Is China a Threat?

by Robert Novak
Human Events
Posted Oct 27, 2005

* In general, I cheer for Bob Novak... but not this time.

BEIJING -- The message from officials in this huge, shiny, booming capital is that China's military buildup does not connote desire to kick the Americans out of East Asia. Their assertion is buttressed by the clear impression that people here are interested in making money, not war. Yet, that members of the U.S. Congress see China's Communist regime as a threat is felt here to be endangering the relationship between the two powers.

* It is not the desire to "kick Americans out of East Asia" that the U.S. Congress has a problem with. We know that China isn't stupid enough to do that. Americans are not easy to kick out. The problem is that China is attempting to offset the balance of power by undermining America economically and politically by its alliances and military build up. How Novak misses this is beyond me.

* Perhaps the people's interests are in making money (because they have been deprived of the ability to do so for a long time) but not the regime's.

The Chinese position was laid out unequivocally for me by Assistant Foreign Minister Guofeng Sheng, the highest official made available to me on my first visit to China in 12 years: "China has no intention to restrict or limit United States influence. We do not have the capability. Nor would we have such need [to attain that capability]." He added: "We are not a threat to anybody."

* Novak's notion that Minister Sheng would disclose China's military capability to him is plain absurd. They've been hiding their military spending from the international community. Is Novak so ignorant as to believe everything the Chinese tell him? Does he think that if China is attempting to be subversive, they would disclose their intention to the outside, especially to the target of their subversion?

* "'We do not have the capability.'" Oh, yes, they do. They stole it from us. We know it. They know it. We know they won't admit it. Those sneaky Chinese. Apparently, Bob Novak is the only one who doesn't know.

* "'We are not a threat to anybody.'" Try telling that to Taiwan.

But difficulty in Sino-American relations is no mere paranoia among hard-line congressmen in Washington. Chinese officials and U.S. diplomats admit that the love affair with America by ordinary Chinese ended more than a decade ago, replaced by a worrisome anti-Americanism. The United States is not much better loved in Beijing than it is in Paris.

* Does anyone doubt this when American media, economic, and political influences are judged dangerous by the Chinese government? The socialist China hates America, its ideals and its freedom.

On the surface it is difficult to see militarism here. The dusty old city I encountered for the first time in 1978 is now a glittering giant of 11 million dedicated to commerce. Patriotic posters have been replaced by corporate ads. Once omnipresent soldiers of the People's Liberation Army, nowhere to be seen, are either demobilized or back in barracks.

* Same people but with more money. Stop being so naive, Mr. Novak. Unless you're the Cindy Sheehan type, we all know that they're "in the barracks". I'll tell you this, too. They're outside the barracks in places you can't see and don't know about, Bob. They're not out waging subversive wars in the glittering cities. That's not their modus operandi. That's ours. The democratic capitalistic Americans (especially the Reagan Republican-type) wage wars in such manners that have led China to drop the red curtain. They know we were winning. This is no reason to think that they have stopped waging ideological wars agaist the West. On the contrary, they have begun to mount an assault because of their recent economic success made possible by the good ol' USA. This success has enabled them to build up their military coffers. In the past, this would absolutely starve and kill their subjects. Now they can have their cake and eat it, too.

Assistant Foreign Minister Sheng expressed exasperation at anybody imagining that the Chinese military could crowd U.S. forces out of Asia. "We are not that strong. There is not a military buildup," he told me, because Chinese spending is at only one-eighth of the U.S. level.

* That's what they tell the world.... But are we stupid? When they're building an ungodly amount of military equipment, we know that they're spending money; money they said they didn't spend. When so much money is unaccounted for and their military factories are burning the midnight oil and their military purchase orders are stacked up, they're spending money. It's interesting that they are projected to report only about a fourth to an eighth of their actual spending.

The Chinese regime wants to reassure Washington, giving Donald Rumsfeld remarkable access here last week even though the secretary of Defense had been demonized in the Chinese press as instigator of the Iraq intervention. Sources close to Communist leaders say they are not really that concerned with nuclear weapons in North Korean hands but are aggressively engaging in the six-power process to please the Americans.

* Does anybody really believe this -- that the Chinese are cooperating and are bending over backwards to please the Americans? Communists can't be trusted. They have no problem lying (or murdering, stealing, etc.)

The issue cited by Sheng and other Chinese officials most dangerous to Sino-American amity is the Taiwan question. But sources say the regime actually is not eager to incorporate Taiwan now so long as it does not move to independence. With the Kuomintang party apparently poised to regain power in Taiwan, the independence threat would be gone for now.

* I wonder if President Jintao's Administration has anything to do with that. Hmm.... Oh, and what about the forces you're amassing at the coast opposite of Taiwan? Peace Corp. are they?

Bad blood was spawned in the streets in the early '90s when the U.S. Congress opposed the 2000 Olympics for Beijing. The bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade during the Kosovo War was not regarded as an accident by either the people or the authorities and is still talked about here. Displeasure with Iraq followed these special irritants.

Beyond the streets, however, is one prominent Chinese businessman who feels he was treated unfairly by U.S. politicians: Chengyu Fu, chairman of the China National Offshore Oil Corp. (CNOOC). A little over 70 percent of CNOOC is owned by the state (the rest by private investors). But Fu told me the Communist regime had nothing to do with his decision to buy California-based Unocal oil company or his decision to back off when a firestorm developed in Congress.

