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September 5, 2006
China: Explaining the Chinese Alliance with Radical Islam
Nationalism can lead countries to pursue some very misguided policies. Just like Russia supports Iran's nuclear program to weaken the United States even thought it is Islam seeking to dismember Russia, China is looking for "cheap" ways to weaken America. But those cheap policies are often paid in blood and tears, especially when Islam is involved. China Confidential explains:
China is pursuing a troubling, tricky alliance with radical, rightwing Islam, or Islamism, despite concerns about its own restive Muslim population.In China's view, the potential rewards of cozying up to Islamist countries and terrorist groups outweigh the risks. In forging ties to Shiite Iran, its Lebanese terrorist proxy, Hezbollah, and the Sunni Palestinian Hamas, Beijing believes it can effectively buy protection against the export of Islamism to China's western province of Xinjiang, which is home to some 55 million Muslims, including radical fundamentalists and ethnic separatists.
The policy has the blessing of the Chinese military, which is also supporting and dictating policy toward North Korea (more about this below).
The architect of the pro-Islamist policy, Liu Yazhou, is an extremely influential Lieutenant General and Deputy Political Commissar in the People's Liberation Army Air Force, best known for his essays and books on international affairs and strategy. The 51-year-old non-combatant officer is a dedicated nationalist and hardliner toward the United States, Japan, and Taiwan--and the only serving PLA general to have visited the self-ruled island. He has traveled extensively overseas, including a stint in the US as a visiting professor at Stanford University (so much for the silly notion that cultural and educational exchange programs automatically foster warm feelings toward the host nation).[...]
Posted by Ruy Diaz at September 5, 2006 9:07 PM
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