Are China and France making a bold military alliance against Taiwan & US?

[HollywoodLiberal]

For those who don't already know the story:

China, France hold naval drill before Taiwan vote

Taiwan has accused Beijing of intimidation, after China opted to stage rare naval drills with France in the run-up to Taiwan's elections. The exercises with a visiting French fleet are being held on Tuesday.

The official Chinese news agency, Xinhua, said they would be China's biggest ever joint military exercises with a foreign power. But the agency made no link between the exercises off the port of Qingdao and the elections this Saturday. China has a history of flexing its military muscles just before Taiwan goes to the polls.

It has also been especially critical of Taiwan's first-ever referendum, also being held on Saturday, which Beijing views as a provocative step towards independence.
.........

"The timing is very insensitive - it could not be worse," said Jean-Pierre Cabestan, a senior China specialist at the French National Centre for Scientific Research. "This is going to create additional tensions - both between Taiwan and China and between the United States and France," he told BBC News Online.

Taiwan suspended high-level government contacts with France earlier this year after French President Jacques Chirac sided with China in opposing President Chen's plan to hold a referendum on missile defence.

France has also drawn criticism from both Washington and Taipei by spearheading moves to lift a European Union ban on arms sales to China, imposed in the wake of the violent suppression of the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3512088.stm




Okay so I didn't already see a thread on this but what's the left's take on this? I think France is making a bold alliance away from the deadly rightwing BushCo warmongers in America and their dangerous rogue allies like Taiwan, towards a more stable power like China.

China is communist and France is socialist so as left-wing powers it makes total sense for them to ally against BushCo's capitalist rightwing war machine.

Will the regime strike back?

Is this a good idea?

I don't know what to make of this.

[billyskank]

1. It makes no sense

That sentence fourth-from-last is just so off-base I don't even know where to start:

"China is communist and France is socialist so as left-wing powers it makes total sense for them to ally against BushCo's capitalist rightwing war machine"

France is a welfare-state capitalist democracy. China is a full-on totalitarian dictatorship. They have nothing in common. Sure, France is as cynical as the next nation, and can cooperate with any number of dirty regimes for a tactical advantage (as can we), but to suggest a strategic alliance with China is absurd.

[HollywoodLiberal]

2. Why are you saying that about China?

1) I think you're afraid of applying the word socialist... France is happily and proudly socialist and there's nothing wrong with that. Calling them a "welfare-state" sounds like anti-French rhetoric.

2) "China is a full-on totalitarian dictatorship" Compared to... America under Bush???

[billyskank]

6. Anti-French?

Not at all. And I didn't mean welfare-state as a slur. I am British, and I am proud of the fact that we too have a welfare state. Here, it is not an insult. You probably thought I meant it that way because in America the term has been turned to mean a "bad thing".

But I call France a social democratic country; that is, a country that is essentially capitalist, with strong regulation and a solid welfare system. To call a country socialist to me suggests that socialism is the predominating aspect of their economy, i.e. they are more socialist than they are capitalist. This definitely could not be said of France.

As for China vs. USA; come on. I know things are bad under Bush but let's face it.... at least you get a chance to vote him out in November. Can't do that in China. You are concerned about America becoming a totalitarian state; you are right to be worried, we all should be vigilant against an overpowerful government. But you're nowhere near it yet: China, on the other hand, is the Real Thing.

[drewmn1]

4. Historical and Long Term

An alliance with China might make sense from France's perspective. Historically, France has allied itself with Russia as a counterbalance to Germany and the rest of Europe. Since China seems to be a new emerging power, it may be a good ally for France vis-a-vis the U.S./UK and Germany.

It would benefit China to have in inroad with one of the major player's in the EU to help counterbalance the U.S.'s power. France apparently must play Beijing's tune on Taiwan in return. Not a bad move on either country's part, although, I think France should not be dealing the current regime in Beijing.

The big issue I see is what will China due about middle east and central Asian hydro-carbons that the U.S. is attempting to obtain hegemonic control over. China's closer ties to France (assuming that they are moving closer together) may have something to do with the probable battle over energy resources in the years and decades to come.

[billyskank]

7. Historically, France may well have allied with Russia

but that would be pre-revolutionary Russia, or, at least inter-war Russia, before the true nature of Stalin's regime had become apparent.

France allying itself with Tsarist Russia as a counterbalance to Germany (which would have been called Prussia at the time) is not at all the same thing as France allying itself with the Soviet Union. There are some absurd statements being made in this thread.

[Minstrel Boy]

3. China hasn't been a left-wing power since the purge of the Gang of Four.

Its crony capitalism puts Dick Cheney to shame.

I don't see a China-France alliance working anywhere but on a Risk gameboard. Though admittedly, the world looks increasingly like one.

[mikey_1962]

5. France & China

France is not part of NATO and therefore free to make alliances with anyone they want.

But next time they get overrun and occupied all I can say is: GOOD LUCK FROGS!

[HollywoodLiberal]

8. Please don't call French names

That's pretty offensive.

Also as far as the comment "As for China vs. USA; come on. I know things are bad under Bush but let's face it.... at least you get a chance to vote him out in November."

Don't be so sure...
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0828-08.htm

Just because China has been painted by a biased brush under American media, doesn't really make them that bad. We are only shown the neagtive of their government and not the positive efforts. And last I checked, China was far more responsible with their massive army than anything under our "President"

[billyskank]

9. I certainly wouldn't want to live in China

at any rate. France would be nice though.....if I could speak the language. Quelle dommage!

[NewJeffCT]

10. I think China would surprise a lot of Americans

The "oppressive" government really doesn't bother the folks there that much. Are there problems? Yes, you're damn right they have problems. But, China is headed in the right direction and will be a better place in 10 years and in 20 years. Can we say the same thing about America under Bush if he gets re-elected? I'm scared at what the future looks like. Should I buy a gas mask to breathe the polluted air, special new filters for my tap water to clean out the mercury and other crap?

Despite a desire by farmers to have sons in the one child society, Chinese women are not the submissive, wilting flowers that many in the West think they are, especially if you're on the wealthier East Coast. I've been told by several unrelated people that men from Shanghai are famous for doing all the housework. As one Chinese-born woman (an Ivy League educated doctor) told me, Mao promised women 50% of the sky when he took over, and she said she thinks women grabbed their 50% and then some. Women in China tend to look down on American women that give up their careers and stay home to raise babies.