* When over 70% of the company's interests are state owned, the state cares how and what the company does. We can know with certainty that the company is state controlled. Cry me a river, Mr. Fu. I celebrated when the Unocal deal went south for you. It was like a breath of fresh air. By the way, you didn't back off. Congress forced you off by making the deal unfavorable to you. Yeah, I suppose we could believe your comment that the Communist regime had nothing to do with the decision to buy Unocal. After all the Communist regime isn't petty and controlling, right? Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't this the same regime that "silences" the little people who disagree with it? Yes, I suppose the regime has no influence in this decision.

In CNOOC's gleaming Beijing office building, Fu said he thought the Unocal deal would not only have benefited his shareholders but also fit the U.S. ideal of unimpeded investment across national borders. Instead, China was accused of trying to corner the international oil market. "We thought we were doing a good thing," Fu told me. "I was naive. But this is the world we live in."

* In the world that we live in, China still regulates the internet and its use. China's government controls the media and the popular opinion in the country. The regime regulates private family matters, such as its size and other private matters, such as religious practices. No, you weren't naive, Mr. Fu. You're a liar. When China removes its restrictions on US (and foreign) businesses in China, we shall let you purchase our oil companies. Until then, you can kiss my a**.

CNOOC, he said, is a good global citizen. When Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, the company's employees voluntarily contributed $100,000 for relief of the victims, which was matched by the company for a total $200,000 contribution. That unpublicized charity, he said, reflects a China that members of Congress don't know about. "China has changed," he said. "Even the Communist Party has changed. But the world does not know it."

* And the world will not know it when you say one thing but do another. Cry me a river, Mr. Fu. Novak might belive you but I don't buy your posturing. The Ku Klux Klan raised money and donated to white victims of Katrina. If they made the same comment, I would laugh at them as I am at your comment, Mr. Fu. Mayor Giuliani rejected the Prince of Saudi's donation for 9/11 victims on the grounds that he wasn't a good global citizen. Your measly gift of $200k doesn't make you a good global citizen. By the way, Mr. Fu, how much of that $100k came outside of the top 1% of your company? I would bet none. When you straighten out your human rights and economic abuses, we'll give you the benefit of the doubt.

* The Chinese disclosed to the world of a $200k donation. They are proud of it and want to be recognized as a good world citizen for it. How about those billions of military spending you're hiding? Something doesn't add up.

* By the way, I have no doubt whatsoever that if I were living in China while writing this that I would be imprisoned for it. Mr. Fu can claim ignorance, but the Chinese prisons are filled with "dissidents" who simply disagree with the ideology of the regime. So much for good global citizen.

* Lastly, I'm disappointed with Bob Novak. It seems he all of the sudden feels the need to sympathize with the Chinese. Is he blinded by China and its shin[e], boom, gleam and glitter?

World is a safer place despite people's fears

By Francis Harris
Telegraph News

ACLU Wins Bid for Sex in Public in Oregon

by Bill O'Reilly
Human Events

Think locally, act locally

I agree on all counts except for the author's comment on "'world economy'". Free trade is part of conservatism. Free trade brings in cheap foreign products without excessive and unnecessary tariffs. It drives the economy. It does not kill local traditions necessarily. Local traditions should not be free from outside influences. What Alexander the Great did in infusing the Greek culture in the places he conquered did much to civilize the uncivilized "barbarians". What many Christian missionaries have done to the cultures and traditions of the primitives should be considered noble and good. Local cultures and traditions should not be sheltered from outside influences including ones from TV. In fact, they should be subjected to them -- preserved when necessary and discarded when they become a hindrance to social development and morality. How can you compete effectively in the world economy if you don't know what you're competing against? TV as a means of communication and information dissemination has done wonders to civilization. This is of course not to speak of the ills it has created. Again, aside from this, I agree with the author on his commentary.

If the Democrats had their way...

Al Qaeda would be winning the war on terror. Osama bin Laden would have a field day and declare victory. This is of course absent from the empty and delusional minds of the likes of Sen. Nancy Pelosi and Cindy Sheehan.

Poor loser

If it's a welfare state Schroeder wants, that is in fact what he has. The reason why Germany is down in the dumps with a lackluster economy during his tenure is because of his ultra liberal policies that promote the welfare state he desires. Poor Schroeder. We Americans like being a Superpower. Our economy is much stronger and more resilient and our people's morality better. What have you got to show for yourself, Mr. Schroeder? Let's see what Germany would be like if a Katrina-like hurricane hits it. I'd say it'd be begging for an aid from the US.

If it walks like a duck...

I smell a rat in Belgium. If it were coming from Israel or Italy, I would reserve my judgement. But, this one just has Iraq and Afghanistan written all over it. Nice try UNICEF. You can always count on the UN for their liberal, anti-American, anti-Zionist humanistic bias.

We're Engaged!

This is perhaps the biggest news and my most important blog entry to date.

I proposed to my girlfriend, Chrissy after a 13 1/2-month courtship at the beautiful Huntington Library and Gardens in San Marino, CA on Saturday, October 8. She said yes -- even while knowing what she could in for! God bless her. What a joyous occasion it was.

Where were the Pakistanis...

and their donations when 9/11, Katrina, Rita, etc., etc. happened? Oh, that's right; I remember now. They were rejoicing in their madrasas for allah's crushing vengeance upon the great Satan.

Behind An Anti-War Activism