Australia must boost military to deal with China rise

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http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Aus...y_to_deal_with_China_rise_think_tank_999.html

Australia must boost military to deal with China rise: think tank

by Staff Writers
Melbourne (AFP) April 16, 2009
Australia must boost defence spending to give its military the hardware to deal with strategic challenges presented by China's rise as a global superpower, an influential think tank has warned.

China's growth meant the US, Australia's main military ally, would lose its dominant position in Asia in coming decades, creating uncertainty and a higher risk of conflict, the Lowy Institute for International Policy said.

The institute, in a report released this week ahead of a major government review into the defence force, recommended a huge boost in military spending to take it to 2.5 percent from 2.0 percent of total Australian gross domestic product.

It said Australia should triple its submarine fleet to 18 vessels and double its order for F-35 Joint Strike Fighters as well as increasing the number of infantry troops available for regional deployments.

The report's author professor Hugh White, who wrote the last major government defence review released in 2000, said China may not pose a direct threat to Australia but its rise was changing regional power dynamics.

"This power shift poses an unprecedented challenge to American primacy, which has kept Asia stable and Australia safe for many decades," he said.

"China's challenge to US primacy undercuts the most basic assumptions of Australian defence policy, and poses big questions."

White said Australia could not assume it would retain its status as a middle-ranking regional power as its neighbours expanded rapidly in what is being dubbed "The Asia Century".

"The long-term trends suggest that Australia has no choice but to spend more on defence or accept a steady decline in strategic weight," he said.

"A mere 20 years ago, Australia's economy was the second largest in Asia after Japan -- larger than either India's or China's.

"How quickly the balance has shifted."

The government's defence review is expected to be released before the annual Budget is handed down in Canberra on May 12.
 

EnlightenedMonk

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Aussies need ACs to keep control of the oceans... else the Chinese Navy will try and wrest control of it... and possibly more nuclear submarines as well....
 
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More Aussie paranoia of a chinese takeover. Aussies are worried that USA will not be able to protect them from China.
 

EnlightenedMonk

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Even I'm genuinely afraid Lethal, because China is becoming more powerful by the day... he's getting power much more than his actual worth... thats what I'm worried about...

And, under Obama, the US is slowly backing off on everything basically... so, I fear it might actually leave Australia truly exposed...
 
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Australia has to accept the fact that there needs to be the USA Japan India Australia alliance,'the one that they dropped out from, when chinese pressured them.
 

EnlightenedMonk

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Yep they should, and not only these, we need more allies to keep the Chinese in check, because in the future it isn't going to be like old times...

The US will not intervene much because he's a debtor (in effect) to China... so, he will keep his mouth shut increasingly and we'll all be left to fend for ourselves....

To complete this alliance of interests, we need a couple of allies from the Middle East with large navies who would be interested in keeping a close watch on Chinese activities...
 
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Yep they should, and not only these, we need more allies to keep the Chinese in check, because in the future it isn't going to be like old times...

The US will not intervene much because he's a debtor (in effect) to China... so, he will keep his mouth shut increasingly and we'll all be left to fend for ourselves....

To complete this alliance of interests, we need a couple of allies from the Middle East with large navies who would be interested in keeping a close watch on Chinese activities...
Being a debtor nation will make them interfere more, what easier way to get rid of your debt than by going to war and pulverizing the nation you are indebted too.
 

EnlightenedMonk

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True, but the power-gap is closing very quickly, the US will not find it easy if he wants to pulverise the Chinese armed forces or the Government...

The US is used to going up against nations which have nothing or very litttle to show in the form of an air force (circa Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan) and considering this parameter China is no pushover... he could atleast give a bloody nose, if not more to the US...

Also, the US has a logistical problem... even if he moves all his 14 Aircraft Carriers to fight the Chinese, he'll have 80 x 14 == 1120 jets which is much less than what the Chinese have... The Chinese have the numerical advantage even though the Americans have the qualitative advantage...

It's difficult to predict which way the war will go... so, my bet is that Uncle Sam will not take a risk... especially when he doesn't have any physical bases anywhere close through which he can attack with impunity (excluding Japan)...
 
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That's why USA will need an alliance, also they can decimate the Chinese wealth by making their Bonds and treasury notes worthless which thay practically are now anyway ,no market for either and zero percent interest, no buyers except for US government, once US government refuses China's wealth is cut in half.
 

