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[Rob <becida AT comcast.net>]

This is both an interesting and disturbing and 
(maybe) accurate story. Does the US have the 
resolve to take on China? From what I can see it doesn't look like it.

This has far reaching consequents if you ask me. 
If Asia doubts that we can do the job they will 
have to protect themselves. That means a military 
build up and a military build up is never good 
for the world ... in a general sort of way.
Things are changing fast...
I'm curious about what you all think about this...


Rob
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http://www.insightmag.com/Media/MediaManager/slasheastasia_1.htm

East Asia allies doubt U.S. could win war with China

The overwhelming assessment by Asian officials, 
diplomats and analysts is that the U.S. military 
simply cannot defeat China. It has been an 
assessment relayed to U.S. government officials 
over the past few months by countries such as 
Australia, Japan and South Korea. This comes as 
President Bush wraps up a visit to Asia, in which 
he sought to strengthen U.S. ties with key allies in the region.

Most Asian officials have expressed their views 
privately. Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara has 
gone public, warning that the United States would lose any war with China.

"In any case, if tension between the United 
States and China heightens, if each side pulls 
the trigger, though it may not be stretched to 
nuclear weapons, and the wider hostilities 
expand, I believe America cannot win as it has a 
civic society that must adhere to the value of 
respecting lives," Mr. Ishihara said in an 
address to the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Mr. Ishihara said U.S. ground forces, with the 
exception of the Marines, are "extremely 
incompetent" and would be unable to stem a 
Chinese conventional attack. Indeed, he asserted 
that China would not hesitate to use nuclear 
weapons against Asian and American cities—even at 
the risk of a massive U.S. retaliation.

The governor said the U.S. military could not 
counter a wave of millions of Chinese soldiers 
prepared to die in any onslaught against U.S. 
forces. After 2,000 casualties, he said, the U.S. 
military would be forced to withdraw.

"Therefore, we need to consider other means to 
counter China," he said. "The step we should be 
taking against China, I believe, is economic containment."

Officials acknowledge that Mr. Ishihara's views 
reflect the widespread skepticism of U.S. 
military capabilities in such countries as 
Australia, India, Japan, Singapore and South 
Korea. They said the U.S.-led war in Iraq has 
pointed to the American weakness in low-tech warfare.

"When we can't even control parts of Anbar, they 
get the message loud and clear," an official 
said, referring to the flashpoint province in western Iraq.

As a result, Asian allies of the United States 
are quietly preparing to bolster their militaries 
independent of Washington. So far, the Bush 
administration has been strongly opposed to an 
indigenous Japanese defense capability, fearing 
it would lead to the expulsion of the U.S. military presence from that country.

On Nov. 16, Mr. Bush met with Japanese Prime 
Minister Junichiro Koizumi. The two leaders 
discussed the realignment of the U.S. military 
presence in Japan and Tokyo's troop deployment in Iraq.

During his visit to Washington in early November, 
Mr. Ishihara met senior U.S. defense officials. 
They included talks with U.S. Defense Deputy 
Undersecretary for Asian and Pacific Affairs 
Richard Lawless to discuss the realignment of the 
U.S. military presence in Japan.

For his part, Mr. Ishihara does not see China as 
evolving into a stable democracy with free elections.

"I believe such predictions are totally wrong," Mr. Ishihara said.