George Yeo Kena Blasted By China Foreign Minister - The Washington Post

[ScarFace]

Breaking out of US containment
Source: Global Times
[02:08 August 05 2010]

Plenty of water has passed under the bridge for China and the US since President Obama took office. What started out warmly soon turned chilly, and many feel the Sino- US relationship is heading toward a dangerously uncertain era.

Tensions have been building in recent weeks over events in the Yellow Sea and the South China Sea. Many Chinese observers wonder if the US is trying to contain China's peaceful growth. The US is even improving its relationships with China's neighbors that were once former US opponents.

There are signs that the US is trying to meddle and dominate issues involving China.

For decades, US policy toward China wavered between containment and engagement.

The new policy initiatives of the Obama administration that stress US soft power and moral strength have not changed the traditional US way of dealing with China.

Many Chinese scholars tend to agree that the closer China and the US get, the more deep-seated contradictions existing between the two countries will become apparent.

If a deeper confrontation is inevitable, what can China do? The Chinese government has not sent a clear signal, though there is heated debate among the public as how to respond to the aggressive US policy. Ideas range from military action to leveraging China's financial holdings of US assets, to more diplomatic communication. Admittedly, China has fewer means to counter the US than the US can use against China.

China won't follow a path to war like Japan did in World War II, but that does not mean that China will surrender to US strategic containment. China should on one hand speed up defensive modernization, and on the other hand, continue to rise peacefully using its economic power.

This does not mean China's economic and trade relationship with the US will sour, but instead will integrate further. Deeper and wider engagement with the US can help shun US aggression and is the best way to discourage the hawks in Washington.

Pushing forward China's relationship with the US is not a sign of weakness; on the contrary, it has fueled China's development in recent years. The gradual rise of China will prove to be a success.

Taking on China as a competitor may serve as an incentive to the US. If the US takes China as an enemy, the result would be disastrous.

 

[ScarFace]

U.S. Expands Asian NATO To Contain And Confront China

Stop NATO
August 7, 2010
Rick Rozoff

...When the seventh of what had become annual U.S.-India Malabar naval war games expanded to include Australia, Japan and Singapore in 2007, Indian journalist Praful Bidwai wrote: “The naval exercises…are the largest and the most complex that India has ever participated in and feature as many as 25 ships from India, United States, Australia, Japan and Singapore….China…sees India’s military collaboration with staunchly pro-U.S. states like Australia and Japan and Singapore, and above all, with the U.S. itself, as an attempt to set up what it calls ‘an Asian NATO’, and eventually, to encircle it.”

 

[ScarFace]

Global Military Bloc: NATO’s Drive Into Asia

Stop NATO
January 24, 2009
Rick Rozoff

...Contact Country: A looser term to designate NATO partners, ad hoc and long-term, that are not in any of the above three categories, which at this point could reasonably include Afghanistan, Australia, Djibouti, Ethiopia, India, Iraq, Kenya, Kosovo, Japan, Mongolia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Singapore, Somalia, South Korea and others not yet openly acknowledged to have agreements with NATO such as Lebanon, the Dutch Antilles and numerous sub-Saharan African nations.

...Growing out of the Greater Afghan War and the Proliferation Security Initiative begun by the U.S. in 2003, a worldwide naval interdiction effort similar to NATO’s Operation Active Endeavor in the Mediterranean, but far more comprehensive and aimed predominantly against Asia, recent years have witnessed increasing references to the creation of an Asian NATO.

Candidates for this emerging bloc include Afghanistan, Brunei, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore (with troops in Afghanistan), South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand, with Australia and New Zealand further expanding their military roles in South and Far East Asia. (Australia, for example, is involved in the counterinsurgency campaigns in the Philippines in addition to its activities in Fiji, East Timor and the Solomon Islands.)

...To end and pull together many of the strands examined above, here is another analysis by M K Bhadrakumar from a feature entitled “NATO reaches into the Indian Ocean”:

“US officials are on record that Africom and NATO envisage an institutional linkup in the downstream. The overall US strategy is to incrementally bring NATO into Africa so that its future role in the Indian Ocean (and Middle East) region as the instrument of US global security agenda becomes optimal. For the strategy to succeed in the Indian Ocean, however, NATO will need to align three key littoral states – India, Sri Lanka and Singapore.

“NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General John Craddock, acknowledged that the mission furthers the alliance’s ambition to become a global political organization.

 

[ScarFace]

"China is a big country and other countries are small countries, and that's just a fact," he said, staring directly at Singapore's foreign minister, George Yeo, according to several participants at the meeting.

How can we say that we are neutral when we are obviously not? How can we say that we are friends, but yet seem to hold on to a dagger from behind?

I do not envy his position, but for all our sakes in the interest of our national security, he'd better play it right.

 

[kirby]

Singapore depend a hell lot on oil too. The economic data are usually reported in oil and non-oil categories. Singapore are a non-crude producer but among the top oil refinery and shipping centres in the world. That's the background as to why Singapore keep getting themselves concerned or somewhat involved with these geopolitical games.

To use the analogy of an OKT and that's precisely what Sinkingpore is in this matter, is it wise for the OKT to budge in into the business of its customers?

SPG's Syndrome again. Angmo tuakee.

Sinkingpore shouldn't have stuck its ugly head into such matter because it is none of their business. Her business is her location and facilities available and both the west and the east are her customers. You do not choose to support one customer over the other.

To use the analogy of an OKT and that's precisely what Sinkingpore is, in this matter, is it wise for the OKT to barge in into the business of its customers?

Sinkingpore's part is to sell her port facilities and STFU the lip service.

 

[longbow]

Just follow the money. At the moment, US voters are ok with the various wars and army bases because they DO NOT have to pay for it - Washington borrows the $$ to fund the war. As US deficits and debt grow larger, this ability to borrow on the cheap is limited. Faced with having to cut their benefits or fund some foreign war - I suspect they will choose the former.

Hmm do you want to spend $100B a year maintaining US bases all around the world or use it to fund uni education for your kids.

Of course there will be US alliances with ASEAN or INDIA or Vietnam. It is all an attempt to contain China. But fact is that China's immense economic stature in the region again brings about lots of influence. Australia, Indonesia and Malaysian economies are highly reliant on Chinese import of raw materials. On the flip side, there is no shortage of China imports going into these countries. The Bilateral trade with China is much greater then with the US. With trade comes influence.

Reminds me of how Australia desperately tries to be part of the "anglo christian Europeans" but fact is that they sit smack in Asia and much of its trade comes from Asia.

That is why George Yeo will have a thin line to follow. Think about it, in 5 years, a large amount of HNW Chinese will park their money in Singapore. Beijing knows about it but close 1 eye. If they just increase scrunity and asks Singapore for details of their citizens with such funds - I think many will run away. Indonesia just wagged their little pinky and said no sand and that cause construction cost to sky rocket. I think it pretty much stalled all reclaimation projects which is huge money maker.

So China does not have to do much to give us heart attack. A military exercise is a once a year deal. Trade goes on daily and impacts your citizens on a daily basis.

 

[longbow]

DO not blame Chinese foreign minister.

Our Gov has been talking about close China relationship. We invest there, MM even got an invited from former President recently. So after so many plaques, cutting of ribbons Guanxi building efforts, Suzhou, Chinese students studying in Singapore - our actions do no fit the words.

We probably sell fact that we are 75% ethinic Chinese and are like brothers with China. We then turn aound and sell Americans that we a bastion of secularism against Muslim threat. We are top listening post for regional muslim extremism.

So the minister is asking were loyalties lie? Do not blame GY as we have to stay in this sweet spot of appeasing both countries.

"China is a big country and other countries are small countries, and that's just a fact," he said, staring directly at Singapore's foreign minister, George Yeo, according to several participants at the meeting.

How can we say that we are neutral when we are obviously not? How can we say that we are friends, but yet seem to hold on to a dagger from behind?

I do not envy his position, but for all our sakes in the interest of our national security, he'd better play it right.

 

[longbow]

This guy is just trying to sensationalize a point lah. The largest naval exercise with ships from US, India. Singapore, Australia, Japan - total ships - 25!!!!! Seems pretty pathetic to me.

