Naval Base.

This is coolbert:

Please check out the latest TOP SECRET intelligence [not really] of a nature that not so long ago was once available ONLY to the highest governmental echelons of the United States and the Soviet Union.

Here courtesy of KTB Sharkhunters. [thanks as always to Harry!]

Satellite photos of Chinese naval base [Hainan], seem to indicate an ability on the part of the Chinese to hide nuclear submarines inside a mountain. Nuclear "boomers" that will be all but impervious to anything other than a direct hit from an atomic bomb?



Click on picture to see a larger photo.

The comments of the editor KTB are very prescient?

"Hiding submarine bases inside mountains is not a new idea, but with the massive influx of money to China from their trade goods sold in just about every major nation in the world, the Chinese military is moving forward at great speed to build a huge military force and is rapidly becoming a full-fledged blue water navy. It would be foolish to take them lightly."

"While it once was a good idea to hide submarine bases inside mountains - with the advent of the always present 'eye in the sky' of the satellites, is it really a good idea still? Once inside, the submarines are invisible to the satellites - but they have to surface to come into the mountain bases and at that time, they are visible to the satellites."

"but they have to surface to come into the mountain bases" - - Harry.

Is this so? Exit and entry can only be done by surfacing? Perhaps NOT? An area could be dredged from the cave entrance outward for a certain distance that would be deep enough to allow the sub to enter or exit without breaking the surface? Captain Nemo and Nautilus like!

coolbert.

Tibet I.

This is coolbert:

By now, the devoted reader will be keenly aware that Tibetan refugees world-wide are carrying on a series of demonstrations and protests directed against Chinese rule in Tibet. Peaceful demonstrations and protests in Chicago [U.S.], New York [U.S.], Zurich [Switzerland], Hamburg [Germany], Dharmasala [India], etc.

There has also been - - a series of less than peaceful actions by Tibetans in the capital city of Lhasa? Rioting is a better description? Arson, beatings of Han Chinese, etc?

The modern history of Tibet has not been good! That is an understatement. It has been almost sixty years now since the invasion and occupation [1950] of Tibet by the Peoples Liberation Army [PLA] of the Chinese communists. And almost fifty years now since the last [??] major rebellion [1959] of the Tibetans against Chinese [Han] domination!!

[since 1950 there have been six major rebellions and forty minor ones against Chinese rule in Tibet. All suppressed with great violence bordering upon the genocidal!!]

The Buddhist religion and teachings of same severely limit the manner with which the Tibetan people can react to aggression by the Han Chinese??

The exiled ruler of Tibet, the Dalai Lama, is urging his followers to NOT resort to force in any circumstances.

The use of violence to resolve conflicts, even in self-defense, IS NOT ESPOUSED BY THE TEACHINGS OF BUDDHA??!! Think of the non-resisting Buddhist monks beheaded [4,000 in one day] by the Muslim invader at the University of Nalanda, or the current low-intensity conflict currently being carried out by Muslim “dissidents” in the southern most province of Thailand, non-resisting Buddhist monks again being a prime target!

Peaceful non-resistance - - NOT an attitude, however, universally held by ALL Tibetan people.

The Khamba tribesmen for instance. The Khambas DO have a reputation as warriors and DID resist the Chinese invasion and occupation of Tibet. Excellent horsemen accustomed to carrying rifles and SWORDS as part of their daily dress.

Were trained and equipped by the CIA to conduct guerrilla warfare against the PLA.

A guerrilla warfare campaign that lasted for the better part of a decade, before sputtering to a halt!

[guerrilla warfare, whether practiced in Albania or Tibet, just does not seem to work against communist powers!]

The Tibetan people, now as in 1950, face a foe [Han Chinese] who can apply overwhelming force in an overwhelming manner, without qualms!

Can someone suggest - - an answer - - that will work - - for the Tibetans!!??

coolbert.

Wuhan.

This is coolbert:

While surfing the Internet looking for info on the use of poison gas by the Japanese military, of course came across the Battle of Wuhan.

NOT even a footnote to history now?

A battle of the most momentous proportions. An epic fight on the scale of a Stalingrad?? NOW, forgotten?

"The Battle of Wuhan . . . was a large-scale battle of the Second Sino-Japanese War. More than one million National Revolutionary Army [the Nationalists] troops were gathered, with Chiang Kai-shek himself in command, to defend Wuhan from the Imperial Japanese Army . . . It lasted four and half months, and was the longest, largest and one of the most significant battles of the entire Second Sino-Japanese War.

Staggering statistics as to the number of combatants involved:

Chinese - - 1,100,000 troops (120 divisions).

Japanese - - 350,000 troops.

Casualties and losses - - 400,000 Chinese

"including a small band of Soviet Air Force volunteers [100 casualties total]."

[Soviet pilots at the same time were also fighting in the skies over Spain. I think it comes as a surprise to many that the Soviets would supply aid and assistance to the Chinese Nationalists!?]

The Battle of Wuhan was a Japanese victory [facilitated in measure by the use of poison gas?]! But what is called a pyrrhic victory!!??

"pyrrhic - - adjective - - 3. of or relating to or resembling Pyrrhus or his exploits (especially his sustaining staggering losses in order to defeat the Romans); 'a Pyrrhic victory'"

"The Japanese's pre-war hopes for a final showdown in Wuhan, to annihilate the main force of Chinese Army and forcing them to yield were unsuccessful . . . the China theatre now entered the stage of stalemate"

The Chinese Nationalists under Chiang Kai-shek were often seen and portrayed in the U.S. media as being corrupt, inefficient, lackadaisical, more concerned with fighting and defeating the communists under Mao than fighting the Japanese.

That is all baloney? The U.S. media and historians have fed us garbage. The Battle of Wuhan is an indication this is so [being fed garbage]! Persons willing to commit resources, fight as long and as hard as the Chinese did at Wuhan [even in defeat] is NOT indicative of laziness, corruption, a lackadaisical attitude, etc.!!

coolbert.

