China Slaps The U.S. In The Face
Chinas Ruler Jintao with President Musharraf of Pakistan
When the United States crossed the border from Afghanistan into Pakistan on a successful mission to kill Osama bin Laden we irritated one major ally in the war on terror. That very same irritation gave the Chinese an opportunity to undermine our efforts and China has since seized on that opportunity and slapped the United States in the face.
Pakistan currently receives 20 billion dollars of American tax payers money in aid including military aid but China has now given them 50 fighter jets on the house. Why would China give them jets for free? To show the United States that China will arm its strategic friends as well as ours from incursions in a time where America is scaling back its spending.
This also shows that the Chinese are setting the stage for a conflict between “friends.” While what the United States did technically violate Pakistan’s sovereignty it did so to pick up Pakistan’s slack. The incursion prompted the Pakistani’s to send up fighter jets but they were unable to find the stealth helicopters. Pakistan is furious over the raid not because we killed Osama but because we didn’t bring them into the loop. With the Chinese sending them brand new and highly advanced jets it is unlikely that the U.S. will be pressing their luck with another such raid. Pakistan’s Air Force is laughable however the Chinese gesture is more symbolic rather than a threat.
Pakistan is shopping for alternatives while continuing to beg for 20 billion in aid from us. While Pakistan is free to choose where they buy their military equipment from we should not be footing the bill. Many Congressmen are now calling for that aid to be suspended or eliminated all together due to the circumstances surrounding Osama bin Laden. Even though we have provided Pakistan with F-16 fighter jets, they have complained that they’re aging and inadequate with other jets of the times. China and Pakistan both share a mutual hatred of India, who also receives U.S. military aid, so China giving Pakistan more advanced fighters puts India at risk and thus puts another American ally in jeopardy.
I can’t discredit the Chinese for doing something that the United States would and has done many times before as well but this disproves the theory that China isn’t looking to challenge us militarily. China may not be a direct threat to the United States currently but shoring up friends and supplying them with better armaments will certainly make life interesting. I fear that once the United States withdraws from Iraq and Afghanistan that China will swoop in more than they are now and swing our friends and UN votes in their favor.
The JF-17 was primarily developed to meet the requirements of the Pakistan Air Force for a cost-effective, modern, multi-role combat aircraft as an inexpensive replacement for its large fleet of aging Nanchang A-5 bombers, Chengdu F-7 interceptors and Dassault Mirage III/5 fighters. It was also to have export potential to air forces of other countries as a cost-effective alternative to more expensive Western-origin fighters. The versions being given to Pakistan will feature updated avionics and radar equipment.
The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multirole jet fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as a lightweight day fighter, it evolved into a successful all-weather multirole aircraft. Over 4,400 aircraft have been built since production was approved in 1976. Though no longer being purchased by the U.S. Air Force, improved versions are still being built for export customers. These are the fighters being given to Pakistan currently with Congressionally approved avionics and radar that are older than models in use by the U.S. and Europe.
Loading ...Related Posts
-
Special Forces Want Freedom Of Movement
Posted on Apr 28, 2012
-
America Should Abandon All Aid For North Korea
Posted on Apr 24, 2012
-
Where Do I Apply To Be Secret Service?
Posted on Apr 20, 2012
-
India Testing New Nuclear Capable Missile
Posted on Apr 18, 2012
Tags
Share This
Great post! The situation makes me a little nervous though.