The International Herald Tribune published an article on the Xinhua website proposing a more hard-line stance on the U.S. military presence in the Western Pacific Region. The article stated, “There are a number of opinions about the U.S. intention in maintaining a military presence in the West Pacific region. … The fundamental question comes to whether it is indeed targeting China.”

“At the present, analyzing the strategic intention of the U.S.’s military adjustment in the Western Pacific is not the most important task. … To overturn the trend of the U.S. strengthening its military power, the U.S. might meet an invincible counter-threat, forcing it to make a choice between starting a large-scale military confrontation and admitting that the U.S. is not invincible.”

The article concluded, "The key that China must remember is that the way to avoid being threatened is by no means trying to meet the requirements of the threatener. The threatener’s intention always changes and its requirements increase.”

Source: Xinhua, February 6, 2012
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2012-02/06/c_122657115.htm

Guangming Daily published a commentary about how to deal with the new U.S. military strategy that is targeting China. The article stated, “After having finished its mission in the anti-terrorism battlefield, the U.S. military has turned around to look for new opponents.“

“In opposing the new military strategy of the U.S., China should be realistic and calm. It cannot compete one on one in the areas of equipment and strategy. China should modernize militarily from a bigger view, develop aircraft carriers, nuclear submarines, stealth aircraft, cruise missiles, sea/land-based long-range ballistic missiles, and other equipment with strategic significance. First, (China should) turn around the weak military situation as a whole and ensure the protection of China’s security as soon as possible. Then we can deal with them one by one.”

“From a military comparison, ‘the U.S. is strong and we are still weak.’ … The Chinese army should take advantage of this valuable stable and opportunistic period and develop some “big items” that can fortify our military foundation. By then, the American’s little tricks will be no big deal.

Source: Guangming Daily Online, February 8, 2012
http://mil.gmw.cn/2012-02/08/content_3522290.htm

On February 3, 2012, Huanqiu (the Chinese edition of Global Times) published a commentary written by Han Xudong, a professor from China’s National Defense University, titled, “The U.S. Forces that Move Rapidly around the Globe Are a Major Threat to China.”  Han believes that the U.S. mobile military presence poses a long-term threat to China’s national security and suggested taking feasible measures to counter against the threat.

“Compared to the regular garrison during the Cold War, the U.S. mobile forces present a greater threat to our security. Now, it is not easy for us to judge what type of troops the U.S. will send out. The U.S. army may use any type of new weapon or equipment in China’s surrounding areas. The probability of friction or crises between the U.S. and the Chinese armies may increase. It is more and more likely that the U.S. military forces will take provocative action against us and it will be more and more difficult for our military forces to counter against the threat from the U.S. mobile forces. China is in the passive position of maintaining security while the United States has the option to take the initiative in terms of security.”

Source: Huanqiu, February 3, 2012
http://opinion.huanqiu.com/roll/2012-02/2403446.html

Global Times, which is under the Chinese state’s daily news, People’s Daily, recently reported on the U.S. Senate’s “Global Threat Hearing.” The report was based mainly on an NBC report published on February 1. Multiple high ranking U.S. intelligence officials called China, Russia, and Iran “the top threats.” In the report, the belief was expressed that both China and Russia are countries “fond of” mounting Internet attacks against important U.S. industrial and government targets. The head of the FBI, Robert S. Mueller, III, suggested that Internet spying, computer based crimes, and network attacks against major infrastructures are replacing terrorism to become the top threats that the U.S. faces. According to the Washington Post, Iran was added to the “top threats” list this year, in addition to China and Russia.

Source: Global Times, February 2, 2012
http://world.huanqiu.com/roll/2012-02/2398918.html