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Top PLA newspaper
claims US aims to contain China¡¦s rise
VIGILANCE, NOT PANIC: New US strategy promises
to boost the US¡¦ strength in Asia to counter China¡¦s growing ability to check US
power in the region
Reuters, BEIJING
The US¡¦ new defense strategy focused on the Asia-Pacific region is directed at
containing China¡¦s rise, the People¡¦s Liberation Army¡¦s newspaper said yesterday
in Beijing¡¦s strongest warning yet against the new Pentagon stance.
However, the commentary in the Liberation Army Daily also said China¡¦s sensible
response to the US military¡¦s refocus on Asia should be ¡§vigilance¡¨ and smart
diplomacy, not panic.
The US is ¡§laying out forces across the Asia-Pacific region in advance to
contain the rise of China,¡¨ the paper¡¦s commentary by Major General Luo Yuan
(ù´©) said.
Washington¡¦s assertions that the military refocus announced last week is not
directed at China are ¡§simply making their real intent all the more obvious.¡¨
¡§Casting our eyes around we can see that the United States has been bolstering
its five major military alliances in the Asia-Pacific region and is adjusting
the positioning of its five major military base clusters, while also seeking
more entry rights for military bases around China,¡¨ Luo wrote. ¡§Who can believe
that you are not directing this at China? Isn¡¦t this the return of a Cold War
mentality?¡¨
Luo is well-known for his hawkish views and often published in popular Chinese
newspapers and online. However, the appearance of his commentary in the
Liberation Army Daily, which is heavily vetted as the chief paper of the
military, suggests that his latest comments enjoy some level of official
endorsement.
On Monday, the Chinese Ministry of Defense told the US to be ¡§careful in its
words and actions¡¨ after last week announcing the defense rethink that stresses
responding to China¡¦s rise by shoring up US alliances and bases across Asia.
The new US strategy promises to boost strength in Asia in an attempt to counter
China¡¦s growing ability to check US power in the region, even as US forces draw
back elsewhere across the globe.
Under the new strategy, the US would maintain large bases in Japan and South
Korea, as well as deploy US Marines, US Navy ships and aircraft to Australia¡¦s
Northern Territory.
The strategy also calls for countering potential attempts by China and Iran to
block US capabilities in areas such as the South China Sea and the Strait of
Hormuz.
China has sought to balance voicing its wariness about the US moves with its
desire for steady relations with Washington, especially as both sides grapple
with domestic politics this year, when US President Barack Obama faces a
re-election fight and the Chinese Communist Party undergoes a leadership
handover.
Luo warned against panic.
Instead, Beijing must do a better job at courting friends in the region,
charming countries away from the US¡¦ orbit, he wrote.
¡§In the face of this adjustment in the US strategic focus, we must possess a
sense of peril and maintain a high degree of vigilance, but there is no need to
be alarmed about the expected,¡¨ Luo wrote.
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