Published: July 16, 2005
Op-Ed Contributor
Crossfire War: Northeast Asia; Chinese General Threatens Use of Nuclear Weapons
By Willard Payne
Northeast Asia; Parallel Developments - China Summons Japan’s Diplomat over East China Sea Dispute - Teikoku Oil to Spend a Month with Ministry on Protecting Safety of Workers in Area - Chinese General Threatens Use of Nuclear Weapons Against U.S. over Taiwan
Night Watch: BEIJING - As a result of Tokyo awarding drilling rights to the exploration firm Teikoku Oil Co., in the East China Sea, China’s Central Government lodged a strong protest to Japan.
Xinhua news agency reported the head of China’s Foreign Ministry’s Asia department summoned a minister from Japan’s embassy "to lodge solemn representations to and express strong protest" against the decision. Reuters quoted Cui Tiankai as saying, "This action by Japan is a serious provocation to, and infringement on, China’s sovereign rights and interests."
He added it also violated the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea and demanded Japan to "correct its decision and stop any action that impairs China’s sovereign rights and interests."
Hiroyuki Hosoda, Japan’s top government stated at a news conference, "The views of the two parties on the issue of setting the boundary in the East China Sea differ, and we cannot accept China’s position. We need to take measures to protect our sovereign rights granted by the U. N. Convention on the Law of the Sea… This issue will not affect Japan-China relations."
More detailed was revealed when Teikoku Oil’s Masaaki Akasaka was quoted by AP that company officials would spend a month discussing with the Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry ways to ensure the safety of workers in case of any confrontation with China. The contested area covers three areas spanning a total of 160 square miles (400 square km).
No specific measures were mentioned however Japan’s Trade Minister Shoichi Nakagawa did state it was Tokyo’s "unavoidable responsibility to protect the activities of Japan’s private sector." He was then asked if Tokyo would dispatch Japan’s navy to protect the drilling, "We have various options."
In a parallel development, one of China’s senior general warned that his country was prepared to use nuclear weapons if the U. S. ever attacked his country over Taiwan.
Major General Zhu Chenghu said, over Reuters, that he was expressing his own personal views and did not believe war with Washington would happen but that China would have no other choice if attacked. "If the Americans draw their missiles and position-guided ammunition onto the target zone on China’s territory, I think we will have to respond with nuclear weapons." The Defense Ministry refused to comment and said it was the Foreign Ministry that had organized the conference at which the general spoke. Beijing views Taiwan as part of China.
He added, "We Chinese will prepare ourselves for the destruction of all of the cities east of Xian. Of course the Americans will have to be prepared that hundreds… of cities will be destroyed by the Chinese."
The general’s observations were reported in the Financial Times and the article was not sure what prompted the remarks but did say they were the most specific made by a senior Chinese official in nearly a decade.
I assume the general is aware, as this site reported very recently, that the U. S. is preparing an air campaign against China and not over Taiwan but in support of Japan’s position in the East China Sea and the economic lifelines there. He simply has the wrong front, unless he does not want to say publicly that he knows the war will begin over the energy dispute. He also wrongly assumes the U. S. will be targetting population centers. Principal targets are missile bases, air fields and command centers.
Since the oil company conducting the drilling will take a month to discuss how their workers will be protected then one has to assume August will be when it is most likely the incident will take place that will set off the chain reaction causing war in Northeast Asia.
It is not surprising Major General Zhu Chenghu is under the prestigious illusion, common among senior insulated offcials everywhere, that all bombs and missiles will work and all hit their designated targets. Nothing could be further from the truth. Nothing works as well as advertised. Some will miss, others will be duds. Some of course will work. Fortunately due to enormous corruption China’s military has not been well maintained. If Taiwan is attacked they should have no difficulty defending themselves but Beijing will not have the time. Not with all these industrial concerns at stake.
One of the reasons for the war now is to finally cut off the missile and nuclear technology China has been sending to the Middle East for decades while encouraging North Korea to do the same. With Pyongyang giving more indications they are tired of being so dependent on China, then Beijing should not factor in any assistance from North Korea.
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