U.S. Expands Asian NATO To Contain And Confront China

Stop NATO
August 7, 2010
Rick Rozoff

...When the seventh of what had become annual U.S.-India Malabar naval war games expanded to include Australia, Japan and Singapore in 2007, Indian journalist Praful Bidwai wrote: “The naval exercises…are the largest and the most complex that India has ever participated in and feature as many as 25 ships from India, United States, Australia, Japan and Singapore….China…sees India’s military collaboration with staunchly pro-U.S. states like Australia and Japan and Singapore, and above all, with the U.S. itself, as an attempt to set up what it calls ‘an Asian NATO’, and eventually, to encircle it.”

 

[ScarFace]

U.S. Expands Asian NATO To Contain And Confront China

...Asian NATO is not a metaphor.

From July 19-23 the U.S. Air Force and the government of Singapore sponsored the 2010 Pacific Rim Airpower Symposium in the Southeast Asian country to which delegations from Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tonga and Vietnam were also invited to participate.

So much for strategic ambiguity

 

[ScarFace]

In this situation, the numbers are not as relevant as is the intent. Reading on the paragraphs that follow may give us a broader view and perspective.

This guy is just trying to sensationalize a point lah. The largest naval exercise with ships from US, India. Singapore, Australia, Japan - total ships - 25!!!!! Seems pretty pathetic to me.

 

[Gan Ning]

Happy National Day to all.

 

[longbow]

I am aware of the recent powwow over military exercises. But as I had mentioned a lot of it is pointless.

The US can no longer afford to dabble in this area. They simply cannot afford it. Their main aim has more to do with Middle East and Afghanistan then with Asia. Their concerns are Islamic terrorist and Iranian bomb. So to crack down on these terrorist, they need to support of most large nations. Just imagine russia turning their backs and start arming Taliban in Afghanistan!

As much as the ASEAN countries can try and do military exercises, there is no denying that their economies will be even more closely linked to china than US.

In this age where there is no room for overt military action (unless you are a tinpot dictator from a small country) economic influence counts!

Anyway all this is good for US defense industry. The Chinese do not care if Tonga or Australia is going to have a fleet of F16. They are more interested in buying iron ore from Australia then to bomb it. As it is, none of these countries will ever have the power projection needed to threaten the Chinese mainland. The only country with that ability is USA and even there it is being limited. So all this talk about Asian NATO is pretty useless but great for US arms sales.

Take the Spratly Islands. I doubt if Vietnam is going fight the Chinese over that piece of land. I doubt if ASEAN is going to form an allied force to challenge the Chinese. Sound stupid to me. Better to bring whole matter to Whole Court (like the Singapore, lighthouse issue with malaysia) and resolve it there.

War is bad for business

 

[manokie]

Take the Spratly Islands. I doubt if Vietnam is going fight the Chinese over that piece of land. I doubt if ASEAN is going to form an allied force to challenge the Chinese. Sound stupid to me. Better to bring whole matter to Whole Court (like the Singapore, lighthouse issue with malaysia) and resolve it there.

There's a big natural gas reserve in that area.. Probable reason why Vietnam will go to war with China over it.. They already had a few conflicts in the 1960s.. U cannot rule it out completely. The fact that they rope in their nemesis US, tells you how serious is this issue..

This issue will escalate when China sends forth its Aircraft Carrier in 2014.. Let's wait for the fun to begin

 

[Ramseth]

This guy is just trying to sensationalize a point lah. The largest naval exercise with ships from US, India. Singapore, Australia, Japan - total ships - 25!!!!! Seems pretty pathetic to me.

I'm not sure that's the "largest" but 25 ships are quite a lot in modern naval manoevres. Standard naval manoevres are about 10 ships. Gather a fleet of more than 40 warships, call it a manoevre exercise and nobody believes, everybody within combat radius prepares for war or at least standby on high alert.

 

[Papsmearer]

It is weird that China even targeted Singapore, considering how many of their people are flooding SG because we are lax with them.

These china people are their 5th column mah. In times of conflict, u will see tens of thousands of chinamen line up clifford pier to draw arms delivered from a PLN ship offshore.