Hagel Issues Stern Warning to China

[Valin]

Real Clear Defense:

 

Lolita Baldor

6/1/13

 

SINGAPORE (AP) -- Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel delivered a two-pronged message to Beijing - holding out hope for a slowly improving military relationship with the Asian giant while issuing a stern warning on cyberattacks coming from that country. But he was met with immediate skepticism from the Chinese delegation in the audience, who questioned America's role in the Pacific.

 

Speaking Saturday at a security conference in Singapore that he helped to form more than a decade ago, Hagel said: "The United States has expressed our concerns about the growing threat of cyber intrusions, some of which appear to be tied to the Chinese government and military." While he is not the first U.S. official to publicly blame China for computer-based attacks that steal data from U.S. government and corporate networks, he delivered the rebuke in China's backyard, with members of Beijing's government in the audience.

 

His comments triggered a wry response from Maj. Gen. Yao Yunzhu, director of the Center for China-America Defense Relations, at the People's Liberation Army's Academy of Military Science, who challenged him to better explain America's intentions in its building up of the military across the region.

 

"Thank you for mentioning China several times," she told Hagel, minutes after he concluded his remarks, and began taking questions from the audience. As an audible murmur and some quiet chuckles rose from the crowd, she added that America's new shift to the Pacific has been widely interpreted as an "attempt to counter China's rising influence, and to offset the increasing military capabilities of the Chinese PLA. However, China is not convinced."

 

 

(Snip)

[Pepper]

Hagel?? Stern warning from the US??

 

moron alert