January 2, 2005, This should help those trade balance numbers
From our weekly (more or less!) visit to Beijing's People's Daily, we give you this analysis that projections show that within the next four or five years, Taiwan will become the number one foreign purchaser of American armanents. We don't see the usual railing in the piece about American intervention in Chinese "internal affairs", but it's never very far away.
All oh so complicated; for example, a major crisis for Israel is brewing associated with its agreement to upgrade a number of Chinese airborne unmanned drones (said drones originally supplied to China by... Israel). Washington desperately doesn't want Israel to ship the goodies back to China; Israel desperately wants to complete its contract-- but risks pissing off Washington at a time when the entire Israeli defense arrangement (funded by the United States, and all() is up for review. And China-- is somewhat pissed, as this would be the second time Israel reneged on a defense deal at the behest of its American overlords, and hints at retaliating against Israeli business interests in Hong Kong and environs.
Right now, most of the news on these subjects is somewhat "droned" out, by the tsunami story (both Israel and China, as well as the United States, are all engaged in sending significant aid to stricken areas). And in this country, Iraq and the National Football League are pretty much all that matters (at least, as far as news coverage). So... we have to go a bit far afield to get small stories like these.
As an aside, Israel and Taiwan, as members of the "international pariah's club", traditionally had pretty good relations. One wonders how this fiasco will effect that; and I'm not sure how much military goods business Israel does with Taiwan these days. Who knows. Both countries are armed to the teeth. Israel, however, can pretty much kick the crap out of all its enemies, combined, except, of course, for the guerrillas in their midst. Taiwan gears up for an invasion by the Mainland, but the Mainland is pretty much all talk about that-- Taiwan has naval superiority, a nuclear strike would be pointless (destroying the object of an invasion!), and Taiwanese air power is pretty good.
So, expect business to be brisk all around. Good thing we don't do nuance.
Comments
Hey, it's just like any other business. The point is to keep that inventory moving, moving, moving. Various governments (none of them virgins) make tsk-ing noises in feigned disapproval, but Armaments 'R Us never closes.
Posted by Miss Authoritiva at January 2, 2005 9:24 PM
Yes, TD. All the smart money will be in Taiwan for the next 2 years. The last 2 years of W's term will involve China "waking up" and only its good friend Jeb will be able to avert WWIII. It's too bad the Bush family doesn't sell stock. What an enterprising bunch.
Posted by Hassan Bar Sinister at January 3, 2005 4:27 PM