Chinese Strawmen Tactics

Fire of Liberty

Peter Brookes has an excellent column in yesterday's New York Post on the current spat between China and Japan. While the media currently mouths China's line about Japan causing the problem via the publication of "textbooks," and the constant demonstrations of thousands of Chinese people, the Chinese are going about their merry way in creating situations that could exacerbate the situation between these Asia Giants. This is typical with most authoritarian nation's like China, where the leadership controls all protests and uses the media to make the World look the other way while they do something bad. Brookes shows in his column how the Chinese government has initiated an aggressive policy towards Japan. See for yourself:

China's increasing anti-Japanese sentiments have spilled over into U.N. matters, too. Beijing rejected any Japanese bid for a U.N. Security Council (UNSC) seat under recently proposed reforms of the international body.

As a UNSC permanent member with veto rights, Beijing's opposition would block a Japanese bid. While supporting India, Germany and Brazil, China claims that Japan, the U.N.'s second largest donor, doesn't have the "moral qualifications" for a seat.

China's military buildup is also spurring an Asian arms race, pushing "pacifist" Japan to reconsider its defense policy. Many of the more than 750 Chinese missiles now aimed at Taiwan are capable of reaching Japan (and American forces stationed there) as well.

Persistent rumors that the French will sell China Mirage fighters with advanced air-to-air missiles, and maritime patrol aircraft (if the E.U. arms embargo is lifted) has gotten Tokyo's (and Taipei's) rapt attention.

If I were Japan, I'd make sure that I was on guard for any tricks on the behalf of the Chinese. The actions of the past few weeks clearly demonstrates why Japan has to update their defense forces /strategic objectives to abate the rising Dragon. Expect this to be the beginning of a long struggle between the authoritarian Communist Chinese and the freedom loving democracy of Japan. My money is with Japan.