junk news

Here is some material from a NY Times article about China’s recent space flight success (they put a man into space last October–only the 3rd nation in the world to do that):
The greatest concern is the militarization of space, using space-based weapons and satellites to extend the reach of nations or potential terrorists, and allowing more extensive and widespread intelligence gathering than ever before. Such scenarios are central to the mistrust between the United States and China. Many American analysts note that China’s manned space program falls under a wing of the People’s Liberation Army, and suspect that China’s primary ambitions in space are military. Some analysts contend that China’s manned space vehicle is specifically designed for potential military uses. The Chinese, meanwhile, saw the technological prowess displayed by the United States in Afghanistan and Iraq, and are now emphasizing the importance of “information warfare,” with the need for a presence in space.
In October, People’s Liberation Army Daily said outer space would become a “sphere of warfare” because space-based satellite technologies were critical for a swift, modern military.
“It’s clear that the Chinese are worried about the U.S. domination of space, and that the U.S. considers China as a potential competitor,” said Adam Segal, a senior China expert at the Council on Foreign Relations. “It’s probably a good time to try to talk about these things since we haven’t moved very far along in any of these plans.”
President Bush never mentioned China by name in his address, but the administration official said that by not limiting his call to Europe and Russia he was implicitly reaching out to Beijing. Asked for comment on playing a possible role in Mr. Bush’s Moon-Mars endeavor, China’s Foreign Ministry answered in broad terms, noting that China is committed to collaborating with other space-faring nations, including the United States.
(JIM YARDLEY and WILLIAM J. BROAD Published: January 22, 2004)
The reason I’m risking legal action for copyright violation is because this kind of bunk and haberdashery will get us nowhere but more paranoid about a world that we’re sure is out to get us. Enough is enough people; There’s no future in bombing uneducated third world countries. When President Bush gave his space speech last week, it was an invitation for cooperation with the Chinese. Let’s run with that. It is feasible and it can be a most intelligent choice when dealing with foreign affairs and applying foreign policy. It involves communication, and communication breaks down suspicion.
I can not sit quietly while someone attempts to generate the notion that the Chinese are not friends but foes. The word “friend” is in lesson one of my Chinese language books. zhu(4)
hao(3).
ni(3) de peng(2)you,
rickymay