Chicom!

This is coolbert:

From a comment to the blog:

"My uncle fought in Korea and said that the PRC and North Korean soldiers were the toughest, hardest people he had ever had the misfortune to run into. After a fight at night where he and his men were dug in, they found some dead Chinese the next morning who had no rifles, just pouches of hand grenades(which they thankfully never got close enough to throw). And this was a guy who fought the SS in France."

Some devoted readers will remember the rating scheme of the Japanese Colonel Tsuji. Rating soldiers of various armies with regard to fighting ability, the Chinese ranked # 2 [Japanese, as you may of course realize, were # 1 in the mind of a chauvinist such as Tsuji]!

[Japanese # 1, Chinese # 2, Russian # 3, Ghurkha # 4, American # 5, Australian # 6, British-Indian army troop # 7, British # 8]

That the Chinese soldier was so good [close quarters infantry fighter] came as a decided shock to American officers in Korea. Those Americans that had contact with the Nationalist Chinese Army in World War Two [WW2] had a less than sanguine attitude toward the Chinese infantryman. Good on the defense, less so on the offense - - was the image! Of course, the Chinese encountered by U.S. forces in Korea were part of the Chinese Communist New Fourth Army. A superior fighting force that had more than proved itself in combat with Nationalist forces in the Chinese Civil War. Good on defense, AND, good on offense too.

"san·guine - –adjective 1. cheerfully optimistic, hopeful, or confident"

And for the web site:

http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2007/12/unique-soviet-snowmobiles.html



NOT off topic! NOT off topic at all! The snow mobile was originally designed and developed as A WEAPON OF WAR. Both the Soviets AND the Germans in response did some original designs BEFORE and during the war? The U.S. had intended to use snow mobiles in Norway during WW2. The special operations unit, Canadian/American Special Services Brigade was to be air dropped into Norway and conduct guerrilla warfare, the snow mobile being the transport of choice. Developmental problems precluded the deployment thereof, the brigade sent to the mountains of Italy instead!!

coolbert.

China - - Again!

This is coolbert:

Here is another major rebellion [war] in Chinese history that resulted in a catastrophic and almost unimaginable death toll!

The An Lushan Rebellion.

"Death toll, legacy, and historical implications"

"The toll of dead and missing, including those caused by suppression and famine, is estimated at up to 36 million, which would be 2/3 of the total tax-roll population at the time. Numerically, this was the highest toll for any event for nearly 1200 years, until World War II surpassed it with over 62 million deaths."

THESE FIGURES ARE TO BE BELIEVED! THE CHINESE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN GOOD CENSUS TAKERS. ADMINISTRATION AND RECORD KEEPING DURING THE TANG DYNASTY WAS VERY EFFICIENT. BELIEVE THOSE FIGURES!!

"The rebellion greatly weakened the centralized bureaucracy of the Tang Dynasty . . . In addition to being politically and economically detrimental, the An Shi rebellion also damaged the intellectual culture of the Tang Dynasty."

[the Chinese themselves consider the Tang Dynasty to be the high point of their cultural development!! When President Clinton not so long ago paid a state visit to China, he was greeted in the manner as a Tang Emperor would have done for visiting dignitary. Complete with medieval dress and pageantry!!]

"The An Shi Rebellion (simplified Chinese: 安史之乱) took place in China during the Tang Dynasty, from December 16, 755 to February 17, 763 . . . The alternative term An Lushan Rebellion is also commonly used."

"An Lushan planned a revolt, taking advantage of the absence of strong troops guarding the palace and of the popular discontent with the extravagant Tang court caused by a string of natural disasters."

Not only the result of popular discontent and a string of natural disasters. ALSO A RESPONSE TO THE CHINESE LOSS AT THE BATTLE OF TALAS.

"The Battle of Talas in 751 was a conflict between the Arab Abbasid Caliphate and the Chinese Tang Dynasty for control of the Syr Darya. The Chinese army was defeated following the routing of their troops by the Abbasids on the bank of the Talas River."

Talas! One of the most significant events in history. Defeat of the Chinese army by a Muslim army marked the end of Tang expansion into central Asia. From that point forward [751], the Tang empire was in decline. Central Asia became then and is today part of the umma [Islamic nation]!

I would venture a guess that most of the 36 million [?]deaths were caused by famine and disease. Such a breakdown of the society occurred that normal life became impossible. Wars and natural disasters in Asian nations tend to be extremely horrific with regard to loss of life because of the teeming populations and fevered resolve of the combatants. NO HOLDS BARRED WARFARE TENDS TO BE THE RULE!!

coolbert.

Boys and Girls II. [Conclusion]

This is coolbert:

Here are two rebellions - - in the not so distant past of China, one of which was perhaps a result of a "gender imbalance". Many more young men than women of the same age. Dissension and a rebellious spirit led to outright warfare.

Warfare on an almost unimaginable and horrific scale.

[throughout the long history of China there have been many rebellions against the central authority, whoever that authority may be. These examples are from the 1800's and are only indicative of WHAT HAS, AND WHAT CAN occur in China!!]

(1) "The Nien Rebellion (Chinese: 捻軍起義)was an epic armed uprising that took place in northern China from 1851 to 1868, contemporaneously with Taiping Rebellion (1851-1864) in South China. The rebellion failed to topple the Qing dynasty, but caused immense economic devastation and loss of life that became one of the major long-term factors in the collapse of the Qing regime."

This war was in part a result of gender imbalance!!??

"In Bare Branches: The Security Implications of Asia's Surplus Male Population, Valerie Hudson and Andrea den Boer suggest that the rebellion [Nien] was fueled, at least in part, by decades of female infanticide caused by the floods and economic misery, leading to a large population of frustrated young men without any women to marry, perhaps as many as 25 percent of all young men in the area being in this category of 'bare branches' [young men that cannot begat themselves and perpetuate the familial name. Traditionally a big no-no in China!!]."

