's southwest on Tuesday.

Several new photos of the Chinese Stealth aircraft have already been published on the Internet.

China's aviation tests take place while the US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates is on the second day of his visit to China.

Gates who had postponed his visit to China several times in the past eventually paid a visit to the country.

Ahead of his arrival in China, Gates had warned that Washington would respond to Beijing's development of a new stealth aircraft.

Military observers believe that the Chinese Stealth fighter will not be used in its army before 2017.

However, China's access to the high technology of building J-20 can considerably increase that country's military capabilities. The technical specifications of the plane are quite similar to those of the US F-22 fighter aircraft.

A Chinese military official recently said that China will deploy its new J-20 Stealth plane during 2017-2019.

China's military budget has increased considerably in recent years. According to official figures, the country's defense budget is about $70 billion.

Chinese President Hu Jintao will visit the US next week, concurrent with the upcoming tour of China by Gates.

China tests new Stealth jet fighter

Chinese Stealth jet, J-20

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/158912.html


China has reportedly tested a new Stealth jet known as J-20 that very much resembles the American Stealth version of the aircraft.

Several new photos of the Chinese Stealth aircraft have already been published on the Internet.

China's aviation tests take place at a time when US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates is to visit the country in the coming days.

Gates, who has postponed his visit to China several times in the past, will eventually pay a visit to the country next week.

Military observers believe that the Chinese Stealth fighter will not be used in its army before 2017.

However, China's access to the high technology of building J-20 can considerably increase that country's military capabilities. The technical specifications of the plane are quite similar to those of the US F-22 fighter aircraft.

A Chinese military official recently said that China will deploy its new J-20 Stealth plane during 2017-2019.

China's military budget has increased considerably in recent years. According to official figures, the country's defense budget is about $70 billion.

Chinese President Hu Jintao will visit the US next week, concurrent with the upcoming tour of China by Gates.

China cuts export quota on rare earth

Chinese President Hu Jin Tao(right) is to visit his American counterpart Barrack Obama to resolve trade problems

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/157672.html


China has announced sharp cuts in export quotas for rare earth minerals in the first half of the coming year, raising concerns about its trade ties with major partners.

The metal supplies, vitally needed for making a wide range of high-tech and clean technology products as well as other goods, will decline by 11 percent in 2011, in addition to the 40-percent drop in exports in 2010.

China's Commerce Ministry allotted 14,446 tons of quotas to 31 companies, 11.4 percent less than the 16,304 tons it allocated to 22 companies in the first half of 2010.

China produces around 97 percent of the rare earth elements in the global market.

The announcement, made on Tuesday, will affect the country's trade relations with the United States, the European Union and Japan and has brought about concerns in Washington.

"We are very concerned about China's export restraints on rare earth materials. We have raised our concerns with China and we are continuing to work closely on the issue with stakeholders," Reuters quoted US Trade Representative spokeswoman as saying.

The Trade Representative's Office has said the US could make a complaint to the World Trade Organization if China resumes the export limitations on rare earth minerals.

China says the cuts are based on environmental policies and that ensuring supplies to Chinese clean energy companies is their priority.

Next month's talks between Chinese President Hu Jintao and his American counterpart Barrack Obama are viewed as a vital event in restoring stability in their trade ties.