China warns U.S. not to take sides in sea disputes as Clinton flies in.

[dipsydoodle]

Last edited Tue Sep 4, 2012, 05:40 AM - Edit history (1)

Source: Reuters

(Reuters) - China warned the United States not to get involved in South China Sea territorial disputes on Tuesday as U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton headed to Beijing pledging to pass on a strong message on the need to calm regional tension.

The last time Clinton visited the Chinese capital, plans to highlight improving U.S.-China ties were derailed by a blind Chinese dissident whose dramatic flight to the U.S. embassy exposed the deeply uneasy relationship.

The irritants this time are disputes over tiny islets and craggy outcrops in oil- and gas-rich areas of the South and East China Seas that have set China against U.S. regional allies such as the Philippines and Taiwan.

As Clinton travelled back to Beijing on Tuesday, U.S. officials say the message is once again one of cooperation and partnership - and an important chance to compare notes during a year of political transition.

Read more: http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/09/04/uk-china-usa-clinton-idUKBRE88301C20120904

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edit - Reuters changed the headline in their own link.

[Alamuti Lotus]

1. how can she present such a message with a remotely straight face?

In Jakarta on Monday, Clinton urged China and its Southeast Asian neighbours to move quickly on a code of conduct for the South China Sea and stressed that disputes should be resolved "without coercion, without intimidation, without threats and certainly without the use of force".

"...now if you'll please excuse me, I really must go make some coercive threats of intimidation and force against Iran and anybody else who doesn't meekly do what they're told."



Intrestingly, the article has been revised to make China look slightly more menacing:
new headline: China warns U.S. not to take sides in sea disputes as Clinton flies in
new lead paragraph: (Reuters) - China warned the United States not to get involved in South China Sea territorial disputes on Tuesday as U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton headed to Beijing pledging to pass on a strong message on the need to calm regional tension.

[dipsydoodle]

2. Thanks for the heads up

I've revised the title etc to reflect Reuter's own change using the same link.

[Suji to Seoul]

3. I love when a paper tiger as transparent as China rattles its sabres.

Gives them face. . .makes them feel mian zi. And the sheep that live here in China eat it up. I was just told that China will crush the US in a war because of the size of their army.

I laughed and said ICBMs work better than bullets, and China has none. This is my daily life here. Five more months.

[oldsarge54]

4. Support Tyrants

I take it then that the new liberals are into supporting tyrants like Assad? This old liberal hated cons because they touted freedom while supporting tyrants. From my point of view, the "arab spring" was a step back to the real American soul. Are we now saying "none of our business?" That was the Republican position after WWI, never joined the league of nations, and got WWII for our efforts. China is another story. We do have defense treaties with various powers involved in the China Sea. Is our new position screw the treaties, we didn't really mean it? Oh, that right, that is how we ended up in Korea, we told everybody it wasn't in our sphere of influence.

[Selatius]

5. The United States: I wanna be friends. Let me ring your whole country with my military bases!

We're basically going to spend the next several decades reorienting the military's stance to oppose the growing power of China. They're passing Japan as the second largest economic powerhouse in the world. The top two would just be the United States and China at that point.

Eventually, they'll have an economy large enough to support a huge, bloated military machine that can destroy things like what the United States currently possesses today. In order to maintain full spectrum military dominance, China has to be contained or neutralized as a military power. Otherwise, the US can't dictate policy at the point of a gun anymore without somebody else on the block possessing an equally big gun threatening back.

[Suji to Seoul]

6. You don't know the country of China

Trust me. . .the United States has NOTHING to fear. The only thing I can say about the Chinese military is they look good in their uniforms.

I live here. I live 500 meters from an army base here in Nanjing. Trust me. . .there is nothing the US has to worry about. This country's military is a joke. Even the locals realize it. All the sabre rattling is being down to distract people from the economic slowdown here in China and the rampant inflation that is crippling future growth.

[octothorpe]

9. Does Taiwan feel the same way?

How about South Korea fearing China would give North Korea support to cause problems on the Korean peninsula. While China may not have the capabilities to have its troops marching down San Francisco any time soon, they can definitely cause problems in their part of the world...

[Suji to Seoul]

10. I didn't imply they weren't a regional power, but globally. . .paper tiger

[Selatius]

12. That doesn't matter. If the US gov't can convince Americans it's a threat, then ...

the US government can continue to spend gigantic amounts of money on a military machine in the name of national security without much domestic opposition from American citizens. If Americans wised up and stop being afraid of the outside world, the military-industrial complex would lose an excuse to continue eating up so much of the federal budget of the United States.

[Suji to Seoul]

14. MIC needs a boogey man and since Americans are frightened, jingoistic sheep, it's easy to get

all the money they want.

[Odin2005]

7. Hey China, the Phillippines are OUR ALLY.

[Suji to Seoul]

11. This sabre rattling means nothing. China will back down

They can't afford a war with anyone. Their troops are completely unprepared. They can't even march in a straight line or clean their uniforms.

[rachel1]

8. Interfering in another country's affairs? Not again

What about our own domestic affairs?

[Odin2005]

13. China is interfering with our allies' affairs.

Trying to steal their oil-rich territorial waters.