The rebellious Nien forces WERE NOT simple peasants armed with hoes and mattocks. Well armed, organized, and primarily cavalry units, able to out-pace the infantry of the central authority [Qing rule]!!

"the fast-moving Nien cavalry, well-trained and fully equipped with modern firearms, had cut the lines of communication between Beijing and the Qing armies fighting the Taiping rebels in the south. Qing forces were badly overstretched as rebellions broke out across China, allowing the Nien armies to conquer large tracts of land and gain control over economically vital areas."

(2) Taiping Rebellion.

One of the MOST lethal BUT least appreciated conflicts in all of history??

The statistics of dead, the size of the opposing battlefield forces, the length of the "war" in both the cases of the Nien and Taiping rebellions is just amazing. Even for China, the number of dead was staggering.

Some interesting aspects of the Taiping army:

"there were separate army units consisting of women only"

"At the Third Battle of Nanking in 1864, more than 100,000 were killed in three days."

The rebellion's army was its key strength. It was marked by a high level of discipline and fanaticism . . . The large numbers of women serving in the Taiping Heavenly Army also distinguished it from 19th century armies. Combat was always bloody and extremely brutal, with little artillery but huge forces equipped with small arms. By 1856, the Taiping armies numbered just over 1 million . . . Estimates of the overall size of the Taiping Heavenly Army varied from 1,000,000 to 3,000,000.

Warfare in China has ALWAYS been conducted on the gigantic scale?! Enormous armies going at one another with gusto, casualties are expected to be, and usually are, of a Biblical scale!?

coolbert.

Boys and Girls! I.

This is coolbert:

From my previous blog entry:

"The excess number of women is no longer the case in China. NOW, it is the opposite. There is a super-abundance of young, foot-loose, unattached, unmarried men in China that CANNOT find suitable mates."

A GENDER IMBALACE THAT MAY LEAD TO POLITICAL UPHEAVAL, REBELLION, DOWRIGHT WARFARE BY A COMMUNIST GOVERNMENT FOR WHICH THINGS WILL SPIRAL OUT OF CONTROL!!??

Here are some web sites that detail the problem:

"Gender imbalance threatens China"

"China is set to become the world's largest lonely hearts club in coming decades, with some 23 million men of marriageable age unable to find a female partner, an international population conference has heard."

NO! NOT BECOMING SO, IS SO!!

"Excess men have previously led to political upheaval in China"
"The prospect of millions of men forced to go solo threatens major social and political problems for the tightly controlled country of 1.3 billion people, the most populous nation on the planet"

"According to the research, men who do not marry are more prone to crime than if they were married, raising fears of social and political instability."

"Instead they suggested the most probable scenario was that excess single men "will settle in bachelor ghettos in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou and Tianjin where commercial sex outlets would be prevalent'."

It should be understood that the problem cannot be resolved just by allowing for release of sexual urges and impulses through the use of prostitutes. The problem here is a lack of stability normally a result of a strong family structure. The nuclear family with the husband, wife, children, living in a stable, civil society, will not be obtainable for these tens of millions of young men.

"Previous gender imbalances in China have led to major political upheaval. In the 19th century, the Nien rebellion in northern Shandong province was in part blamed on an excess male population, estimated at 100,000, that was caused by an earlier famine and widespread female infanticide, the researchers said. It took the ruling Qing dynasty 17 years to overthrow the rebels who ruled the region of six million people."

http://washingtonbureau.typepad.com/china/2007/11/a-testosterone.html

The above is a blog entry from a recent "China hand" who feels the problem is not so acute. A problem that exists, but is overblown.

"Asia's Male Tilt"

"This year, millions of young men in China and India will reach their 19th birthday with little prospect of finding a wife. It's not that young, single women aren't available - it's that they don't exist in the same numbers."

China, right now, is the most populous nation [1.3 billion Chinese] on the planet. India, however, is not that far behind and sometime in this century will surpass China as the most populous nation. India too has the tradition of favoring boy offspring over girls. India too has the gender imbalance problem?

coolbert.

The Great Helmsman??

This is coolbert:

From the Chicago TRibune today:

"Around the World
CHINA FLASHBACK
Mao's generous offer
February 15, 2008 "

"A document released this week by the State Department's historian's office revealed a strange offer that Chinese leader Mao Tse-tung made to Secretary of State Henry Kissinger in 1973."

"Mao: 'You know, China is a very poor country. We don't have much. What we have in excess is women. So if you want them we can give a few of those to you, some tens of thousands. ... Do you want our Chinese women? We can give you 10 million. ... They give birth to children and our children are too many.'"

"Kissinger: 'It is such a novel proposition. We will have to study it'"

Whoa boy!!

The excess number of women is no longer the case in China. NOW, it is the opposite. There is a super-abundance of young, foot-loose, unattached, unmarried men in China that CANNOT find suitable mates.

Reasons for this are:

* The one family, one child policy of China that has been in place for decades now.

* A reluctance of the Chinese, for cultural reasons, to have girl babies. Girls are aborted, the preference being for the one child to be a BOY!

The British admiral who just recently made the pronouncement that the world order may begin to break down starting around the year 2012 mentioned this exact problem. Those prodigious numbers of Chinese young men that cannot start families and lead a stable life should be a source of worry to the communists? This has the potentiality to create a chaotic, dangerous situation in China. China historically has had periods of internal strife, dissension, and rebellion.

The road to hell is paved with good intentions??!!

coolbert.

Theory?

This is coolbert:

From the wiki:

"List of military writers"

"List of military theorists"

From the list of military writers, we see this interesting entry:

"Anonymous, Thirty-Six Strategies"

Hmmmmm!!!??? What is that about? Actually, very interesting!

"Thirty-Six Strategies"

"The Thirty-Six Stratagems (三十六計) is a collection of 36 Chinese proverbs used to illustrate stratagems used in politics as well as in civil interaction. They were first published in the western world by Harro von Senger from Switzerland, whose Chinese translation of his books also started a boom about the 36 stratagems in China; after hearing the proverb 'Of the Thirty-Six Stratagems, fleeing is best' in Taipei University, he began to inquire about those '36 plans'".

