As the Chen Guangcheng saga drags on in Beijing, this week’s visit to Washington of Gen. Liang Guanglie, China’s defense minister, risks being overshadowed – or at least that’s the angle that much of the coverage of Liang’s trip seems to be taking.
In fact, Liang is almost certainly more interested in the shadows cast by the round of defense diplomacy that took place in Washington immediately prior to his arrival: the so-called “2+2” summit between the Philippine defense and foreign secretaries and their American counterparts.
The visit of Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and Secretary of Foreign Affairs Albert Del Rosario had been scheduled long before last month’s maritime confrontation between Chinese and Philippine ships at the disputed Scarborough Shoal (a dispute that continues to rumble on, with some ominous statements being made at the diplomatic level). But the latest spat certainly gave their mission – to secure more defense support from the U.S. – an added sense of urgency.
Their lobbying yielded the following public commitments: an increase in foreign military financing (FMF) for the year to September 2012 to $30 million (up from $15 million); a U.S. pledge to share “real-time information” with Manila to help it monitor its maritime possessions; non-specific assurances that more U.S. excess defense articles will find their way into the Philippines’ inventory; and a promise to nudge Australia, Japan and South Korea into giving the Philippines some of their older kit.
None of this should prevent Liang from spending a productive few days in Washington. For one, it’s clear that the U.S. pivot to Asia barely extends to the FMF program. In 2011, East Asia and the Pacific in their entirety garnered less than 1 percent of the total $5.47 billion FMF budget, and the modest boost to the Philippines’ share isn’t about to change that. Of course, FMF is not the only indicator of U.S. military assistance (and the U.S. gives the Philippines extra cash through other schemes), but it’s an important one.
Second, the United States appears to accept Chinese sensitivity as a significant constraint on the pivot to Asia, especially with Sino-U.S. relations in so delicate a state. High-profile Chinese people keep fleeing to American consulates and embassies, causing unwanted embarrassment on both sides. The two countries’ brittle military-to-military relations have only just been restored and need time to cement. Now isn’t the time to take sides in a bilateral dispute, and the U.S. has offered assurances that it has no intention of doing so.
So, Washington’s strategic actions remain a lot more modest than the headlines might lead you to believe: Marines in Australia (hardly on China’s doorstep) and littoral combat ships (which sound impressive, but are actually relatively small naval vessels) to be based in Singapore. The assistance to the Philippines is part of this pattern of marginal adjustments. Washington is drip-feeding additional support to its regional allies, not opening the taps.
The Liang visit ought therefore to be quite cordial. He might even leave Washington later this week feeling more upbeat than the Philippine delegation that preceded him.
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John Chan
Phillipines needs to be careful. CCP invaded and took Vietnamese islands in 1974. China´s massacre 64 Vietnamese sailors in Spratly islands, filmed the whole event and posted on YouTube as trophies. CCP needs to do the same to Phillipines. CCP will sink 7th Fleet too if the America comes.
MYK
@Chan
A day after the CCP warned the Philippines that the PLAN was willing to escalate the Scarborough Shoal dispute, the US reaffirmed that while they don’t want to become involved with the territorial dispute, the US is fully prepared to honor the 1951 Mutual Defence Pact Treaty with the Philippines!
You forget one key vital strategic advantage the US has over the PLAN………………….air cover! Not one PLAAF aircraft has the range to traverse 1400 km to Scarborough Shoal! While the US can send fighters and bombers globally anywhere they need to get the job done!
It would be better if China stuck with negotiations rather than suffer another humiliating defeat! China should remember they lost the Opium wars twice with Britain, lost the Sino-Frace war, lost twice to Japan, lost the border conflict with the then Soviet Union in 1969, and suffered a logistics defeat when China invaded Vietnam in 1979!
There is a reason why the Russians and the United States won’t share nor sell aircraft tankers to China!
John Chan
@MYK,
Playing one man Mutt and Jeff show? Posted inflammatory rant as “John Chan” Impostor then ranted again to smear China with twisted facts?
