US Defense Secretary Panetta says China needs to stop threats

Posted on February 7, 2013 by Ida Torres in National, Politics with 34 Comments
US Defense Secretary Panetta says China needs to stop threats

U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta on Wednesday urged China to as much as possible, avoid confrontation and seek out a peaceful resolution with Japan and other countries over their maritime and territorial disputes. The Pentagon chief said on Wednesday that he has lodged his appeals to Beijing officials in an effort to defuse the various disagreements over China has over maritime territory.

Just last week, tensions rose to another level over an island dispute with Japan as a Chinese frigate had trained and locked its weapon-targeting radar on a Japanese warship in the East China Sea. Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has since called the action “dangerous” and “provocative.” Panetta voiced his obvious concern, and said, “It’s the kind of situation where there are territorial claims that could ultimately get out of hand.” He was asked about tensions between China and Japan over the Senkaku Islands after giving a speech at Georgetown University. Asia’s two largest economies and markets are battling over the sovereignty of an uninhabited island chain in the East China Sea, which China claims as their own and has called the islands the Diaoyus.

“One country or the other could react in a way that could create an even greater crisis. To the Chinese, I basically said, ‘It is in your interest to work with other countries to resolve these issues. Because if your interest is in a Pacific region that can be peaceful and that can prosper in the future, you have to be part of that,” Panetta said.

[ via The Standard ]
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  • Far East

    What this corrupt Chinese Government needs to do is to their aggressiveness toward all the neighboring nations in Asia Pacific, motivated by greed of other countries resources.

    Their belligerent attitude serves as a repulsive effect to the investors (volume of Foreign Direct Investment fell sharply) since last September when it organized demonstrations of angry Chinese, which, incidentally ended up turning against Chinese Government own assets.

    • sdfqef

      The fact is, China is less dependent on Japan now a days. I know some of you still prefer to live in the bliss of ignorance, but time has changed. Foreign Direct Investment was never beneficial for the Chinese anyways. FDI funding must be used on Japanese companies and tech, therefore benefiting Japanese companies. China can easily replace Japanese tech with superior tech from Taiwan, Europe and Korea. This isn’t the 90s anymore. Sorry to burst you bubble. (No pun intended)

      • Far East

        Ha ha, too funny. China is not dependent on Foreign Direct Investment ? You live in a dream world ! Anyway, why trying to out some sense in you ? You are just a 50 cents Chinese government agent :-)

        • sdfqef

          Try learning english. Less does not mean Not. Ignorance is bliss for you japbots… i know. We are not in the 90s anymore. The Japanese miracle is long gone and the sun has faded. The best you can do is tell all your senior citizens to just die off and hope the birthrate goes up.

          • Wednes

            You should learn english too. You need to understand that if you post something passive aggressive, your less likely to get a pleasant reply. If your just trolling, you should stop. It’s a very infantile act to do.

  • Banlas theway

    When U.S is playing a dirty geopolitical game against China, why should the Chinese ever want to listen (don’t say ‘obey’) to the warmongering empire. If indeed if the war broke out, everyone will suffer. Japan will be flattened first for sure, the world will be half dead.

    • EKBlue

      You’re right, no one will win in a war in this day and age. So go tell your Chinese government to stop acting like a child and grow up. Stop saying one thing and doing another. Learn to be a global player, not just feeding your entitlement attitude.

      • sdfqef

        Ironic how you think it is the Chinese gov who wants to fight. When really it is the CCP, the only thing thats holding back the 1.4 billion nationalists who wants Japanese blood.

        • Whirled Peas

          After the Tien an Men square incident the CCP was surprised and freaked out by the “insubordination” of those who wanted democratic changes. They were affronted that their citizens, esp. the youth did not appreciate what the party had done for China in the past. So, they started an anti-Japanese propaganda and education campaign. What better way to call for unity than to resurrect a common enemy. Prior to Tien an Men there simply was not the level of anti-Japanese sentiment there is today. Don’t you find it odd that the farther away from WWII, the more anti- SOME people, not all, have become. It’s called “systematic 20-year anti-Japan hate campaign.” Some citizens might not even realize they’ve been propagandized. The children who went through the Chinese education system in 1990′s and after have now come of age, fed only by anti-Japan agitprop. This is sad, because their ability to research and analyze in depth has now been compromised. Those who bought into simplistic thinking would make terrible historians, attorneys, foreign diplomats, and even doctors, where reasoning from facts and neutrality to all served is part and parcel of the profession. The CCP has fettered the minds of its youth. It’s created a monster that doesn’t always behave.