The proverbial Chinese secret! NOT known to the world at large until the mid-1970's? "Discovered" by the sinophile Harro von Senger! Proverbs applicable to all forms of human endeavor, war included!

"Si·no·phile - –noun 1. a person who admires or has a strong liking for China, the Chinese, or their culture.
–adjective 2. friendly to or having a strong liking for China or the Chinese."

"Stratagem" is a rather ancient word for a ruse. Harro von Senger used the word 'stratagem' in his translation of the 36 stratagems to differentiate them from the negative connotation of "ruse".

"In the German "Duden" dictionary, "List" (ruse) is defined as:"

* "a means of reaching a goal unorthodoxically by deceiving somebody ."
* "a means of reaching a goal unorthodoxically."

The use of such adages and proverbs is common in the Far East. Oriental minds dig this stuff. Admiral Yamamoto had this favorite: [so applicable to Pearl Harbor]

"If you want the tiger's cubs, you must go into the lair!!

Read it all over and give it some thought. Good stuff!! "Stratagems when in Desperate Situation". Some stratagems are needed right now in Iraq, as we speak!? American commanders, wake up and read! NOW!

coolbert.

Spy!

This is coolbert:

Only today, another spy case involving the Chinese.

Displaying the characteristic signature of the Chinese intelligence services.

Working ONLY with other Chinese.

* Tai Shen Kuo.

* Yu Xin Kang.

* Dongfan 'Greg' Chung.

* Gregg Bergersen. [well, there always has to be one exception to the rule, doesn't there!!?? Gregg would be classified as a sub-agent of a sub-agent of an agent!!??]

"WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A Defense Department weapons system analyst and three natives of China have been arrested and charged in two espionage-related cases, prompting a top Justice Department official Monday to declare Chinese espionage is approaching 'Cold War levels.'"

"'aggressive' Chinese government espionage programs have reached levels not seen since the Cold War with the former Soviet Union."

"In the Virginia case officials charge that Gregg Bergersen, 51, of Alexandria, Virginia, sold highly classified information to Tai Shen Kuo, 58, a naturalized citizen who resides in New Orleans, Louisiana. Kuo then allegedly handed the information to Yu Xin Kang, 33, a lawful resident alien also living in New Orleans. Kang in turn allegedly gave the information to a spy for the Chinese government."

"Dongfan 'Greg' Chung, 72, of Orange, California, a naturalized U.S. citizen, had worked for Rockwell, Boeing and a Boeing contractor for more than 30 years."

"'he did it out of loyalty to the Motherland'"

Thirty years, he worked for Boeing. Thirty years. All that time, PASSING STUFF OF A CLASSIFIED NATURE TO THE CHINESE, AND DOING SO UNDETECTED??!!

I think a lot of people would assume the Chinese have a hard time conducting espionage operations against the U.S. Evidently NOT!!

People like Dongfan really piss me off. Too bad he did not have the same degree of loyalty to his adopted motherland as he did for some commie paradise. Blood is thicker than water!!??

coolbert.

Pekingese.

This is coolbert:

Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Dowager Cixi, said: [of the Pekingese dog]

"Let it comport itself with dignity; let it learn to bite the foreign devils instantly."

China during the nineteenth century was the victim of unfair and unequal treaties. Pacts with foreign powers foisted upon the "Celestials" primarily by European imperial powers. Foreign powers disliked by the Chinese. To the Chinese, abasement and humiliation for themselves, "Celestials" and occupants of the "Middle Kingdom" [half-way between heaven and earth], at the hands of "white-faced foreign devils" must have been the ultimate in degradation.

Especially pronounced was the result of the Second Opium War.

The Imperial City [Forbidden City], and the Summer Palace of the Chinese Emperor were occupied and LOOTED by a combined French and British force.

"Elgin landed with British and French forces in August 1860 and marched on Peking. On the fifth of October the troops arrived at the Summer Palace, a vast complex of buildings and park lands just outside Peking which served as a retreat for the emperor. The sight of all these riches was too much for the British and French troops and frantic looting took place."

Looting in part as retaliation due to mistreatment of British diplomats and soldiers captured by the Chinese.

"On the eighteenth of October 1860, Elgin received news that British and French soldiers who'd been captured a few weeks earlier had been tortured and the majority of them killed. He decided to retaliate and ordered that the Summer Palace be torched. For two days the fire raged, the smoke clearly visible from Peking."

"a British diplomatic envoy, Harry Parkes, was arrested during negotiations on September 18. He and his small entourage were imprisoned and tortured (some were murdered by the Chinese in a fashion that infuriated British leadership upon discovery in October)."

[what was done to those captured is not mentioned. Perhaps they were made eunuchs. Or perhaps they suffered death "of a thousand cuts". Whatever it was, the British were so angry they behaved in retaliation in the manner of the barbarian.]

Among the "loot" taken from the Summer Palace were FIVE PEKINGESE DOGS. A breed unknown to "westerners" at the time. The Pekingese held a very special and exalted status among the Chinese of the Imperial Court. Exceedingly so!

"During the Second Opium War, in 1860, the Forbidden City was invaded by Allied troops. The Emperor Xianfeng had fled with all of his court. However an elderly aunt of the emperor remained. When the ‘foreign devils’ entered, she committed suicide. She was found with her five Pekingese mourning her passing."

"It was also customary for the emperor to select four Pekes who were to become his bodyguards. The emperor would be preceded by these four Pekes on such occasions of state, whereby two of them would announce his approach at correct intervals with sharp, piercing barks, while the other two would daintily hold the hem of his royal robe in their mouths. At night, they would carry small lanterns strapped to their necks. It would be considered a crime to steal or injure a Peke, and this would result in the punishment of death."

These five Pekingese, "prisoners of war" were taken to England where they became favorites of the English royal court and the middle class in general. LAP DOGS AS PERSONAL HOUSEHOLD PETS OWE THEIR EXISTENCE TO THE PEKINGESE TAKEN FROM CHINA TO ENGLAND!!

