Jeff Head to be interviewed live, Oct 6, 2012, regarding CV-16, Liao Ning

jackliu said:

Congrats Jeff, however I suspect one of the agenda of the interview is to play up the China threat. I hope you don't fall in that trap, when he brings it up, I hope can you correct him that not everything China do is evil as the media would like us to believe, they have their reason to build up their military, for examle you can't stay the world's 2nd largest economy while have a weak military

And also when you compare China's military budget to GDP it is only 1.5% vs that of 4% of USA. So it is far from a real threat.

And lastly I hope you can mention that Chinese in China is much like us, vast majority of the people are only worried about the every day life such as work, school, relationships and we all want a better future for our children... we are not all that different.

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Jeff Head said:

Jackliu, I will be honest in the interview. I havv spent many years looking at the PLAN's growth and the types of military/naval technology they are developing and fielding, analyzing it, and projecting what might occur...both in the good case, and in the bad case scenarios.

I have made my share of errors, but have been mostly proven right over the years and so people have noticed that and on occassion I get these opportunities.

I do not believe the people doing this interview have an "agenda" as you imagine. That is just as much a product of your own concern and bias as you would claim their having one is a product of theirs. But I do know something about these people and believe they are seeking honest answers and honest assessments...and that is what I will give them and their listeners.

The fact is, for both nations, there is a future potential challenge the PLAN's naval buildup. The US and China are two very large nations, with very large economies and varying interests and phiosophies. Clearly the Chinese are building up as a result of their ability to economically afford to do so, and their desire to be in a position to defend their interests. No one can rationally blaim them for doing that...it is clearly what any of us would do and it is exactly what the US does. The Obama administration's absolutely rediculous question a few months ago asking the Chinese, "Why do you need an aircraft carrier," was an embarassement and, IMHO, such a revelation of how immature and inexperienced this administration is to even ask such a sophmoric question. Such inexperience can easily cause miscalculations on either side...but particularly on ours. I hope we change that in November in America...for that, and numerous other reasons from my perspective. But we shall see.

That does not mean that the potential for conflict is a given or unavoidable We can just hope that as all of this occurs and as the US responds to it, which is already happening, that cooler heads will prevail and amiable solutions to issues will be found. The idea is that with a strong military, the tendancy will be to do just that, and not push anyone's luck or ambitions too far when dealing with another storng nation...on either side of a dispute.

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bd popeye said:

Yea.. he gave great info..but he was cut short. the host offered him more time at a later date.
I thought Jeff would have a Texas drawl..he does not.

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