Cold War with China

Tensions between the US and China have been noticeably growing over the past couple years. The issue has come to a head with the US selling $6.4 billion worth of weapons to Taiwan, a break-away state that China claims as its own.

“We should retaliate with an eye for an eye and sell arms to Iran, North Korea, Syria, Cuba and Venezuela,” declared Liu Menxiong, a member of the Chinese people’s political consultative conference.

He added: “We have nothing to be afraid of. The North Koreans have stood up to America and has anything happened to them? No. Iran stands up to America and does disaster befall it? No.”

Some take an even harsher stance:

“This time China must punish the US,” said Major-General Yang Yi, a naval officer. “We must make them hurt.” A major-general in the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), Luo Yuan, told a television audience that more missiles would be deployed against Taiwan. And a PLA strategist, Colonel Meng Xianging, said China would “qualitatively upgrade” its military over the next 10 years to force a showdown “when we’re strong enough for a hand-to-hand fight with the US”.

Of course, not all Chinese politicians and miltary leaders think this way. However, I’m sure many are not impressed with US policy so far. They are testing the waters to see where they fit in the world ‘pecking-order’.

An eye-for-an-eye over time could easily degenerate into another cold war.

Source: TimesOnline