Patriot missiles for Taiwan - US gives OK

[GoFlyKiteNow]

US approves sale of Patriot missiles to Taiwan
AFP, 8 January 2010, 11:10pm

BEIJING: China's defence ministry has objected to the United States' approval of sales of upgraded missile equipment to Taiwan, urging Washington to "respect China's core interests," Xinhua reported.

"We urge the United States to respect China's core interests," the state news agency quoted spokesman Huang Xueping as saying.

The reaction came after a US official in Taipei said the US Defense Department had approved the sale of Patriot missile equipment to Taiwan, part of a package passed by Congress more than a year ago.

"The US Defense Department awarded Lockheed Martin Corp the contract to provide Patriot missile defence systems to Taiwan as part of a big arms deal approved by Congress in 2008," said the spokesman with the American Institute, the US de facto embassy in Taipei.

The US Defense Department said in a statement on Wednesday the contract for Lockheed Martin involved "basic missile tooling upgrades".

On Tuesday Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu told reporters: "We urge the US to recognize the gravity of selling arms to Taiwan."

She added that Beijing had held "serious consultations" with Washington on the issue.

 

[Yoshitei]

The Chinese should sell weapons to the Middle East too.

Given China's size and strength, it could pretty much survive without the world, but the world will have issues in the absence of China as almost everything is manufactured there these days.

 

[KennyMGM]

The Chinese should sell weapons to the Middle East too.

Given China's size and strength, it could pretty much survive without the world, but the world will have issues in the absence of China as almost everything is manufactured there these days.

There are more than a dozen nations willing to take up the slack. From Mexico to Vietnam. The buyers are the important people. Not the seller or the maker.

 

[Yoshitei]

There are more than a dozen nations willing to take up the slack. From Mexico to Vietnam. The buyers are the important people. Not the seller or the maker.

True, but it's the transfer of knowledge that is the problem

The world has invested in China, building factories, buying machinery and training staff, this takes years to break even. Even if Vietnam or Mexico takes the slack - at the same price which is unlikely, the building of the infrastructure, procurement of equipment and transfer of knowledge is gonna take ages, and that is not factoring the culture differences.

 

[KennyMGM]

True, but it's the transfer of knowledge that is the problem

The world has invested in China, building factories, buying machinery and training staff, this takes years to break even. Even if Vietnam or Mexico takes the slack - at the same price which is unlikely, the building of the infrastructure, procurement of equipment and transfer of knowledge is gonna take ages, and that is not factoring the culture differences.

How much infrastructure does a country need to make toys to desktop computers and other gadgets. These are not rocket science technology and skills. if companies can relocate their production from other parts of asia to China 20 years ago, then they can do the same relocation to other nations welcoming them.

 

[lurpsexx]

How much infrastructure does a country need to make toys to desktop computers and other gadgets. These are not rocket science technology and skills. if companies can relocate their production from other parts of asia to China 20 years ago, then they can do the same relocation to other nations welcoming them.

Agree with you...

It doesn't take too long nor too much to relocate. Relcoation exps now can be covered by higher profits elsewhere in the long run..China is not the be all and end all for manufacturing...

If they turn nasty towrds Taiwan, all of their wealth from Mfg will dry up instantly when the investors pull out and they'll be in deep shit to feed so many people and riots will happen and the CCP will collapse... this is one of the reasons why China is holding back on military action on taiwan..

 

[longbow]

There is also the fast growing Chinese market that these MNCs care looking at.

Infrastructure allows the Chinese to move low cost manufacturing to the inner parts of China and thus remain price competitive with Vietnam and Mexico while leaving the coastal cities to make the higher margins electronics like Iphones, ipods, computers, LCD TV.

Clothing is a time sensitive item. If you are late you miss the entire season. If you take a look at the garment industry, items like towels (where it is not time sensitive and low skilled are made in Pakistan and India). For seasonal items much of it is made in China.

How much infrastructure does a country need to make toys to desktop computers and other gadgets. These are not rocket science technology and skills. if companies can relocate their production from other parts of asia to China 20 years ago, then they can do the same relocation to other nations welcoming them.

 

[Robert Half]

US need money badly :(