Foreign Correspondence

[Amaunet]

This is very unusual behavior for China

China cancels military exercises on island near Taiwan: report

Also consider the following two excerpts that tell of a possible power struggle in China.

It would be misleading to say that there is a hidden war going on at the top of the Chinese Communist Party, because there is ALWAYS a secret war going on there. But the struggle in Beijing at the moment seems much fiercer than usual. It could even be the one that finally cracks the system open.
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The writer concluded that China was no longer obliged to back North Korea because at critical moments, Pyongyang had not bothered to support Beijing. 'We, in fact, must be vigilant against any plots which might land us in conflict with the US.'

According to South Korea's Chosun Daily, 'the article is extremely unusual going by the traditional friendship between China and North Korea'.
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-Rion

China cancels military exercises on island near Taiwan: report

TAIPEI (AFP) Aug 30, 2004
China has cancelled a military exercise on southeastern Dongshan Island, withdrawing some 3,000 troops, the China Times reported here Monday.

Taiwan's defense authorities described the move as "abnormal" since drills by People's Liberation Army troops in other areas were being carried out as scheduled, the paper said.

There was no "external factor" strong enough to force Beijing to cancel the much propagandized eighth annual exercise on Dongshan Island, they said.

The troops were moved to Guangzhou military zone last week before the powerful Typhoon Aere struck Taiwan. The transfer left only several hundred soldiers on the island, according to the paper.

Defense officials here said the wargames, aimed at attacking Taiwan, might have been scrapped due to bad weather. But they did not rule out the possibility of a power struggle among the Chinese leadership and considerations about Sino-US relations, the paper said.

The defense ministry had no immediate comment on the report.

China has long considered Taiwan part of its territory to be reunified, by force if necessary. The two sides split in 1949 at the end of a civil war.




http://www.spacewar.com/2004/040830030417.k0jqzryo.html