Competition or Spin - The U.S. And China

The headlines are too blatant to just ignore. One has to wonder if the U.S. (and U.K.) press isn't trying to distract the public. Take this for example: China arms sales 'fuel conflicts'. Now why highlight China, and leave the largest arms dealer in the world off stage? Yes the U.S. is still the world's largest arms dealer, and those sales have questionable destinations. As noted by the Federation of American Scientists Arms Sales Monitoring Project:

"Since 1990, the United States has exported more than $152 billion worth of weapons to states around the world. Many of these sales have been to repressive and/or unstable governments. This section provides general arms sales statistics and highlights policies of concern in some of America's major client states.

In fact, in 2002, U.S. Arms Sales to Israel End(ed) Up In China, Iraq (the "secondary market"?). That tends to support reports that the U.S. doesn't just arm dictators it "also has a nasty habit of arming both sides in a conflict." So it should be good news for arms dealers (including the Pentagon) that " Global Military Spending Hits $1.12 Trillion."

Of course, the U.S. (and U.S. arms manufacturers) also sell arms to China, so part of China's sales are likely originally from the U.S.

But in a seemingly unrelated slam on China - "In Africa, China Trade Brings Growth, Unease:"

"... unease appears to be rising across Africa as Chinese become powerful players -- and, in some places, the dominant ones -- in economies across the continent. In a pattern replicated across the world, China's voracious appetite for raw materials is helping push sub-Saharan economies to their fastest growth in three decades, and inexpensive Chinese-made products are suddenly available across the continent."

Which I am sure has nothing to do with the US open(ing) a new war front in North Africa, because the U.S. has all the natural resources it needs and wouldn't go elsewhere to get them. Of course this competition between the U.S. and China, really isn't happening, and the egregious lack of ethical standards by China is frowned on by the always ethical U.S. and U.K A claim that we dare anybody to challenge since the U.S. accounts for 48% of global military spending - and accounted for 80% of the increase in that spending last year. Oh yeah - that excluded the spending in Iraq and Qatar because the figures were "questionable."

There is at least one difference between the U.S. and China. China has a record trade surplus of $13 billion, while the U.S has a record trade deficit of 63.5 Billion.

For detailed information on weapons sales, conflict and related issues, I recommend SIPRI, and the Federation of American Scientists Arms Sales Monitoring Project

Posted by rowan at June 14, 2006 5:46 AM | [eMail this article!] |