Senior Colonel Liu Mingfu of the National Defence University has given Australia a stern warning to not side with the “global tiger” (United States) or the “Asian wolf” (Japan) lest it be caught in the middle of the rising tensions over the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands. He claims that China is a peaceful nation but will fight back if pushed.
Colonel Liu claims that he does not speak in behalf of the leadership of the Chinese leadership, but he is one of the outspoken hawkish People’s Liberation Army (PLA) leaders who are given free reign to speak on certain issues. When asked about the capability of China to fight back, he said that they house strategic missile and nuclear arsenal. While he’s not calling on China to use a nuclear attack, he says there are some scenarios that might justify it. ‘‘If this Japanese wolf again attacks America’s Pearl Harbour or Australia’s Darwin, how do you know it wouldn’t receive another nuclear bomb?’’ Colonel Liu said.
He is calling on Australia to remain a ‘‘kind-hearted lamb” and asked that the message be delivered directly to Prime Minister Julia Gillard as she prepares a major speech on national security. Colonel Liu also claims that the United States’ power is already waning and is trying to build “a mini-NATO” to contain the threat of China. A consultant to the US Pentagon and author of The Rise of China Versus The Logic of Containment, Edward Luttwak believes that China is “grossly overestimating” its military might and underestimating the response of its neighbours to its perceived threat.
[ via Canberra Times ]