Who is selling arms irresponsibly?
Updated: 2012-09-05 16:15
By Kong Chushan (chinadaily.com.cn)
|
|||||||||
An article published by The Washington Post on Aug 26 said that weapons imported from China fueled regional conflicts and humanitarian crises in Africa, and said that China's arms exports are not in line with its "responsibilities as a global power".
Such claims are not true and invert justice by calling white black and playing the trick of "a thief covering himself by shouting loud". This attitude is deeply rooted in some westerners' superiority complex.
In fact, those who claim to be "responsible arms traders" are not responsible at all. According to a newly released report by the Congressional Research Service of the United States, the arms export of the US in 2011 reached a record high of $66.3 billion, which accounts for nearly 78 percent of the world's total and is three times higher than 2010's figure.
Where did this huge amount of weapons go?
If you dig in a little, you will find out that nearly half of the weapons were sold to the Middle East region, known by everyone for its volatility and instability. The high-tech weapons include fighter jets, missiles, missile defense interceptors and warships. Such a big flow of advanced weapons undoubtedly has the potential to damage the fragile geopolitical balance of the region, trigger a regional arms race, and subsequently bring suffering to the countries and people there.
To achieve their hidden agendas and serve their own interests, certain states spare no efforts in arming insurgent forces, changing regimes through unwarranted charges, fighting proxy wars and interfering with others' internal affairs.
It is naive to believe that the US is looking at only the Middle East. Actually, US arms dealers are visible in every instable region of the world. Let's take East Asia as an example. In recent years, the US has advocated the establishment of a regional missile defense system to neutralize the hypothetical missile threat of North Korea.
Even though the need and effectiveness of such a system are very much in doubt, US arms dealers would undoubtedly make tremendous profits through selling anti-missile weapon systems -- including the Patriot missile defense system -- to countries in the region. To pave the way for future arms exports, the US even took the risk of escalating regional tensions through military or other interventions under the banner of safeguarding security. Such practices have become a standard pattern for the US government to serve its arms merchants.
One wonders about those countries always criticizing others for fueling regional conflicts and aggravating humanitarian crises through irresponsible arms export. Do they really care about the humanitarian issues? We don't think so.
- Relief reaches isolated village
- Rainfall poses new threats to quake-hit region
- Funerals begin for Boston bombing victims
- Quake takeaway from China's Air Force
- Obama celebrates young inventors at science fair
- Earth Day marked around the world
- Volunteer team helping students find sense of normalcy
- Ethnic groups quick to join rescue efforts
Most Viewed
Editor's Picks
Supplies pour into isolated villages |
All-out efforts to save lives |
American abroad |
Industry savior: Big boys' toys |
New commissioner
|
Liaoning: China's oceangoing giant |
Today's Top News
Health new priority for quake zone
Xi meets US top military officer
Japan's boats driven out of Diaoyu
China mulls online shopping legislation
Bird flu death toll rises to 22
Putin appoints new ambassador to China
Japanese ships blocked from Diaoyu Islands
Inspired by Guan, more Chinese pick up golf
US Weekly
Beyond Yao
|
Money power |