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China boosts military spending by almost 20% - are they planning something?

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posted on Mar, 5 2008 @ 11:53 AM
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China is boosting their military spending.


www.msnbc.msn.com...



BEIJING - China announced Tuesday that it will again sharply increase its military spending this year, budgeting a 17.6 percent rise that is roughly equal to last year's increase.

Disclosure of plans for a $59 billion outlay in 2008 followed a Pentagon report Monday that raised questions about China's rapidly increasing military budget, and came less than three weeks before a presidential election in Taiwan, the self-governed island over which China claims sovereignty.

A spokesman for the Chinese legislature said the country's decade-long military buildup does "not pose a threat to any country," but he warned that relations with Taiwan were at a "crucial stage" and that the island would "surely pay a dear price" if it were to take steps that China viewed as a declaration of independence.


Please visit the link provided for the complete story.


China is our largest trading partner, so attacking the US doesn't make a whole lot of sense. However, we're currently in an economic crash that hurts China's bottom line. So what is China boosting their military spending for?

Is China planning on attacking the US if our economy crashes bad enough to create a New Depression? It would certainly alleviate the pressures at home if they can refocus their own economic troubles onto a foreign enemy that has (perceived) resources and room for Chinese expansion.

We're currently competing with China over oil. It would serve China's interests if they eliminated our "need" for large quantities of oil, which would occur if the US were damaged by war. There's a lot of world left if the US collapses that China could continue to sell their nonsense to, and annihilating the US would put China on top.

I'm not sure I understand exactly what China is thinking by boosting their military spending. That, on top of Russia's boost, doesn't bode well for us. It sure sounds like we're heading toward another cold war. Worst case scenario, another hot war with big time bad guys. If China and Russia gang up, it's bad, bad news.



posted on Mar, 5 2008 @ 12:31 PM
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China will spend billions on Olympics of which this is part of. They have ambitions on Taiwan, but are in no real military position for another 3 to 5 years.

Attacking the US would be suicidal on their part for the next 10 years or so. They are currently a very strong regional power. They need a blue water navy and more and longer range missiles for to be world power class.

just a couple ramblin' thoughts....



posted on Mar, 6 2008 @ 02:48 AM
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I think even if they increased their military spending 200% it still would be very small in comparison to what the USA spends. I think the USA spends more than the whole world combined and then some?



posted on Mar, 6 2008 @ 03:56 AM
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Originally posted by hinky
China will spend billions on Olympics of which this is part of. They have ambitions on Taiwan, but are in no real military position for another 3 to 5 years.

Attacking the US would be suicidal on their part for the next 10 years or so. They are currently a very strong regional power. They need a blue water navy and more and longer range missiles for to be world power class.

just a couple ramblin' thoughts....


Im not trying to argue here but where do you get your info? If anything this kind of information has to be sensitive military info to say the least. I personally think the Chinese gov is doing this to help boost thier regional power, not necessarally for a upcoming event, but for more influence and control. A similar example in my mind is the upcoming Olympics, China is trying very hard to boost their image in an attempt to transform into a superpower within our lifetime. To think that China would be ready for a skirmish with the USA in the next decade seems a bit much to me personally, but i have no experience in this area.



posted on Mar, 6 2008 @ 06:18 AM
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Originally posted by Slickinfinity
I think even if they increased their military spending 200% it still would be very small in comparison to what the USA spends. I think the USA spends more than the whole world combined and then some?


Uhuh.

Heads up folks, because this is where the money goes....

World Military Spending (2006)

The US accounted for 46% of the worlds total defence spend in 2006



posted on Mar, 6 2008 @ 06:36 AM
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reply to post by bgaty
 



i quite agree with your thinking...


also, China is incrementally building their military infrastructure,

so the increase isn't necessarily translate into an increased Arsenal & Armory,
they are developing the ability to produce and develop next generation
systems & arms - internally-
without 'outsourcing' as America has foolishly done.



posted on Mar, 6 2008 @ 06:41 AM
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China has a long way to go in order to match or exceed Western military spending....

Any rhetoric spewed by US media reporting US officials are "concerned" about increases in Chinese military spending are BS...

The US accounts for almost half military spending according to Nefer, the rest of the world pales in comparison...

Makes you wonder who the true aggressors are on the planet...You don't spend almost half the global military budget on defending a nation which represents 5% of the world population...

Peace



posted on Mar, 6 2008 @ 06:52 AM
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Are they planning something? Geez, their military spending increased by 120% wouldnt see them match the amount the US spends.

I think the real question is, in times of turmoil, why isnt the US military budget reduced by 20%? Is it just me, as someone who is not America/ nor lives in America, but Id be extremely pissed off that they still continue to spend so much on military, but they dont "have enough money" to bail social security out. Only on Earth.

[edit on 6-3-2008 by 3_Libras]



posted on Mar, 6 2008 @ 11:06 AM
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Its just not about how much money you spend, large amounts of money does not equate to sperior fighting forces. Even in PNAC reference is made to the future threat that China poses and to such an extent that it is now remodling US forces to try and meet that threat.



posted on Mar, 6 2008 @ 11:53 AM
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China has a pretty well organized military machine, but they don't really need it when they have already screwed the US economically. They own most if not all of the US debt and they are all cosy snugly with Iran and quite a few African and South American nations that are major oil producers. It really is just a matter of time before the US starts to really feel the squeeze!!

Yesterday the US dollar hit an all time low against the Yen, the markets are all looking a bit shaky. HSBC had to write off shed loads of debt (but still called in a profit - go figure!) as well as US banks that are feeling it, all this sub-prime BS which is the tip of the ice berg IMO. And the Chinese still will out and out refuse to float the RMB which would really help the trade imbalances.

Don't waste your time counting tanks and planes.

Count accountants and lawyers!!

MonKey

My post copy and pasted from a thread in AP, but I feel it fits in here as well.



posted on Mar, 6 2008 @ 12:02 PM
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I think China's leaders could just be engaging in corruption...many of them probably have financial ties to the military-industrial complex so they may be doing all this for kickbacks' sake.



posted on Mar, 6 2008 @ 03:22 PM
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China had its hands tied when he US was the over-whelming dominate power (80s-90s). Now that leftist have hijacked the government and the Congress and White House our inept, they can just sit back and watch the US disintegrate internally.

First and foremost is the cost of the Iraq war. Afghanistan was enough, but we had to go in and finish off Iraq, which we should have done during the first Gulf War. The cost of this war was too much to bear with a economy teetering from high oil costs and extreme fraud from illegal immigrants. California and Texas were already struggling with immigration costs and impending bankruptcy. Now that this has happened and the federal govt is also in over their head, the economy will continue to contract with the mortgage scam taking the lead.

The current troubling result is our prized banks are in deep financial trouble and looking for foreign investment to bail them out which includes the Middle East, Asia and China. So there you have it, China sat back and now own part of our national possessions, our banks.

Thanks to the socialist in the Democratic Party, this will continue to collapse in the coming years with no real plan other than socialize everything and raise taxes.

China will win without a shoot being fired as we self-destruct and we continue to buy their lead laden crap. Their increased military budget is to bolster their occupying force and to have equipment ready to weed out the few red-neck and survivalist holdouts in the backwoods of Montana, Virginia and Texas.




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