One day after the Pentagon issued a new report dramatically hyping China as a grave threat to the United States, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is said to be planning a major anti-China speech during his visit to Finland on Monday.
Monday’s speech is expected to be a major US policy speech on the Arctic, and territorial claims therein. Pompeo is expected to spin China as threatening the entire Arctic, and will reject Chinese claims to be a “near-Arctic state” because of its interest in using the area as a shipping route.
The focus of Pompeo’s attack on China, however, is likely to be totally distinct from the Arctic, and just a continuation of the flurry of vague allegations that the Pentagon started with in its own report, part of a broader US policy to portray China as a major enemy and threat to American dominance worldwide.
To that end, the Pentagon is alleging that China might, at some point in the future, conceivably position nuclear submarines in the Arctic Ocean. To be clear, there is no evidence or even claim that China is doing this now, rather the Pentagon expressed concern that at some point in the future, for some reason, they might do so. The report also added that Denmark was concerned about that.
China’s military spending, while still only a fraction of America’s, is also being presented as “laying the groundwork” for a military invasion of Taiwan. Again, there is no allegation that such an invasion is planned or intended, only that China physically could do so if it decided it wanted to in the future.
All told, this is likely part of a US pivot away from portraying Russia as their main enemy and replacing them with China, because Russia has fallen out of the top five in military spending worldwide, while China is securely in second place, albeit far behind the US.
Neocon crazies Pompeo, Bolton and Pence are making the USS sink even faster.
This is crazy. While there are no Chinise subs in Arctic, there are Russian. Plenty off. Russia has a claim under UNCLOS for the control of North Pole. Including 30+ icebteakers, compared to US 1 functioning icebreaker, one used for parts. This is nothing but a thinly veiled attempt of threatening Russia from the notth, its largest sea border, as well as a new northern passage trade route for Japan, Kirea, China and many others, who fear US attempts at taking control of Bab Al Mandeb to close Red Sea passage. The obsession with absolute control of everything has gone psychopathic. In the meantime, the decline in US science and technology is being reflected in military capabilities. This craze has two purposes. One, for Rissia to either show its new capabilities or to shut up and put up with US diktat. And second purpose is to corner as many global naval chokepoints — establishing advantage and buying time to catch up with technology deficit. Russia is doing what Russia always does. Turnjng other cheek three times. It decreased its military budget after all major strategic new gen weapons were tested and some in operation. All the miney and much of the scientific resources have been moved to space program. Aling with the man who headed military procurement, Rogozin.
It has not yet dawned to the loud neocons that China and Russia are working together. The new Russia submarine probe/drone, Poseidon, is going to be key part of Chinese defence.
Neocons always dig deeper when in trouble — and it served them well. Nobody called them to account for messes. They are counting on Russia not risking major conflagration, thus they are pushing further and digging hole ever deeper. But the contest of technologies will be assimetrical. Perhaps not in Arctic, but Venezuela. Away from Russian and Chinese territories. Perhaps somewhere else in Africa, Europe, Caribbean. But like in Syria, there will be no serious challenge in Baltics or Black Sea. The handwriting is on the wall, noise nothwithstanding.
China is challenging our hegemony around the world, and we don’t like that. Changing of the guard in Asia can be done peacefully if we gracefully exit.
Pompeo is the best thing Democrats have going especially after admitting to dirty deeds like lying and stealing and worse. Ill give twenty to one that he along with others will be dumped befor the coming election
He can do a lot of d
Even the USA could not pretend that spending is what makes a country powerful and effective, so the “reason” given for the designation of China as a threat, and not Russia (which they know is not) is false.
So tired of these warmongering blowhards. So tired of Trump…the best president Israel has ever had ….not so good for us though.
Did China displease E.T. (Emperor Trump) in their response to his May 1 deadline to stop buying oil from Iran?
In great power struggle terms, China IS a threat and THE biggest threat going forward.
Now, in terms of lets all be nice and get along with each other, that would be very different.
Now we are being battered with pronouncements about the Chinese march upon the polar ice caps? What next will he blather about? Will it be how our precious bodilly fluids have been tainted?