People's Liberation Army (PLA) General Zhu Chenghu (???) recently showed his true colors when he boasted in a manner typical of a bully and one accustomed to a rigid social hierarchy. Zhu threatened that if the US intervened in a war between China and Taiwan, China would not hesitate to use its nuclear weapons against cities on the American west coast.
There is nothing much new with these kind of threats.
For some, Zhu's statements can be seen as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) letting the PLA blow off steam and act tough. Others may see it as one of many CCP trial balloons to see how the Western powers react. If their response is tough, the CCP can then deny that Zhu was speaking on their behalf. If however the Western powers show a possible softening of their position on Taiwan's defense, then Beijing can ratchet up the rhetoric.
What is more surprising about Zhu's statement, however, is his unabashed disregard for the lives of Chinese citizens. Chinese leaders have in the past had no qualms about making cannon fodder (and now nuclear fodder) of their citizens. Mao Zedong's (???) willingness to let millions of Chinese die to serve his aims and ego are well documented. However, in the past the reality of such disregard was always masked with protestations of love for the common man. Not so with Zhu; he brazenly went on to say that China "should be prepared to lose all of the cities east of Xian."
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2005/08/01/2003265977The country/leaders who in one day murdered more than Saddam did in decades of rule! So why isn't Bush invading Communist China for DEMOCRACY, FREEDOM, and JUSTICE and putting their leaders on trial?