China’s navy was never involved in the standoff at Scarborough Shoal incident. It is wrong for you to smear PLAN baselessly. It was Philippines gunboat, a gift from the USA, harassing unarmed Chinese fishermen in that incident.
Defending a nation’s sovereignty is a matter of honour and duty, it is not a matter of cost, even setbacks during the course are honourable. Philippines is only a pawn of USA in the stand off in the South China Sea, reining in American aggression is hard, but China has to do it, “not because they are easy, but because they are hard.”
French only could cheat they never could fight even facing the corrupted Qing court, Vietnamese learnt from the French well, even suffered defeats, they still claimed victory shamelessly. Japanese won the last time, but they got beaten many times by the Chinese before, it is hard to know who will win next time, but they better pray they won’t lose, because next time there will be no Kamikaze to protect Japan anymore.
USA is in the business of imperialism and exploitation, shame on you to gloss up American destructive behaviour in Asia.
papa john
@my little johnny chan,
Militarily, there is absolutely nothing for China to show off. The “barbarians” like Mongols, Manchu could easily defeat China. The Japanese could laughed out loud at the sick man of Asia and the human waves tactic didn’t scare the Vietnamese, then don’t make yourself a fool in front of the world.
John Chan
@p john,
What does USA have to show off then? USA was beaten badly in Korea and Vietnam despite it has unproportional technological and material advantages, other than that it needs to gang up with the world’s developed nations on small underdeveloped nations. What shall we call it? Chicken, bully or paper tiger?
Perhaps continuing to huff and puff your imperialist true color will be more helpful to soothe USA’s damaged hegemony ego.
John Chan
@p john,
Japan is better to take up its responsibility to win some medals in the Olympics to prove that Asian can stand shoulder to shoulder with the best of the world. Even small nation Korea is trying to help. Relying on the sick man they “could laugh out loud” to win medals and beat those arrogant westerners is not fair and proving Japanese is sicker than sick man.
John Chan
@p. john,
What does USA have to show off then? USA was beaten badly in Korea and Vietnam despite it has unproportional technological and material advantages, other than that it needs to gang up with the world’s developed nations on small underdeveloped nations. What shall we call it? Chicken, bully or paper tiger?
Perhaps continuing to huff and puff your imperialist true color will be more helpful to soothe USA’s damaged hegemony ego.
John Chan
“John Chan” the impostor’s posting.
Leonard R.
By not taking sides in the dispute, the US is in fact taking a side — Beijing’s side.
It benefits from these de minimis gestures. It benefits because the US is apparently
doing very little to help the Philippines.
IMO, that is strategically and morally wrong. But it is what empires do – betray their allies.
Beijing is trying to crush Filipino resistance and Washington is acting as if it is nothing more
than a hapless by-stander.
I know strategic reality will eventually intrude on Foggy Bottom.
I just hope when that day comes, it’s not too late.
John Chan
@Leonard R,
What USA has done to prove it has betrayed its lackeys like the Philippines? What China has done to show it is crashing Philippines?
USA should pay more attentions to India, its ever-expanding navy and LCAs will soon able to evict them for Diego Garcia.
vec
America itself is bleeding and on a Chinese drip.
Kharkov
@ Major Lowen – In my opinion the Chinese aren’t interested in making ‘all mankind Chinese communist slaves’. Given the chance, they’ll do what, historically, they’ve always done which is to establish hegemony over the region so as to guarantee that no-one attacks them and to ensure trade.
In the distant past Chinese emperors, before they closed the kingdom, were happy to give large loans to the surrounding countries so as to guarantee themselves a steady flow of cash coming into their country. They also used their financial muscle to encourage their neighbours to act in a China-friendly fashion.
Controlling is hard work and stirs up a great deal of resentment. Influencing is, in the long run, easier, stirs up less resentment and gives the Chinese more scope to act.
And all of this is different from how the West acts… how?
