Here's a teaser from Thomas' excellent column...but be sure to read the whole thing.
At an Asian security conference in Singapore, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld last Friday delivered what some have called an unusually blunt critique of China. Rumsfeld noted that Beijing's military spending threatens Asia's delicate security balance. Instead of spending so much on weapons, Rumsfeld said, China should emphasize political freedom and open markets.
"Since no nation threatens China," said Rumsfeld, "one wonders why this growing (military) investment?" The answer is that rather than feeling threatened, China intends to threaten others, especially the United States.