EnlightenedMonk

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Yes, but this will also mean US screwing himself even more and putting himself into deeper trouble... would he do that ??? My suspicion is that he wouldn't....
 
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No Monk they would not screw themselves since it is not the currency. but the debt instruments US can manipulate if they choose, if Chinese ask for new IMF currency USA will bury them alive and send them back to the stone age.
 

EnlightenedMonk

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I agree its not the currency, but wouldn't they be hitting investor confidence if they start manipulating and not let the treasuries be free floating as they currently are ??? What confidence would the investors have in the US then ???

Also, if they manipulate, they're not only screwing the Chinese but also their other European friends who also hold a lot of these treasuries... and, not to forget even we hold a lot of those same bonds...

But, as I said, manipulating, in the long run will hit investor confidence in the US... their economy will never be the same again if they dare to do anything of that sort...
 
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Monk if they single out the Chinese all these side issues would take care of themselves. They can just refuse to buy treasury that Chinese are selling this way there is no market since there is no buyer, who cares if the market is frozen for awhile when it opens they can buy from non chinese sellers, it is alot easier than it appears also if they stop trade with China their economy is finished ,USA still has the upperhand no matter what China tries to do. Also much ot this is taking place right now.
 

EnlightenedMonk

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Come on yaar LF, be more reasonable... how can they single out the Chinese in such a way ??? It will look to the whole world like the Americans are running a witch-hunt against the Chinese...
 

EnlightenedMonk

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I agree they do not want to hold it, but when the market improves slightly, I'm sure that they will find takers for the junk debt...

My bone of contention is that the US will not try to go out of the way to screw the Chinese in this way, I mean, not make is so obvious that it's going to be a witch-hunt against the Chinese...
 
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US goverment bought mortgage backed security debt for 20 cents on the dollar chinese may get the same when market returns.
 

Soham

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http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Aus...y_to_deal_with_China_rise_think_tank_999.html

Australia must boost military to deal with China rise: think tank

by Staff Writers
Melbourne (AFP) April 16, 2009
Australia must boost defence spending to give its military the hardware to deal with strategic challenges presented by China's rise as a global superpower, an influential think tank has warned.

China's growth meant the US, Australia's main military ally, would lose its dominant position in Asia in coming decades, creating uncertainty and a higher risk of conflict, the Lowy Institute for International Policy said.

The institute, in a report released this week ahead of a major government review into the defence force, recommended a huge boost in military spending to take it to 2.5 percent from 2.0 percent of total Australian gross domestic product.

It said Australia should triple its submarine fleet to 18 vessels and double its order for F-35 Joint Strike Fighters as well as increasing the number of infantry troops available for regional deployments.

The report's author professor Hugh White, who wrote the last major government defence review released in 2000, said China may not pose a direct threat to Australia but its rise was changing regional power dynamics.

"This power shift poses an unprecedented challenge to American primacy, which has kept Asia stable and Australia safe for many decades," he said.

"China's challenge to US primacy undercuts the most basic assumptions of Australian defence policy, and poses big questions."

White said Australia could not assume it would retain its status as a middle-ranking regional power as its neighbours expanded rapidly in what is being dubbed "The Asia Century".

"The long-term trends suggest that Australia has no choice but to spend more on defence or accept a steady decline in strategic weight," he said.

"A mere 20 years ago, Australia's economy was the second largest in Asia after Japan -- larger than either India's or China's.

"How quickly the balance has shifted."

The government's defence review is expected to be released before the annual Budget is handed down in Canberra on May 12.
Since when has Australia been having a dominant position in Asia ?
 

vijaytripoli

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we must kick our BU*t right now . Australia is so far away from china but they are still taking preventive measures against chinese millitary buildup. but what about us? they are regulary invading our borders , destroying our army posts, arming Pakisthan from foot to neck. what we are waiting for?
chau
 

Daredevil

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The current Prime minister of Australia Kevin Rudd, has been very over-reaching towards China. He even speaks fluent chinese mandarin language. He was the one responsible for Australia pulling out of Indo-US-Japan-Australia alliance. Don't expect him to do anything that would ruffle few feathers in China.
 

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