>>Glad to hear the CIA has gotten so much better after 9/11...;-)<<
Sure looks like it<g>
>>As for "surrounding" China, you might note a strong US interest in unstable Muslim countries, most of which are far to the west of China, but little activity in, say Burma or VietNam, which are much more strategic to China.<<
This was not in Western media, but it is everywhere in Chinese media. After 9.11, the US, using the excuse to crack down the drug dealing in Myanmar, sent 5000 US special troops to Thailand and was going to invade Myanmar. China immediately increased the Chinese troops by the border and also build some temp. airport in case needed. This, as well as the deteriorating situation in Iraq, forced the US to withdraw its special force from Thailand.
China now is thinking to build a pipeline from KunMing, YunNan Province to Myanmar, in order to circle around Malacca Strait (about $2 billion cost for the pipeline and $8 billion for other refinery etc.). Currently, 80% of import oil for China has to go through Malacca Strait. |
