Spring Has Once Again Arrived for U.S. Arms Dealers

Published in China Daily
(China) on 11 November 2010
by Wang Yusheng (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Sarah Chan. Edited by Heidi Kaufmann.
India was Obama's first stop on his four-country Asian tour. "Open market" and "build stronger U.S.-India ties" were the key words used in American mainstream media coverage and reviews, along with "keeping an eye on China" — allegedly, in observance of how roping in India will affect China on the one hand and also China's reaction on the other.

Other key words are: to give a "gift of arms."

According to reports, the Indian air force plans to purchase 10 C-17 military transport aircraft worth $4.5 billion, as well as 107 F414 jet engines worth $800 million. Some say that the Obama administration is strengthening relations with India and sending the country a "gift of arms" to "cultivate" India into an important bargaining chip to counterbalance China. This is deceptive, not only because is it a scheme to provoke China and India, but it is also showing disrespect to India, a long-term pursuer of nonalignment. Nevertheless, India has a grasp of the situation and knows what to do, as does China.

In fact, the United States did not give a "gift of arms" to India, and India also did not give the U.S. any kind of "gift," but the U.S. government gave American arms dealers a "gift," by bringing them a new spring.

Since the economic crisis in 2008, economic recovery in the U.S has been weak. But arms dealers are still living a "happy spring." Depending on Obama's blossoming "New Deal diplomacy" this year, they have already received a considerable number of "gifts of arms." Not long ago, the United States gave Saudi Arabia a package deal for military equipment worth $60 billion, which can be called "the big gift basket." This arms trade far exceeds the yearly military expenses of any other superpower. Currently, American-made weapons account for 66 percent of arms imported into Korea. Because of the Cheonan warship incident, South Korea went a step further to buy U.S. arms, which made the American arms dealers ecstatic.


美国军火商的春天又来了
2010-11-11 10:38:26 来源:中国日报网

美国总统奥巴马亚洲四国之行首访印度。美国主流媒体报道和评论的关键词是“开拓市场”和“大幅提升美印关系”,同时“把眼睛盯着中国”——据说,既有拉拢印度应对中国影响的一面,也有观察中国如何反应的一面。

另一个关键词则是送“军火大礼”。

据报道,印度空军计划采购10架C-17远程运输机,价值45亿美元,并以8亿美元采购107台F414轻型战斗机发动机。美国媒体有分析说,奥巴马政府加强同印度的关系以及给印度送去“军火大礼”,是为了把印度“培养”成制衡中国的一个重要筹码。此话似是而非,不仅带有挑拨中印关系的图谋,而且对长期奉行不结盟政策的印度也是一种不敬。对此,印度心中有数,中国心中也有数。

其实,不是美国给印度送去了“军火大礼”,也不是印度给了美国什么“大礼”,而是美国政府给美国的军火商送去了“大礼”,给他们带去了新的春天。

2008年经济危机以来,美国经济复苏乏力。但军火商仍然过着“快乐的春天”。今年靠着奥巴马“外交新政”的开花,他们已经获得了数量可观的“军火大礼”。不久前,美国向沙特抛出总价值600亿美元的武器装备一揽子军售方案,堪称“大大的礼包”。这笔军火交易比美国以外的如何军事强国一年的军费开支还多。现在,在韩国进口的武器当中,美国产占66%。今年由于天安号事件,韩国进一步采购美国军火,乐坏了美国军火商。

(王嵎生 中国国际问题研究基金会战略研究中心执行主任 编辑:陈笛)
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