BEIJING — He was one of China’s most prominent commanders, with hopes of rising higher. So when Gen. Fang Fenghui disappeared from public view, it sent a clear warning to the top leaders of the People’s Liberation Army: President Xi Jinping was not done shaking up their once-unassailable ranks. General Fang, the chief of the army’s Joint Staff Department, was not the only military leader to fall ahead of next week’s Communist Party congress. Gen. Zhang Yang, the director of the military’s political depar
Source: Xi Jinping Presses Military Overhaul, and Two Generals Disappear – The New York Times
David Linday commented to this article at the NYT:
Very interesting article, thank you.
I recently posted to my On Vietnam blog, an article titled: Japan to provide patrol ships to Vietnam amid maritime row with China | Thanh Nien Daily.
Japan has just sent five coast guard gun boats to Vietnam, and other aid, to help them contain China in the South China Sea. Japan is also giving military aid to the Philippines and other ASEAN nations. It would be useful in containing China if the US reached out to Vietnam as well. Since 937 AD, the Vietnamese have repulsed the Chinese advance on Southeast Asia at least eight times successfully. A modern Chinese military will pose a very grave threat to the independence of Vietnam and its neighbors.
10/12: My comment above has only 4 recommends at the NYT comments. Socrates is far more popular, and he writes about how over militarized we are, which is serious issue. I felt complellled to endorse his comment:
Socrates
is a trusted commenter Verona NJ 21 hours ago
“China’s military spending, officially $144 billion in 2016, still lags far behind the more than $600 billion spent last year by the United States.”
China also has four times as many people – 1.3 billion – as the United States – 320 million people.
The United States spends about $2,000 per person versus a global country average of $200 per person.
China spends less on military than most other countries on both a per capita basis ($89) and as a percent of Chinese GDP (2.1%).
Other sources indicate the United States spends about $700 Billion on military expenses or about 43% of the world’s military expenditures.
America’s military expenditure per capita ($2,240) and its percent of American GDP spent on military (4.8%) are much higher than most other countries in the world.
Meanwhile, China has world-class high-speed rail and and a blossoming alternative energy and technology market.
And the USA has collapsing roads, rails, bridges, IQs and is bringing back coal.
We have met the enemy, and it’s the American military-industrial-right-wing-petro-state hawking Guns, Gas and Greed.
The Chinese are not America’s major threat.
Grand Old Poison is.
26 Recommended
While this next post appears to correct Socrates, it seems to add a different ratio, than the one he gave above.
The link does confirm the writers ratio:
Nancy
is a trusted commenter Great Neck 15 hours ago
http://www.bea.gov/iTable/iTableHtml.cfm?reqid=9&step=3&isuri=1&…
January 15, 2017
Defense spending was 59.2% of federal government consumption and
investment in 2016. *
$728.9 / $1,231.5 = 59.2%
[ United States defense spending in 2016 was $728.9 billion. ]