Ho hum -- III.

For a little reality check today, consider, oh . . . this:

China's military is engaged in a major buildup of submarines that includes five new strategic nuclear-missile boats and several advanced nuclear-powered attack submarines, according to the Office of Naval Intelligence.

The new nuclear-powered missile submarines (SSBNs), identified as Type 094s, will be outfitted with new 5,000-mile range JL-2 missiles that "will provide China with a modern and robust sea-based nuclear deterrent force," the ONI stated in report made up of written answers to questions on the Chinese submarine buildup.

* * * *

The buildup is raising new concerns among senior Pentagon planners already worried by Beijing's broader strategic nuclear-forces buildup, which also includes several new long-range land-based nuclear missiles and a land-attack cruise missile similar to the Tomahawk.^[1]

And:

Navy officials confirmed yesterday that an aircraft carrier battle group failed to detect a Chinese submarine that surfaced within weapons range of the USS Kitty Hawk. Anti-submarine defenses for the carrier battle group will be reviewed as a result, they said.

* * * *

The Chinese Song-class attack submarine surfaced near the carrier in deep waters off Okinawa on Oct. 26. It was armed with wake-homing torpedos [sic] and anti-ship cruise missiles.

The officials said it was unusual for the submarine to be operating in deep ocean waters, but the incident was not like the April 2001 collision^[2] of a U.S. EP-3 surveillance aircraft and Chinese F-8 jet [in . . . um . . . international waters] that ruptured military ties.

"We were operating in international waters, and they were operating in international waters," the official said. "From that standpoint, nobody was endangering anybody. Nobody felt threatened." [Really?]

However, other defense officials [not suffering from an aversion to unpleasant facts] said the submarine surfacing was a provocative action by the Chinese military, which has placed a high priority on practicing anti-aircraft-carrier operations against U.S. carriers and warships in preparation for a possible future conflict over Taiwan.^[3]

Now will somebody please tell us why we have made China the jewel in the crown of our foreign trade policy.

Yes.

Would somebody please do that sometime soon. Say, sometime this decade.

Notes
^[1] "China expands sub fleet." By Bill Gertz, Washington Times, 3/2/07.
^[2] Said "collision" having been caused by aggressive Chinese harrassment by two Chinese fighters, one of whom flew into our plane.
^[3] "Defenses on subs to be reviewed." By Bill Gertz, Washington Times, 11/14/06.