Dig this amazing stuff! It seems that almost all Pekingese in the world are descended from that original five dogs and a meagre number of others that escaped extermination - - the Chinese feeling these dogs were too important to fall into the hands of "western foreign devils"?

"It was in 1911, after the death of the Empress Dowager that Chinese officials began an extensive extermination of the Pekingese, in order to prevent them from ending up in unworthy hands. There were very few Chinese Pekingese that escaped the massacre."

Yip, yip, hooray!!

coolbert.

NSA.

This is coolbert:

Here is another one you have to put in the "OH SHIT, OH DAMN!!!" category.

"China Has the NSA For Lunch"

Thanks to StrategyPage.

Read it over. Very interesting and disturbing.

After over sixty years of frenzied work in the intelligence and security field, the U.S. government is still UNABLE to differentiate friend from foe to the degree desired. And after taking monumental efforts to make sure security is sound - - yet still - - this sort of thing occurs!!?? Incompetence at a major level of command is to blame??!! We probably will never hear the full story!

Clever, guileful, inspired and successful Chinese intelligence service operation at work!! The characteristic signature of Chinese intelligence at work too? Working ONLY with Chinese nationals or ethnic Chinese, regardless of citizenship! ONLY!

Someone should have seen this coming a long way off!!

With the bonus of being able to feed DECEPTION to your main rival in the world!!

"A penetrated secret service is just not a bad one: it is an appalling liability" - - John Le Carre'."

coolbert.

Wrong!

This is coolbert:

More terra Cotta.

It seems I am wrong about certain details of the terra cotta army of the Qin Emperor.

From my recent blog entry:

"And was found more or less INTACT!! For a science [archeology], discoveries of this magnitude are few and far in between. AND INTACT MAKES IT EVEN THAT MUCH MORE SIGNIFICANT. Normally, archaeologists have to work with fragments, and then INFER a lot of what they conclude. NOT SO with this discovery."

The terra cotta warriors were NOT found intact. I am wrong here.

From an informant who has just visited the terra cotta army exhibit, I receive this correction: [thanks to Jan]

"in 206 BC a rebel in the Qin Dynasty burnt the palace and the mausoleum. The construction of the pits was damaged during the fire. The collapsed roof pressed the terra-cotta warriors and horses into fragments. None of them was completed when unearthed. Mending the broken figures became a painstaking work for archaeological workers."

"So all warriors, horses, etc. available to the public are broken fragments that have been pieced together. That is what is so amazing! You can still see the result of the fire in the other two pits where the warriors are still in pieces and you can see the staging areas where they are being put together. What painstaking work! Since they discovered the warriors they have also discovered a process of applying a pigment on the newly unearthed figures to keep the original paint on the statues from fading and flaking after being brought to light."

Have been painstakingly put back together - - and the original paint protected! Some are put back together, re-assembled as they were originally, some are being put back together, and some still lay shattered, and will be left that way as part of the exhibit!

Still, all the same, amazing.

coolbert.

Xian.

This is coolbert:

Visiting China either for business or pleasure? If you are in the vicinity of Xian, or just have the curiosity to do so, here is a MUST SEE!!

The terra cotta army protecting the burial mound of the Qin Emperor. The first Chinese Emperor to UNITE all of China under one rule!

"Terracotta Warriors and Horses is a collection of 8,099 larger than life Chinese terra cotta figures of warriors and horses located near the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor (Chinese: 秦始皇陵; pinyin: Qín Shǐhuáng líng)."

To put things in perspective, the Qin Emperor ruled about the same time the Romans were fighting the 2nd Punic War!

"The Terracotta Army was buried with the Emperor of Qin (Qin Shi Huangdi) in 210-209 BC"

The Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses are one of the most significant archaeological excavations of the 20th century.

An entire combined-arms force, almost a division strong in size [over 8,000 figures]. Infantry, cavalry, chariots [tanks of the time], archers and crossbow men. All at readiness, terribly arrayed, as they say, in ranks, preparing for deployment into battle!

Impressive!

I recall very well the stir that was made when this archaeological find was first uncovered. A momentous discovery, made by accident. And was found more or less INTACT!! For a science [archeology], discoveries of this magnitude are few and far in between. AND INTACT MAKES IT EVEN THAT MUCH MORE SIGNIFICANT. Normally, archaeologists have to work with fragments, and then INFER a lot of what they conclude. NOT SO with this discovery.

"the terracotta figures were placed in the pits outlined above in precise military formation according to rank and duty."



And look at the immensity of the building that the terra cotta army is contained in. Left in situ, but covered to protect from the elements.

[deterioration is still occurring!]

The terra cotta soldiers are said to be larger-than-life! Six foot to six and one half feet tall. A foot taller than the average soldier of the time. BUT, PERHAPS, NOT LARGER THAN LIFE! The horses, for instance, seem to be real-life, true to size representations. I can surmise the soldiers are too? THIS MAY VERY WELL BE THE IMPERIAL BODYGUARD OF THE QIN EMPEROR!! NOT the average soldier. A personal bodyguard and “shock” force chosen for their stature. NOT your average-everyday military unit. Specially chosen soldiers forming a special unit, devoted entirely to the protection of the Emperor. Intimidating for no other reason than for their size.



"The figures vary in height according to their rank; the tallest being the Generals. The heights range is 184-197cm (6ft - 6ft 5in), or more than a full foot taller than the average soldier of the period."

And appear to be, NOT stylized representations of the soldiers. THESE ARE NOT GENERIC FIGURES OF SOLDIERS BUT APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN CUSTOMIZED AFTER A REAL LIVE PERSON, EACH TERRA COTTA FIGURE UNIQUE UNTO ITSELF!

"It is believed that the terracotta warriors were based on true people as every face has different facial features and expressions."

This exhibit is one of the wonders of the world? Worth seeing? YES!!

