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Arms Shipments Underscore Danger of Chinese Government

Posted by MARK DANIELS in Places, Politics.
Apr 19th, 2008 | Comments

The presidential election was held in Zimbabwe more than three weeks ago. While it’s widely rumored that strongman Robert Mugabe was ousted by voters, we don’t know for sure. That’s because his government has refused to reveal the results.

Mugabe apparently intends to cling to power, continuing to exercise his reign of terror (and error), thuggishly intimidating opposition, and killing off the Zimbabwean economy, while claiming that all the bad stuff in his country is Britain’s fault.

How is Mugabe holding on?

He has help, first from the South African government which, in spite of pious protestations to the contrary, has been Mugabe’s most stalwart backer.

Next, he gets help from the government in China.

A few days ago, dockworkers in South Africa refused to allow a shipment of arms they feared, rightly I think, will be used on Zimbabwean dissidents. (Read: Ordinary citizens who want their country to be a functioning democracy.) The shipment comes from China, whose government will do anything to feed the economic engine of their country, all designed to placate the Chinese populace while maintaining its own iron fisted hegemony on power.

It’s shocking to me that in this year’s presidential race, we continue to have almost no discussion about the greatest national security and economic threat confronting world stability generally and US interests specifically, the government in China.

We ignore the Chinese government’s increasing danger at the peril of the world and the US.

[This is being cross-posted at my personal blog.]

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PaulSilver

Thanks for bringing this up. Perhaps the most powerful leverage against anti-humanitarian aid is the sunlight of exposure. Even if our President was motivated it would still take worldwide public opinion to help persuade a fascistic government.

runasim

I'm at a loss, right now, about the best way to deal with China.
Absolutely, the sunlight of exposure is vital..

After the excesses of protesters venting their frusntration on the torch, I'm a little leery of how world-wide wide public opinion, would be expressed, as welll.
Whether it's official or a grass roots effort, expressing criticism has always to consider consequences.

It seems to me that a new diplomatic and/or public language has to be invented, stopping the current style of refering to other nations as being divided between friends and enemies

Perhaps if we talked about issues, instead or friends or enemies, we would be more credible. The American public is not used to such nuance, but I think it's hgih time members of the public were treated like adults of whom we expect adult undertanding. The results might surprise eveyone. I think people are far more intelligent than given credit for being.

PaulSilver

Runasim,
The remedy you describe is central to all paths of reconciliation, even those we encounter here at TMV. Demonizing an adversary is unproductive unless you intend to kill them. One of the few paths to healing is finding some common ground on which to build increased understanding and cooperation.
This is the essence of persuasion and effective politics.
Those of us at TMV who joust about Obama, Clinton and even McCain are aligned on almost all our hopes but differ on strategy and tactics.

MJDaniels53

Certainly, we in the US want to do nothing to create or exacerbate tensions with the Chinese regime. But a few prudent policy steps seem appropriate to me:

1. Cease to effectively subsidize the continuing development of China as an economic and military power. This will mean, in part, the US government exercising prudent control over economic ties and borrowing from the Chinese.

2. Continue to cultivate close ties with India and other Asian nations who might, in concert with the US, act as buffers on growing Chinese power.

3. Repudiate Rumsfeldian notions of a smaller US military. While the US could never hope to face off against the Chinese in a one-on-one war, a larger US military working in concert with other Asian powers can check Chinese aspirations for hegemony.

Mark

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