MAJOR LOWEN GIL MARQUEZ, PHIL ARMY
In my own opinion i personally support the travel visit of defense secretary gazmin of the Philippines to Washington to deal all things for the benefits of the defense of the Philippine sovereignty which is invaded by the Chinese communist, if we will not defend our self done by the Chinese it seems that all mankind is a Chinese communist slaves…
After Philippines the Chinese communist wanted to invade ASIA towards Pacific ocean and covering the globe as their real intent…
John Chan
@Lowen,
Communism is about creating an equitable society and providing basic needs to every human being so everyone can live with dignity. Slave and serfdom are inherent to western and Indian societies. In the old days the 1% kept 99% as slaves and serfs with brutality, and nowadays the 1% uses sophisticated financial instruments to make the 99% as debt slaves and serfs.
It is wrong for you to support the 1% in the Philippines to enslave the 99% of the Filipinos with poverty, and to scam the Filipino females working overseas as housemaids.
papa john
My little johnny chan, it is so wrong for you to side with 1% of little emperors in Beijjing to work agaisnt the 99% of poor chinese. 5ocents you make per comment is not good enough to compensate for the shame you have done to your family. it is time to come back to the 99%.
John Chan
@p. john,
Running out of reasons to debate, so you have to do all the skin heads in the West do, ranting baselessly? It is a fact that 99% of Chinese poor’s living standard has been improving, and it is also a fact the 99% of Americans got scammed by the 1% of the greedy and selfish Americans. You can twist the narratives on paper but you cannot deny the fact.
ACT
@John Chan
just a thought: where is your equality when there are millions of migrant workers who have to travel hundreds of miles to make a living? when people can be tortured to death for expressing their sincere thoughts about how the government and society can improve themselves for the betterment of the people? where was the equality in the June 4th incident, and where was your equality when Mao enacted the Great Leap Forward that resulted in the deaths of dozens of millions of your fellow citizens, when men and women were ripped from the beds and forced to eat shit for teaching the honorable history of their nation, as they themselves had been taught. tell me where.
John Chan
@ACT,
What’s wrong with travelling to where the jobs are? Are you saying that Americans only take jobs close to their couch?
Water boarding only happens in USA, not in China. It is wrong for you to portray China like the USA. George Orwell was describing the current state of the Westpac nations, it is wrong for you to portray China as Orwell’s story without know what is happening in China.
Tiananmen Square Massacre, Great Leap Forward and eating shit fabrication are the handy work of the Western black information network to demonize China for their insidious imperialist and racist purposes. Eating shit, peeing on people, leaching naked people like a dog, etc only happens in the USA. It is a shame that someone is working hard to white wash those crimes against humanity, indeed tell me where is your equality for those abused human beings?
a_canadian_observer
@John Chan: We need your insider’s information and opinion on the topic below:
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/korea-cracks-down-flesh-capsules-china-104501559.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/08/human-flesh-pills-dead-babies-china_n_1499082.html#comments
Matt
We are a day late and a buck short with Philippine FMF. But I do recall Sec. Clinton on the deck of an Aegis Destroyer reaffiming our alliance with the Philippines and you can bet your butt the 7th Fleet is primed and ready. Whether or not the Philippines is ready is not the point. The question should be is the US ready? Talk is cheap and we will be judged by our actions.
John Chan
@Matt,
USA has a treaty with Philippines to fend off invasion; the treaty is not helping Philippines to occupy other nation’s territory. Occupying China’s territory is an act of aggression, and expression of bellicose imperialist behaviour. USA’s support of Philippines’ aggression is beyond the mandate of that treaty, breaking the law, aggression without cause, and pure naked expression of predatory imperialism.
Matt
Yea I know, we “Impewial Westewn Lackeys” are out to get China. But like I said talk is cheap and I’m betting the US deals a major blow to your Eastewn Impewial Wackeys running around like your the big dog. China doesn’t have the confidence to trust their own citizens. How can you believe you have what it takes to be #1 in the world when your own citizens know full well your govt. sucks. How many Americans light themselves on fire every year genious? You couldn’t even agree with me in the open if you wanted to because your govt. will send you to jail.
mishmael
@ Matt
Actually, US citizens prefer to shoot themselves, or visible minorities where applicable.
Chinese citizens are overwhelmingly more positive about their government than US citizens.
Chinese students actually engage in meaningful debate about their country’s future all the time, and it doesn’t require you knowing about it to validate them.