          You have a point about the CCP at times holding back the rabid Chinese nationalist forces. Sometimes the nationalist’s actions can be inconvenient or an embarrassment to the Party .But the CCP is just as likely to unleash and direct those same forces when useful

          • sdfqef

            And yet westerners still argue that 1.4 billion “brain-washed” nationalists to be in power is better than having the CCP, who holds Stability to be of the utmost importance. Boggles my mind.

        • Banlas theway

          Who care about CCP or the Chinese Gov. What I am interested is when Japan is going to be flattened. That rite, I am not even a Chinese.

          • Far East

            You’re not even Chinese ? Too funny, you lie just like a typical Chinese Government agent, and your English is just as terrible :-) )

          • willyneckjenkins

            Lmao

          • sdfqef

            Might be soon. Any war between US and China will result in Japan getting the shit end of the stick no matter what. In any scenario. China and US will probably have a nuclear exchange. And I’ll be in my bunker with my shot gun.

    • sdfqef

      US is smart for using Japan as a meat shield.

  • Tacoma

    Chinese is now really threatening entry world. That was our faults. We buying made in China created this monster. It wants kill half of population when they can’t take that pice of rock in middle of nowhere.

    Now, we should understand why Russian backed out program to help Chinese get nuk in 1960′s. People’s life did not mean nothing in culture of Chinese, and killing did not mean nothing in culture of Chinese. Threatens, really is not a big deal.

    • sdfqef

      On one hand, you are arguing that China is threatening the world. Then on second hand, you say “Threatens, really is not a big deal”

  • sdfqef

    The Japanese are smart. Using US blood to defend their home land. lol. Ah well, let the blood bath begin.

    • Far East

      The Japanese are smart : they make the right alliance and seek sustainable prosperity through peacefully mean.

      • sdfqef

        you mean when they bombed pearl harbor? You have a short memory.

        • Far East

          You must include Chinese society in your comment as well, right ? :-) )

          • sdfqef

            You mean those senior citizens? I doubt the Japanese are being respected by the Chinese and Russia right now. They send boats and planes into your territory and there is nothing you can do about it. Kinda sad…

  • chinese_suck

    Be careful China! Don’t be stupid or you will be brought back to the stone age. Do you know people just look you like a fat guy with big mouth? I bet China never dare get in war with Japan because they know who will be a loser. History has proven. China is just good at bullying small guys. They got disgracefully defeated when they decided facing Japan in 1895 and 1937, Now US has warned them not to threat other countries and the most important is NOT to make any stupid action if they still want to be alive.

    • sdfqef

      Disgracefully defeated? lol. The last time I checked, China was on the UN Security Counsel and Japan wasn’t. I’ll excuse your lack of thought since you guys did receive a non healthy dose of radiation last april from
      Fukushima and also in 1945.

  • Chinatards

    dear sir. No one is going to side with china except north korea. 2 VS the world.

  • Far East

    China do not even have Japan maritime capability, wake up !
    Let alone the capability to face the might of the U.S. 7th fleet equiped with several aircraft careers (I am talking about real one, not the 50 year old joke Russia sold to China, hu)

  • willyneckjenkins

    Not Lmao

  • Chinditone

    Japan needs to “fess up” and return the stolen Diaoyou Islands back to China. Unfortunately – China has seen through the Japanese game – and Japan will only lose in anu conflict both militarily and economically – its simply a fact of life. What a responsible Japanese government would do – would be to return the Diaoyou to China with 5 years – in exchange for a China/Japan peace treaty – and a Japan/China trade treaty – to create a very powerful market. Unless Jpan does this – South Korea and Samsung – will do it with China instead – and Japan will become a poor second rate and poverty stricken nation

    • Whirled Peas

      How can you return what you did not steal? Japan annexed the Senkaku/Diaoyu islands fair and square way back in 1895. And they have exerted effective control for decades. Once annexed Japan sold the islands to the Kogas who had been pressuring Japan to annex the islands since 1884. Finally, the Kogas were able to set up businesses on the island. Later the Kogas sold to the Kuriharas, These families paid tax to Japan.

