Thursday, May 03, 2007

The changng map of powers in Far East

China’s Increasing Maritime Reach, Missile Programs Cause Concern


It’s as if China was in near war-time production of missiles … in what amounts to the largest missile production and test rate since the Cold War.”

According to some analysts, there are real concerns in Far East Asia that Washington is continuing a long-term regional disengagement, citing the withdrawal of American forces from Vietnam in 1975, Taiwan in 1979, the Philippines in 1992, and the expected withdrawal of U.S. forces from South Korea and Japan within the next 20 years. Following an agreement between Seoul and Washington last February, for example, South Korea will take over wartime operational control of its military from the United States in 2012 and the United States is in the process of relocating 7,000 forces from Okinawa to Guam over the next six years.

Worse still, that Washington may accommodate China’s new regional influence “at the expense of traditional alliance commitments in Asia,” Richard Fisher, vice president of the Washington-based International Assessment and Strategy Center told Defense News, March 19, 2007.May 2, 2007JINSA


Japan needs more grand stratedgy dealing with the changing world situation.

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