China Is Our Friend, Part 48559

Aside from shipping poisoned human and pet food, selling body parts, killing millions of babies, and treating its own citizens as though they were machines, PRChina's oligarchy-class Stalinist rulers have other bad habits.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said yesterday that the report, scheduled for release today, shows how China "has steadily devoted increasing resources to their military."

...officials also said that the report will detail how China is developing two new types of strategic forces that go beyond what nations have done traditionally using air, sea and land forces by aiming to knock out modern communications methods on which the U.S. military relies for advanced warfighting techniques.

First, U.S. intelligence officials estimate that by 2010 China's ASAT missiles will be capable of delivering a knockout blow to many U.S. military satellites. Second, China also is training large numbers of military computer hackers to deliver crippling electronic attacks on U.S. military and civilian computer networks.

What will we do without our daily dose of Wiggy?

China's buildup also appears directed at deploying forces that can be used beyond a regional conflict over Taiwan, which in the past was thought by U.S. officials to be the main objective of China's military modernization.

For example, the report identifies the five new missile submarines, known as the Jin-class, that will each be outfitted with 12 5,000-mile-range JL-2 missiles, vastly improving China's nuclear missile strike capabilities.

Fred Thompson, who is an adult and who speaks like one, refers to the situation with PRC as "the day after Iraq."

Here's an interesting paragraph:

Officials familiar with the report said that the annual assessment, which is required under congressional legislation, was modified during reviews by officials in the White House National Security Council, the State Department and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence who sought to play down the Chinese military developments.

GWB's theme song: "Don't Worry, Be Happy!"

But after all, Cheap is Good!!