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Why China Opposes U.S. National Missile Defense July 11, 2000 Why is China so opposed to the idea of the U.S. defending itself from nuclear missiles? China's real concern is not fighting an all-out nuclear war with the U.S., but preventing America from coming to the defense of Taiwan. If Chinese leaders decide to use force to take over Taiwan, they will need to establish air and sea superiority in the Taiwan Strait. In 1995 and 1996, when China fired missiles across Taiwan to threaten the island republic, President Clinton sent aircraft carriers to patrol the strait. The Chinese dictators know that if they want to invade Taiwan, need to neutralize America's willingness to assist Taiwan. They plan to do this by the threat or use of nuclear weapons against the U.S. homeland. This threat of nuclear attack against the U.S. is not just speculation. In 1995, Chinese General Xiong Guangkai told an American envoy, "In the end, you care more about Los Angeles than you do about Taipei (Taiwan's capitol)." This year a Chinese official newspaper threatened that an American defense of Taiwan could lead to missile attacks on the U.S. On the face of it, destroying an American city would appear to be insane, because it would expose China to possible nuclear annihilation. However, Taiwan is a highly emotional issue with the Chinese, and the communist dictators believe that the threat of a Chinese nuclear attack may be sufficient to deter a U.S. president from aiding the island republic. However, the threat becomes less credible with missile defense. The U.S. would be more willing to risk an escalation of conflict in the Taiwan Strait with a partial missile shield in place. They Chinese communists understand that if they don't prevent U.S. intervention, Taiwan could repel a Chinese invasion. Although Taiwan is only a fraction of the size of China, the communist army is primarily designed to repel invaders and keep the communist dictatorship in power by suppressing the Chinese people. China's army has not been equipped or trained for power projection and force mobility, a very expensive undertaking that only the U.S. among the world's nations is capable of. So, if China attempted to invade Taiwan and fight a war on Taiwanese soil while the U.S. still controlled the Taiwan Straits, the communists would likely lose, although the war could severely damage the island's economy. Thus, the U.S. national missile defense program will have the important benefit in restraining China's aggressive behavior toward Taiwan and enhancing the security of the Far East.
© 2000 TruthNews. All Rights Reserved. And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
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