![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
The Red Menace
Jul. 8th, 2015 09:20 amVarious sub-tribes of The Usual Suspects are perpetually concerned about the military buildup of "communist" China. (I put "communist" in quotes because the authoritarian government in charge there is communist in name only.) Yesterday, there was this article pointing out why China was increasing their military.
Put simply, from the period 1820 to 1960, China was the 98-pound weakling of Asia, and got beat like a drum by pretty much everybody. They were not happy at the time, nor are they in the mood for a repeat. Critically, the vast majority of Chinese people live relatively near the coast (western China is an empty desert). China has several large and navigable east-west rivers, allowing access deep into the interior.
Strategically, the only way to defend China is prevent another navy from controlling their coastline. Thus a naval buildup largely aimed at intermediate (out to 500 miles) defense of the coast. This is basic geography, and any Chinese government would be following the exact same policy. It's actually largely the same as the US policy in the 1800s. We're not as coastal-centric as China is, but New York, Philadelphia and New Orleans aren't exactly chopped liver.
Geography controls strategy.
Put simply, from the period 1820 to 1960, China was the 98-pound weakling of Asia, and got beat like a drum by pretty much everybody. They were not happy at the time, nor are they in the mood for a repeat. Critically, the vast majority of Chinese people live relatively near the coast (western China is an empty desert). China has several large and navigable east-west rivers, allowing access deep into the interior.
Strategically, the only way to defend China is prevent another navy from controlling their coastline. Thus a naval buildup largely aimed at intermediate (out to 500 miles) defense of the coast. This is basic geography, and any Chinese government would be following the exact same policy. It's actually largely the same as the US policy in the 1800s. We're not as coastal-centric as China is, but New York, Philadelphia and New Orleans aren't exactly chopped liver.
Geography controls strategy.
