International Law

When Defense Ministers Attack

By Stan

China’s military now possesses most of the sophisticated weapon systems found in the arsenals of developed Western nations, the country’s defense minister said in comments published Monday.

Many of China’s systems, including the J-10 fighter jet, latest-generation tanks, navy destroyers, and cruise and intercontinental ballistic missiles, match or are close to matching the capabilities of those in the West, Liang Guanglie said in a rare interview posted on the ministry’s website.

“This is an extraordinary achievements that speaks to the level of our military’s modernization and the huge change in our country’s technological strength,” Liang said.

But an analyst said the claim was likely directed at the Chinese public and exaggerated its technological prowess. (USA Today)

I think I’m going to go ahead and agree with that unnamed analyst. Sure, I understand that there are things you say to a domestic audience and very different things you say to everyone else.

On the other hand . . .

I really dislike nationalism, and it saddens me that any government feels that it has to talk up its military assets to the folks at home so they continue feeling in awe/afraid/proud of their government. Sometimes I wonder if this sort of thing is simply the product of male leaders who have been emotionally arrested at the age of 14. Would a female leadership (or a more enlightened male one) act this way? We may have to wait some time to find out.

So the whole thing is a bit silly to begin with. However, we all know that this particular quote is going to find its way in to a lot of Western analysis of the PLA, reports that will no doubt debunk the comment while at the same time explain with alarm that this is good evidence of the long-term aims of the PLA.

Horrors. As I mentioned the other day, this is the sort of thing that will be used by folks in the US defense establishment to justify billions more in military spending. Thanks a lot for that, Minister Liang — more of my (U.S.) tax dollars will now be flushed down the toilet.

© Stan for China Hearsay, 2009. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
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Full post as published by China Hearsay on September 22, 2009 (boomark / email).