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In testimony presented before the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, Jeff Hagen evaluates the balance between observed Chinese capabilities and U.S. forces in light of China’s continued modernization of its military.
By rand.org

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In testimony presented before the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, Roger Cliff reviews the capabilities of China’s air forces as part of understanding the nature of the military challenge China is presenting to the United States.
By rand.org

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Turkey has displayed the first of 200 Chinese B611 ballistic missiles, that it is building under license. The B611 is a two ton missiles with a half ton warhead and a range of 280 kilometers. The missile is carried, and launched, in an 8×8 cross country truck. Some trucks are designed to carry two missiles. The B611 uses a solid fuel motor, and its basic guidance system will land the warhead within 150 meters of the aiming point. Using GPS for guidance will improve that to less than 30 meters.

http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htart/articles/20091110.aspx

By polaris

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Just saw some new photos of Varyag. Looks like they are close to finish painting the island. Not only that, I would saw that the structure of the island has now been modified to it’s final form. I am just waiting for the sensors to be installed on the island. I have attached a photo of the mock up in Wuhan for comparison. I think that they should eventually look the same

Picture of the full scale mock up in Wuhan for reference:

By Feng

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Beijing (XNA) Apr 14, 2010 –
China will push ahead with its lunar exploration program despite the United States’ decision to suspend its return to the moon, a senior space exploration scientist has said.
By spacedaily.com

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La Paz (AFP) April 1, 2010 – Chinese and Bolivian officials Thursday signed an agreement to build Bolivia’s first communications satellite, intended for domestic security, for launch in 2013.
By spacedaily.com

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So, according to this article on times online, the Israelis actually made the unprecedented move to come to China to try to persuade Chinese support for sanctions. That in itself is nothing new, but the Israelis are basically saying that they will attack Iran’s nuclear facilities and that all hell with break loose if they do. According to the article, they have even let a Chinese general to inspect their strike force to show that they are capable of accomplishing this mission. Basically if you’ve followed the commentaries of Robert Baer, the Israelis will move to take out the nuclear facilities if UN doesn’t deliver on further sanction. Clearly, Israel regards this as existential threat (this entry is not to agree or disagree that point). Even so, it is still a curious strategy to straight out tell China that “you better help us, because we are so desperate that we will do something so dramatic that you will get hurt in the process and we don’t care what anyone else thinks about it”. It amounts to basically blackmailing the world’s leading creditor.

I’m curious to see how China will react to this. I personally think they should support further sanctions in the hope of stopping this from escalating further into a wide conflict that would basically take a large part of Middle East oil out of commission. The world’s economy is just recovering and can’t handle a dramatic energy crisis like this. However, would supporting a harsher sanction right now stop the Iranians and appease the Israelis? What if the Israelis come back to ask for more sanctions if this round does not solve anything? These are all things that China needs to think about.

By Feng

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Moscow, Russia (RIA Novosti) Mar 25, 2010 –
China’s fourth space center, Wenchang, will be put into service between 2014 and 2015, not in 2013 as it was previously announced, the CCTV channel reported on Tuesday.
By spacedaily.com

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Well, these pictures came out this weekend.


Shows that Varyag has left the dry docks in Dalian with the modified island. Although at this point, they really haven’t put any of the sensors on the island yet. Looks like all of the dry dock work has been done and they will start to really install on the electronics now.

What I hear is that they completely redesigned the inside of the ship. They put a lot of serious investment into putting Varyag back into service, so it may serve past just having training purpose. Just waiting patiently for the next stage now.

By Feng

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In testimony presented before the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, David Shlapak discusses how China’s past twenty years of military modernization is tilting the balance of power with Taiwan increasingly in Beijing’s favor, and how this might affect the U.S.
By rand.org

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The 2003 invasion of Iraq and the ensuing conflict in that country fostered the rise of Iranian power in the region, but with more limitations than is commonly acknowledged. It also diminished local confidence in U.S. credibility and created opportunities for China and Russia.
By rand.org

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Venezuela has received its first shipment of six Chinese-made K-8 trainer planes. The K-8s will be used to train Venezuelan pilots, as well as intercepting drug traffickers who use Venezuela as a stop-off point to take Colombian cocaine to the US.

President Hugo Chavez attended the plane-delivery ceremony, which was held at an air base in the city of Barquisimeto. He thanked China for delivering the advanced planes, saying the country will receive 12 more such planes later this year.

Chavez said Venezuela will use them to train pilots and defend the country from external or internal threats. Venezuela has been under a US arms embargo since 2006. It relies mainly on Russia for the import of weapons and other military hardware.

http://english.cctv.com/program/worldwidewatch/20100314/100937.shtml

By polaris

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When the Berlin Wall fell 20 years ago, those raised in the shadow of possible nuclear holocaust felt disbelief, followed by relief and hope that the end of the Cold War would bring lasting peace, and the end of conflict. And in Europe, at least, it mostly did – but not everywhere, writes Christopher S. Chivvis.
By rand.org

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China’s challenge in defining the security role it will play in the region and the world in the coming years is to harmonize its own view of its security intentions with that of the outside world, writes Michael Lostumbo.
By rand.org

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The increasing importance of the G-20 summits is testimony to the growing role emerging states now play in managing the international economy. But integrating these newcomers into the global community is unlikely to be straightforward or simple, writes Lowell H. Schwartz.
By rand.org

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The damage done by the financial crisis now seems to require not a refurbishing job but an extreme makeover. While soul-searching and even self-loathing are inevitable during a crisis, this is no time for America to shy away from a capitalist system that has produced decades of economic growth, writes Krishna Kumar.
By rand.org

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China is a global actor of significant and growing importance, now integrated into the international system and altering that system’s dynamics. The complexity of China’s ever-changing global activism raises questions about its intentions and the implications for global stability and prosperity.
By rand.org

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While relations between China and Taiwan are warmer now than in recent years, China still feels entitled to use force to prevent Taiwan from becoming independent. Meanwhile, the modernizing of China’s military may call into question the U.S.’ ability to defend Taiwan against a large-scale Chinese attack.
By rand.org

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Will the current global economic recession have long-term geopolitical implications? Assuming that economic recovery begins in the first half of 2010, lasting structural alterations in the international system — a substantial change in U.S.-China relations, for example — are unlikely. This is because economic performance is only one of many geopolitical elements that shape countries’ strategic intent and core external policies.
By rand.org

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In testimony presented before the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, Cortez A. Cooper ties China’s re-emergence as a naval power to its expanding economic and security interests.
By rand.org