China is not imperialist, especially when compared with the US, because it actually doesn’t like to interfere with other countries.
I’m not disagreeing with you because im being paid, I just think you are ignorant. And FYI, denying someone else’s opinion just because of their background or the fact that they happen to live in China is precisely the suppression of free speech that an “American” is supposed to find abhorrent. I declare you, sir, to be an agent of repression and an enemy of intellectual freedom.
John Chan
@mishmael
You’re a dump brainwashed.
ACT
@Mishmael
is what goes on in the United States horrific? yes, but those are the actions of individuals who have effectively shouted into an empty box or simply spend too much of their time watching FOX news; it’s a flaw in the constitution that in the age of the National Guard and the US Army that individuals should be allowed to own guns when the United States has roughly triple the violent/armed crime rate of other “first world” nations. furthermore, those individuals are caught up in a sort of “conspiracy theory” that has been going on since the founding of the United States: the idea of state primacy; in reality, state primacy has been turned into a mask for all sorts of ugly platforms that have no place in the United States.
By contrast, those who protest in the PRC are not only groups, but large ones at that–even entire subsections of society–all brutally suppressed by leaders who have strayed far indeed from the true purpose of communism as envisaged by Marx and Engels. the reason why one sees so much of what goes on in the United States is because everything is so open and because the world media loves to sensationalize: it’s what gets them ratings and viewers and money. on the other hand, the reason why we see relatively little about the PRC is because of their truly leviathan internal security and propaganda apparatus, which far and away dwarfs the PRC. so, next time you think to comment on what goes on in the United States, know that much worse is being done to far many more people within the PRC.
John Chan
“John Chan” Impostor,
You are dump chicken.
John Chan
@Matt,
China believes non-interference, it treats all nations as equal regardless large or small, and it promotes all nations’ sovereignty should be respected. On the other hand why does USA spend 800 billions a year to be #1 in bombing and killing in the world?
There is nobody threatening USA and it is safely tucked away behind the thousands of miles of Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean, why can’t USA use 600 billion of its 800 billion military spending to help the unemployed Americans to find jobs and shelters? What’s the point to be #1 in heartless and bellicose ranking?
papa john
@mishmael,
You are talking about intellectual freedom but by your comments, you are nothing but a brainwashed when refusing to see an ugly reality about China. It is imperialist. Looking at the war drum they bang now is SCS regarding the standoff with the much weaker, the Philippines. It is like big thuggish guy bullying a person in a wheelchair knowing the guy can’t do anything to defend himself.
Have you been shot while living in the west? If you don’t like what you see in America, why don’t you leave for China? A funny thing about my Chinese friends from mainland, they all complain about America but trying any possible ways to stay in the country. You are no exception, my friend.
victor
America is always ready and that is why we have korea, vietnam,Iraq,Afghanistan and maybe in future Iran.Hail America the cowboy.
papaJohn
Red china will be the next. It is an unfinished work for America since the cold war end.
John Chan
@p. John,
Yes, that’s it, be honest, and display the true color of American Imperialism, to the hell with the pretendence of democracy and human rights. The bombing, killing and looting of Iraq and Libya are just the shows to intimidate anyone not toeing USA’s line.
You are wrong about “Red China will be the next,” USA has never stopped wanting to crash China, not because China is Red, because China is an eyesore of Anglo-Saxon-American. American is born out of British, British comes from deeply racist societies in Western Europe.
ACT
@ John Chan and Papa John.
Don’t feed the troll. that means, both of you.
@Chan: what you see as imperialism is merely the US promoting its interests as any other hegemon would. this is neither right or wrong in and of itself.
@papa john: thank you for feeding our local troll. the US does not need to get into conflict with China, nor should we entertain doing so unless it becomes a direct threat to the physical welfare of the American People, which it is far and away from being capable of. if anything, we should be promoting mutual interest and values. if you want an example of this, go look up Josh Wedon’s Firefly and the idea of Chimerica. have a nice day.
John Chan
@ACT,
Get off the high horse before saying what is right and what is wrong.