US’ ABM noose around China, Russia

"South Asia remains the only ‘unguarded’ segment of the arc of containment being set up around Russia and China through the United States’ missile defence [ABM] system. The US has seized Iran’s and North Korea’s missile capability as the pretext to bring the Persian Gulf and the Asia-Pacific within the ambit of the ABM.

North Korea’s expected missile launch sometime between April 12 and 16 is projected by the US military officials as threatening the countries in the Asia-Pacific as far away as Australia, the Philippines and Indonesia. Indeed, Japan has since then been making belligerent noises, threatening to shoot down the North Korean missile.

Whether Japan will do so or not is a moot point. What matters is that Tokyo henceforth has the raison d’etre for deploying the US’ ABM. The implications are obvious. The ABM deployed in Japan can also be trained to neutralise China and Russia’s missile capabilities.

That is exactly what Chinese daily Global Times has promptly pointed out in an editorial on Thursday. The GT editorial said, “North Korea and Iran are named by Washington as the targets of the missile defence system, though it is clear the real targets are China and Russia. China should firmly oppose it.”

 

at http://stratrisks.com/geostrat/5067

 

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