      After the US occupation of Japan ended in 1951-1952 and in accordance with the San Francisco Peace Treaty of that date, the US held on to some of the Japanese territory for its own geopolitical interests. This included Bonin Islands, Ryukyu Islands, which included Okinawa and Senkakus, Amami, Miyako and Yaeyama island groups. The SF Treaty suggested these territories would
      become a U.S. trusteeship but at the end they reverted back to Japan.. The
      Amami Islands were restored to Japan on December 25, 1953, Bonin Islands on April 5, 1968. In 1969 U.S.-Japan negotiations authorized the transfer of authority
      over the Ryūkyūs to Japan to be implemented in 1972. In 1972, the United
      States “reversion” of the Ryūkyūs occurred along with the ceding of
      control over the nearby (uninhabited) Senkaku Islands.

      China and Taiwan did not dispute Japan’s ownership of the islands until 1970 when oil was discovered, 75 years after Japan annexed it. Prior to that there are documents showing China and Taiwan recognized that the islands fell under Japanese territory,

      • chinditone

        Yes – Japan took the Diaoyou islands that have been Chinese throughout history – by force in 1895. The Potsdam declaration after WW2 stipulated that these islands be returned to China – but the US deliberately never carried this through – perhaps because of Cold War issues or worse reasons at the time. Google Diaoyou islands – Potsdam Declaration – its all there!! This is why the US is internationally seen as deliberately abbetting a thief – and why the US is seen to be behaving disgracefully by all reasonable and decent people. Japan is now behaving like a thief in a criminal court trying to find excuses and lies to cover their theft. The US is allowing Japan to destroy its honesty and integrity and why the US is not behaving like a world leader on the issue – the more the US supports Japan on the issue – the more the US will get tarnished or branded a thief!!. The reality – as the Chinese ships monitoring the Diaoyou Islands show – the game is up for Japan on the Diaoyou islands as China has announced that the Diaoyou islands is a core issue to them – which means that it can only get worse for Japan – as they can only lose. Behaving like an ostrich with its head in the sand won’t make the issue go away – or trying to gamble with the issue won’t work – Japan will continue to bleed as long as it holds on to them. Japan needs to wake up and show the world community that its not an international thief – or a US backed criminal – and sign a peace treaty with China and return the Chinese islands to China. No decent person or nation will ever support a thief – which is why Japan needs to get rid of the Diaoyou islands quickly!! I hope for the future sake of Japan and the Japanese people that Japan does this quickly and restores its relationship with China – so that Japan and its economy can flourish.

        • Trololo

          Japan only needs china for cheap labor. They can find other countries for that your pretty replaceable workhorses lolol

          • Chinditone

            I wonder why Japan has just announced that it is in recession today? China is the worlds most active economy in the world and is gearing more towards consumerism – which means Japan is losing out on a huge major market on its doorstep. The longer the Japanese hold on to the “stolen” Diaoyou Islands – and on to racist attitudes – the more the Chinese population will reciprocate and hate them – and not buy Japanese products. Even moderate Chinese citizens are now dropping Japanese products. The current Japanese foreign policy is economic suicide for Japan. Abe needs a big flip flop – and needs to return theDiayou Islands to China quick – or set up a 10 year handover process or something. Playing the US’s game with China will leave Japan in acute poverty – and frankly – the US does not care – if Japan collapses economically. GM and US companies are stealing Japanese market share in China!! – whilst Japan gets poorer and poorer!! Its in the US’s economic interest that Japan does badly economically in China. Why should the Japanese public pick up the $$ bill for doing the US’s dirty work – its just stupid.

  • sdfqef

    Lol. Russia just flew in some jets over the north of Japan. Japan getting played. Definitely not a bright future for the Japanese. When CCP one party rule goes away, China will have a “democratic” system of 1.4 billion nationalists. Good luck to you all.

    • trololo

      Reality is Japan is alway in a better light than china, mr jp hater. The presence of you and the other chink trolls on this site pretty much confirm it. You guys try SO hard to trololo