Obama loosens missile technology controls to China

I know the source is the Moonie Times but I just did follow-up. See links below snipped article

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/oct/15/inside-the-ring-2059116/

President Obama recently shifted authority for approving sales to China of missile and space technology from the White House to the Commerce Department -- a move critics say will loosen export controls and potentially benefit Chinese missile development.

The president issued a little-noticed "presidential determination" Sept. 29 that delegated authority for determining whether missile and space exports should be approved for China to Commerce Secretary Gary Locke.

Commerce officials say the shift will not cause controls to be loosened in regards to the export of missile and space technology.

Eugene Cottilli, a spokesman for Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security, said under new policy the U.S. government will rigorously monitor all sensitive exports to China.


PDF for September 29 Presidential Determination giving powers to the Commerce Secretary to utilize the National Defense Authorization Act Section 1512
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/pdf/E9-23917.pdf


What Section 1512 refers to
http://www.fas.org/spp/starwars/congress/1998/s981001-prc.htm

and maybe this will appease them for some time (read: they won't try to cash out all at once).

Of course the great thing about appeasements, especially ones involving giving the other side weapons, is that they will last forever and never ask for more.

They aren't callable.

The idea that China could call up the US and say "we want are money back" strikes me as incredibly funny yet some think it is possible to do just that.

no they couldn't go up to uncle sam and demand the check.

But by holding so much of our debt we are effectively in their pockets.

And with their trade imbalance working in their favor, and holding our debt, and holding large cash reserves, they are in unfortunately a better position to make demands from us at the moment than we are of them. Short of declaring an actual war of course.

A massive portion of their economy is based on exports primarily to US. That portion of the economy is the one driving growth and moving population from serf status to something resembling a middle class.
China also has a lot of dollars beyond just T-bonds a couple trillion worth. A crushed dollar and falling price on T-bonds would annihilate the balance sheet at the same time is cut off the growth they are enjoying.
China needs the US at least as much as US needs China.
If China follows through only 200 Westinghouse AP1000 nuclear power plants in next 50 years that could help the balance of trade.

Also although you may be aware I do think many people think China can simply "cash out" their position.

That's what we have still to sell -- high technology.

As for the security concerns, they are trivial. China is the "middle kingdom" whose security posture is almost entirely defensive.

What war has China started in the last 200 years?

Are all issues having to do with western powers assisting provinces or cities of China to break away during the late Ch'ing, republican, war lord or civil war eras. If you want to consider the occupation of Tibet a war, then it started as part of the western attempt to dismantle China and the British started it.

The issues raised by these places tend to be seen here in a way that neither the Chinese nor the people in those areas see it.

For example, both the PRC and Taiwanese government agree that Taiwan is party of China. The Dalai Lama agrees that Tibet should remain part of China.

The issue is how China governs and what system it will have, not whether these places are part of China.

At any rate, selling missile technology to China is irrelevant to the security issues raised by those areas.

The invasion of Tibet, the Korean conflict, Sino-Indian war, Sino-Vietnamese war. The threat of conflict over Taiwan.

China was/is the aggressor in those conflicts.

MacArthur was speeding toward the Yalu River. The Sino-Vietnamese conflict "started" because Vietnam invaded Cambodia.

Taiwan -- see below. Or talk to any Taiwanese businessman in Beijing to learn what a joke that "conflict" is.

These conflicts support my main point -- China is a defensive empire. Don't screw with its borders and there is no security concern.

lest the dragon become roused and devour us.

Look for more of this shit until the day China decides to call in their markers. Not so much as a shot need be fired.

some US guidance system parts "fell" into Soviet hands after being shipped on an East German vessel. This improved the Soviet missiles so they could go from the large inaccurate warheads to a smaller accurate type making the US safer.

know that it appears to be over NOTHING, as usual. The main intent of these Washington Times and IBD authors is to generate ANGER AND FEAR, not provide information. There are people out there who know about imports and the law and no one has talked to them. See

http://www.exportlawblog.com/

It may be that the issue deserves a reasoned question or two, but as it typical (see lapel pins, death panels, birth certificates, and apology tour issues etc etc) pundits go disproportionately ballistic in order to scare everyone and de-legitimize the POTUS. You should see the comments on some of the RW sites where the 2009-31 determination is discussed. They are frothing.