The U.S. has had Patriot interceptor missiles deployed in Japan, South Korea and in Taiwan even before the planned delivery of 200 more to the third state.
"Analysts say that China is closely monitoring US-India missile defense cooperation since any integration of India into the US global missile defense system would profoundly affect China's security." [6]
On February 24 Russian Lieutenant General Yevgeny Buzhinsky was paraphrased by one of his nation's main news agencies as stating "China could strengthen its nuclear capability in response to U.S. global missile defense plans."
Indicative of what reaction U.S. missile shield deployments in China's neighborhood could provoke, he said: "At present, China has a very limited nuclear potential, but my recent contacts with Chinese military representatives indicate that if the United States deploys a global missile defense system, in particular in the Far East, China will build up its offensive capability." [7]
In response to U.S. insistence on supplying Taiwan with hundreds of Patriot missiles, Blackhawk helicopters and Harpoon missiles, on February 23 the Pentagon announced that China had delivered on its pledge to postpone military contacts with Washington by canceling scheduled exchanges, including "a visit by Adm. Robert F. Willard, commander of U.S. Pacific Command, and visits to the U.S. by China's chief of the general staff, Chen Bingde, and a Chinese regional commander." [8]
A Russian commentary on March 2 placed the developments in stark perspective. "The differences between the USA and China have gone so far that some time ago Beijing announced that all contacts with Washington in this field would be stopped....The visit to China by Pentagon Chief Robert Gates, which was set for the first half of this year, is also put into question. Besides, bilateral consultations on strategic security were also delayed on Beijing's initiative." [9]
Another analysis from the same country added a historical dimension to the burgeoning crisis in U.S.-China relations.
"This winter has been a cold one for China-US relations. So many serious disagreements between the two countries have not surfaced simultaneously for decades....In the past China and the US avoided taking harsh measures against each other serially, but evidently things have changed beyond recognition over the past several months." [10]
As mentioned above, the U.S. is implementing plans to replicate the interceptor encirclement of Russia in regards to China. China's sense of alarm and its government's response, then, can be expected to parallel those of Russia.
In late February Polish President Lech Kaczynski ratified a Status of Forces Agreement for American troops to be based at the Patriot missile battery near Russia's Kaliningrad district.
All American and NATO claims to the contrary, "Poland's former Defense Minister Radoslaw Sikorski and the Polish president himself earlier admitted that they are not concerned about threats from Iran, but they are interested in establishing an "American umbrella' above Poland, thus trying to show that they see Russia as an aggressor and a threat to Poland."
"According to the agreement, about 100 American soldiers will service up to eight US Patriot missile launchers" [11] in an installation that "will be equipped with elements allowing it to be integrated with the Polish defense system." [12]
Early last month General Nikolai Makarov, chief of Russia's General Staff, warned that American interceptor missile plans jeopardize his nation's national security and have sabotaged the finalization of a successor to the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), which has been in limbo since December 5.
Makarov said of the U.S. project, "We view it very negatively, because it could weaken our missile forces." [13]
Echoing his fears over the fate of START talks, on February 19 Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said that Washington's missile project "in the most immediate sense" is negatively influencing negotiations on a replacement to a Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty. [14]
Five days later Konstantin Kosachev, head of the State Duma committee for international relations, said "If the connection between the strategic arms reduction treaty and missile defense is not exhaustively fixed by the sides in preparing the treaty... this would automatically create obstacles for subsequent ratification of the document in the State Duma and create additional difficulties for further advance[s] in cutting strategic offensive weapons." [15]
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).