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China power growing as Bush ignores Asia: Armitage
Sydney (AFP) Sept 3, 2007 US President George W. Bush is so preoccupied with Iraq he is neglecting Asia and allowing China to take a greater leadership role, a former senior US official said in remarks published Monday. "In every measure, China is making real hay right throughout Asia," Richard Armitage, Bush's former deputy secretary of state told The Australian newspaper in an interview. "Right now, we're just so preoccupied with Iraq that we're ignoring Asia totally." Bush is cutting short his attendance at a major Asia-Pacific summit in Sydney this weekend to return to Washington in time for reports to Congress on progress in Iraq by top US general David Petraeus. Armitage also criticised Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice for skipping two out of three annual meetings which bring the US together with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The Bush administration had radically underestimated the importance of Asia, he said. "In almost every measure -- military budgets, population growths, the need for raw materials -- our interests will force us back to Asia." Armitage said there was a danger of Chinese leadership in Asia surpassing that of the US. Australian Prime Minister John Howard, a strong supporter of Bush's Iraq policy, was reportedly bitterly disappointed that the US president will miss the second day of the two-day summit. In an attempt to make amends, Bush has extended his state visit ahead of the APEC summit. He is due to arrive on Tuesday and leave on Saturday. APEC groups Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, United States and Vietnam. Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com
China promises more military transparency
Beijing (AFP) Sept 2, 2007China said Sunday it will begin reporting its armed forces budget to the United Nations and rejoin a global register of conventional arms amid foreign pressure for greater military transparency. |
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