Red Dragon Rising

While some of you may be familiar with recent clashes between Japan and China over territorial waters, there was also a less publicized incident between China and Vietnam. It would seem that China is flexing it's military muscles and asserting authority in that part of the world.

In Benny Avni's article today, he asserts that these incidents are just the beginning of problems between the an increasingly aggressive China and the West.

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China's new assertiveness goes beyond brazen displays of power in its immediate neighborhood. Beijing is also spreading its wings in Africa, South Asia and the Middle East.

The most worrisome example was an air exercise last month in Turkey. For years, the annual drill known as "Anatolian Eagle" involved America, Israel and other Western allies of Turkey. But last year, when Ankara barred Israeli pilots from participating, the US and Italy cancelled their participation in solidarity. So this year, Turkey invited China to replace its old nato allies in the annual exercise.

More, the Turkish daily Hurriyet reported on Monday that China's Russian-made SU-27 warplanes made a refueling stop in Iran on route to the Turkish air exercise. It was the first time since the 1979 revolution that the Islamic Republic granted foreign planes access to its territory.

According to reports in Turkey and Israel, Washington is watching warily. Before the exercise, the administration demanded that Turkey use no F-16 fighter planes or other American or NATO technology. (The Turks said they'd use older planes instead.)

We have plenty of reasons to worry about this and other growing Chinese alliances. To be sure, China's military has a way to go before it can equal ours. But with a fast-growing Chinese economy and a thirst for oil and other resources -- and with a new generation of ever-more aggressive People's Liberation Army generals who see America as the enemy -- we'd better pay attention."

We once only worried about the threat of radical Islam and a few rogue states and organizations. Now with China actually coddling such threats to peace, we are left wondering who will counter the gathering forces that are opposing the Western democracies. as if the most oil and natural gas rich nation in the Western hemisphere needed nuclear capabilities, it was announced today that Russia will be assisting Venezuela to develop nuclear capabilities. For "peaceful" purposes, I'm sure.



I'm not aware of a single country besides of the US who could meaningfully oppose such nefarious alliances. Pat Buchanan today, is floating the idea of actually charging Europe for the safety and protections that they have enjoyed for years, courtesy of the US military. Quote, "If we are going to play Romans, why not demand tribute, as the Romans did?"