This is very cool too! You can buy replicas of the terra cotta soldiers! Life size if you desire and the price is right also!! The Chinese are masters of this stuff?

coolbert.

Cost!

This is coolbert:

From an earlier intelligence report: [thanks to Harry - - http://www.sharkhunters.com]

"China spends in excess of $800 billion per year on weaponry"

And the response of J. Bolton:

"$800 billion would be more than half their total economy, so that has to be exaggerated ten-fold at least. They are making double-digit increases in military expenditures every year."

Well, $800 billion per year does seem a lot. Almost TWICE of what the U.S. currently spends YEARLY on national defense.

What is the truth:

Consider the wiki entry on Chinese military expenditures:

"Military budget of the People's Republic of China"

"SIPRI, RAND, the CIA and the DIA estimated the budget at between US$30 and US$65 billion. In terms of purchasing power parity, or the relative purchasing strength of the expenditure, the SIPRI estimate is as high as US$140 billion."

"The Chinese government's published budget was less than US$25 billion."

"The 2007 US Department of Defense annual report to Congress on China's military strength offered several estimates of actual 2007 Chinese military spending. In terms of the prevailing exchange rate, DIA estimates fall between US$85 and US$125 billion."

So, J. Bolton and the ten-fold exaggeration would seem to be pretty much right on!!

Consider this, however, from the wiki entry:

"The official military budget which China and Russia announced does not include spending on nuclear weapons, cruise missile development, and fighter development. These are categorized under the Science/Space development budget. Spending on training are categorized under the Education budget, and veteran pensions are categorized under the Welfare budget. As the result China and Russia's actual military expenditure may be more than 3 times as much as the official military budget."

Consider this too from the book by Victor Suvorov, "Inside Soviet Military Intelligence": [written in 1984]

"Theoretically the Soviet Union spends, in the interests of defence, the improbably small sum of nineteen billion dollars a year . . . The budgets of the remaining twelve ministries which produce armaments are kept secret . . . the Ministry of Defence does not buy; it receives the armaments necessary to it . . . the price of [a] ship is paid to the Ministry of Shipbuilding . . . The same thing is true of aircraft, tanks, rockets, nuclear bombs, military electronics, every item of hardware."

The Chinese - - budget for military hardware - - on the same lines as the Soviet did!!?? The announced cost is small compared with the actual cost! Hidden items not tabulated as would be with the budget of a western nation! $800 billion still to high however!

This SIPRI was a new one on me. Swedish. Peace organization. International. It must be right. Those groups are NEVER wrong!

coolbert.

Espionage!

This is coolbert:

"Law enforcement struggles to combat Chinese spying"

Read this article about Chinese espionage in the U.S. This particular "incident" is just the tip of the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Or so I fear. Chi Mak, a SENIOR ENGINEER working on advanced propulsion systems for American submarines, has been convicted of espionage on behalf of the Chinese and is going to prison for up to ten years.

"Chi Mak, 66, who was born in Guangzhou, was educated in Shanghai and became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1985. He obtained a "secret"-level security clearance in 1996."

"Mak, a senior engineer working on power systems for Navy submarines"

"Mak's work centered on the Quiet Electric Drive, a Navy program intended to outfit submarines with propulsion systems that would be quieter and thus harder to detect."

[this is the American version of Air Independent Propulsion!!??]

NOT ONLY was Mak involved, but his wife AND SON also were accomplices.

"His wife, Fuk Li, 49, is expected to receive probation for aiding and abetting the illegal exports."

"Their son, Yui Mak, 27, who helped encrypt the disks his parents were carrying in their luggage, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting and is expected to be placed on probation."

The wife and son are receiving PROBATION??!! PROBATION!!?? That is it??!! FOR APPROXIMATELY THE SAME CRIMES, AIDING AND ABETTING, ETHEL ROSENBERG WAS PUT TO DEATH!!!

And beyond the immediate family, there is another person involved in this "spy ring"? A Mr. Greg Chung? An engineer working at Boeing. A man now also under investigation.

"Greg Chung, an engineer for Boeing (BA)."

"documents found in Mak's home dealing with the F-16 fighter and NASA's space shuttle were from programs that Chung had worked on at Boeing."

Mak! Chung! It IS a trademark characteristic signature of Chinese intelligence TO WORK ONLY WITH OTHER ETHNIC CHINESE.

[Whether it is native-born Chinese, a naturalized U.S. citizen or ABC [American-Born-Chinese], it does not matter. For the various Chinese intelligence services [I am assuming that there ARE a number of them], CHINESE ONLY NEED APPLY!! All others stay away. ARE NOT trusted!!]

That Chinese intelligence WILL WORK ONLY WITH OTHER ETHNIC CHINESE IS A TOPIC SPOKEN ABOUT ONLY IN HUSHED TONES, AND THEN HESITANTLY SO EVEN THEN!!??

coolbert.

Chinese.

This is coolbert:

In the introduction to his translation of the work of Sun Tzu, Lionel Giles mentions some Chinese generals of antiquity that were renowned for their military prowess. Disciples and students of Sun who adhered to the philosophies of the “master” [Sun].

General officers, commanders of armies, and military campaigners who compare favorably against ANY “western”general of ANY period.

[think Alexander, Caesar, Napoleon, Wellington, Grant, etc. Commanders in the “western” tradition.]

One such great captain of Chinese antiquity according to Giles was T’sao T’sao. Also known as Cao Cao.

[there are a number of formats for converting spoken Chinese to roman or Latin letters. The format Wade-Giles refers to this man as T’sao T’sao. In the pinyin format, he is Cao Cao. Same person!]

T’sao T’sao was also a poet in addition to being a great general.

"a brilliant ruler and military genius who treated his officers like his family. He was also skilled in poetry and the martial arts, and wrote many war journals."

"An old war-horse may be stabled,
Yet still it longs to gallop a thousand li;"

"And a noble-hearted man though advanced in years
Never abandons his proud aspirations."

This is NOT a contradiction. T’sao T'sao was adept at the five excellence's that are attributes of a Chinese gentleman.

[those five excellence's are skill at a martial art, calligraphy, poetry, painting, and a healing technique. I had originally thought that archery was one of the excellence's, but apparently ANY martial art will do. Healing techniques include herbal medicine, acupuncture, chi gong, etc.]

Another Chinese great captain of antiquity, from the list of Giles, is Li Shih Min.

The Tang Dynasty ONLY became the ruling power in China AS A RESULT of the military victories of Li Shih Min.

"is known as the 'General from Heaven', for his undisputed skill in battle"

"born as Li Shì Mín, was the second emperor of the Tang Dynasty of China. Taizong [adopted the name Taizong when he became emperor] ruled from 626 to 649. He encouraged his father, Li Yuan, to start the uprising that established the Tang dynasty from Taiyuan. Today, many credit Taizong as co-founder of the Tang dynasty."

[the Chinese consider the Tang Dynasty to be the apogee of their cultural development. When President Clinton made a state visit to China, he was greeted in the manner with which a Tang Emperor would have met a visiting foreign dignitary!!]

"At the time, it was said that there was no need for the people to lock their doors at night and items left on the road remained untouched by others. The prosperity of the era under the leadership of Taizong and his renowned officials epitomizes the peak of traditional rulership that future generations would strive to emulate."

It is said of China, "it is a good thing the Chinese are such a peaceable nation, otherwise they could conquer the world!!"

Napoleon is reputed to have said, “when the Chinese dragon awakens from it’s sleep, the whole world will tremble!!”

I would agree that the basic nature of Chinese civilization and culture is harmony and pacific. BUT, war has also been a constant of Chinese history, as it has been for the rest of the world as well.

Gulp!!

coolbert.

Sun.

This is coolbert:

Here is where you can download for free, from the Project Gutenberg, your own copy, again, for free, and to keep, the great work of the Chinese military commentator, Sun Tzu.

Well, who has not heard of Sun Tzu? Wrote his work around 500 B.C.? A man whose writings demonstrate a most profound knowledge of military strategy, tactics, leadership, etc. To have read [not necessarily understood, but read] Sun is considered obligatory for all senior military officers? Regardless of rank, nation, or branch of service?

This particular translation of Sun was the work of the Englishman, Lionel Giles. Done in 1910. An earlier translation to English was done in 1905 by a Captain Calthrope, but was considered by Giles to be an inferior, flawed and inaccurate work. Hence the version now made available for free.

A reprint of this translation was commissioned in 1983 by James Clavell. I have that particular reprint in my own personal library and refer to it from time to time. Clavell states he was particularly intrigued about the last chapter, number 13, the chapter dealing with spies [espionage]. A number of my previous blog entries have dealt with the subject matter of this chapter as well.

The reading of Sun is NOT EASY! OR easily understood. Try the best you can. And try to find analogs as best you can in modern warfare.

The introduction found in the Project Gutenberg text [by Lionel Giles?] is also very interesting. If it was Giles that was responsible for the [such an introduction is not found in the Clavell commissioned work] introduction, his scholarship is to be admired, even today!

It seems that Sun has had in China for many millennia now a number of commentators and acolytes. His work HAS been studied and admired by the Chinese as IT IS NOW IN THE WEST. Those commentators include:

1. TS`AO TS`AO or Ts`ao Kung . . . [A.D. 155-220] . . . One of the greatest military geniuses that the world has seen, and Napoleonic in the scale of his operations, he was especially famed for the marvelous rapidity of his marches, which has found expression in the line 'Talk of Ts`ao Ts`ao, and Ts`ao Ts`ao will appear.'"

2. MENG SHIH.

3. LI CH`UAN of the 8th century was a well-known writer on
military tactics.

4. TU YU (died 812)

5. TU MU (803-852) is perhaps the best known as a poet -- a
bright star even in the glorious galaxy of the T`ang period. We
learn from Ch`ao Kung-wu that although he had no practical
experience of war, he was extremely fond of discussing the
subject, and was moreover well read in the military history of
the CH`UN CH`IU and CHAN KUO eras.

6. CH`EN HAO appears to have been a contemporary of Tu Mu.

7. CHIA LIN is known to have lived under the T`ang dynasty.

8. MEI YAO-CH`EN (1002-1060).

9. WANG HSI, also of the Sung dynasty.

10. HO YEN-HSI of the Sung dynasty.

11. CHANG YU.

[it is during the period of Chang Yu that:

"During the early years of the Sung dynasty the Empire enjoyed a long spell of peace, and men ceased to practice the art of war. But when [Chao] Yuan-hao's rebellion came [1038-42] and the frontier generals were defeated time after time, the Court made strenuous inquiry for men skilled in war,and military topics became the vogue amongst all the high officials."]

Again, from the introduction: [Giles here?]

"Sun Tzu has exercised a potent fascination over the minds
of some of China's greatest men . . . . Sun Tzu's 13 chapters are
not only the staple and base of all military men's training,
but also compel the most careful attention of scholars and men of letters.
His sayings are terse yet elegant, simple yet profound,
perspicuous and eminently practical. Such works as the LUN
YU, the I CHING and the great Commentary, [57] as well as the
writings of Mencius, Hsun K`uang and Yang Chu, all fall below
the level of Sun Tzu."

And here, again, from the introduction regarding the perceived relatively [??] pacific [non-warlike] nature of the Chinese nation [this being written in 1910!]:

"Accustomed as we are to think of China as the greatest
peace-loving nation on earth, we are in some danger of
forgetting that her experience of war in all its phases has also
been such as no modern State can parallel. Her long military annals
stretch back to a point at which they are lost in the mists of
time . . . No less remarkable is the succession of illustrious captains
to whom China can point with pride. As in all countries, the
greatest are fond of emerging at the most fateful crises of her
history . . . Po Ch`i . . . Ts`ao Ts`ao . . . Li shih-min . . . Li Ching.
None of these generals need fear comparison with the greatest
names in the military history of Europe."

"In spite of all this, the great body of Chinese sentiment,
from Lao Tzu downwards, and especially as reflected in the
standard literature of Confucianism, has been consistently
pacific and intensely opposed to militarism in any form."

[the gist is, China does have a basic non-military and pacific nature as part of the culture, BUT DOES ALSO HAVE A VERY LONG AND ILLUSTRIOUS MILITARY HISTORY AS WELL!!]

And FINALLY, there is one additional person, A MODERN, who has obviously studied with intent the work of Sun and taken it to heart. Mao Tse-Tung. The "Great Helmsman". The Chairman so beloved of 1960 radical types. "The Little Red Book" of Mao, was THE THING for aspiring communists on college campuses during that period of the 1960's. Mao does NOT seem to be the originator of all the various thoughts contained in the Little Red Book that deal with "military science". NOT as he would have liked you to have thought. Rather, in many cases, was a rehash, sometimes word for word, sometimes in communist doggerel, of Sun. Communist military strategy of the Eighth Route Army was credited to Mao but actually is the ideas of Sun brought to fruition 2500 years later??!!

coolbert.

W88.

This is coolbert:

From the comments to a blog entry:

My response in bold:

"Speaking of Chinese intelligence, I am sure that they have penetrated our security, probably on a number of levels. After all, they've got the plans for the W88. In a future conflict, look for them to attack not only with their anti-satellite weapons, but probably with a cyber attack of some kind."

Several things here:

All intelligence services are reputed to have a characteristic signature. Some sort of behavior that makes them recognizable to the initiated from a distance. For example, the Israeli Mossad is renowned for the inclusion of a woman in all operations?

Chinese intelligence also is supposed to have a characteristic signature. THEY WILL DEAL ONLY WITH OTHER CHINESE. CHINESE NATIONALS OR PERSONS OF CHINESE ETHNICITY ALONE ARE TARGETS. THINK WEN HO LEE OR LARRY WU-TI CHIN. THE CHINESE INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES WILL NOT DEAL WITH "OCCIDENTALS [inscrutable??].

"probably with a cyber attack of some kind".

This is already occurring. Data mining and cyber attack to gather, to the greatest extent possible, classified where it can be done, but more readily so, unclassified but propietary information useful to Chinese technology and industrial development. This is happening right now. Hackers, of Chinese origin, have been observed and tracked breaking into U.S. computers [other nations also?] in a very organized and professional manner.

"It's not a digital Pearl Harbor, not yet, but it's getting closer."

"The continuous nature of these attacks means there is a link to a state source," Stiennon said. "The Chinese are waging very effectual intellectual warfare."

"plans for the W88".

The miniaturized nuclear bomb. Supposedly U.S. intelligence believes that the "walk-in", a Chinese national that came into the U.S. Embassy in Peking and offered the plans for the W88 as a "good faith gesture" was doing so only to SHOW U.S. INTELLIGENCE THAT THE CHINESE NOT ONLY HAD THE PLANS TO THE NEUTRON BOMB, BUT THAT THEY ALSO HAD TO HAVE MUCH MORE AS WELL!! THAT "WALK-IN" PRESENTED THEMSELVES IN A FALSE MANNER TO "RUB SALT IN THE WOUND"!!!

"A story four months later in The New York Times by William Broad reported that in 1995, a supposed double agent from the People's Republic of China delivered information indicating that China knew these details about the W88 warhead as well, supposedly through espionage (this line of investigation eventually resulted in the abortive trial of Wen Ho Lee)."

coolbert.

ASAT.

This is coolbert:

Lou Dobbs is talking this evening on CNN about the Chinese military threat.

Several items are mentioned. "Experts" as usual give their opinion.

"Then, two leading experts on China, Gordan Chang and Richard Fisher, explore the threatening and aggressive behavior of the communist nation's dangerous military buildup."

One item discussed is the surfacing of the Chinese SONG class submarine within five miles of a U.S. naval aircraft carrier battle group. Happened just recently. This came as a surprise to the U.S. naval forces? This submarine was undetected until it surfaced and only discovered by accident?

[surfacing would seem to be the Chinese sending a message to the American commander. We escaped detection and could have destroyed you if we wanted to. YOU DID NOT know we were here!]

The SONG class is an "indigenous" Chinese design? A diesel submarine, but having the "Albarcore" tear-drop shape hull. The Albarcore was a revolutionary design for it's time. Very much so. A test bed for new technologies just coming on line. Atomic power for submarines was just a few years off when the Albarcore began tests of it's very futuristic design. It was realized that atomic power would allow submarines very high speed underwater as power was more or less unlimited. Hydrodynamic design was needed for the greatest efficiency. The shape of the tuna fish was found to be the ideal [albacore?].

Also discussed is the latest test, successful, by the Chinese, of an anti-satellite missile. Giving the Red Chinese a capability they did not previously have.

"On January 11, 2007, China destroyed an old orbiting weather satellite, the world's first test since the 1980s."

This was the fourth test of such a missile? Three previous tests were unsuccessful? So says the "expert" [Chang].

Another "expert" [Fisher] states that this gives the Chinese a capability the U.S. does not have! We are way behind the Chinese in this area?

NO!

That is not so. The U.S. has HAD FOR SOME TIME NOW, an anti-satellite capability.

Called ASAT [anti-satellite].

Fired from a F-15 fighter plane in a zoom climb. A conventional jet fighter, the F-15, takes off, armed with an ASAT. Assumes a steep, ballistic climb [zoom}. Achieves a high altitude above the stratosphere, and then launches the ASAT at a predetermined spot in the sky.




The ASAT then fires it's rocket engine, and proceeds on course to intercept and destroy the target, using on-board guidance for the final approach and kinetic attack, NOT nuclear!

Using the F-15 in such a mode is a novel and excellent approach. Allows the missile [ASAT] to be employed in a flexible manner. Somebody was thinking when they came up with the current U.S. ASAT idea.

coolbert.