Battle royale

China told to use nukes if Taiwan hits dam

"China should withdraw its undertaking on no first-use of nuclear weapons should Taiwan try to blow up the Three Gorges Dam, according to some parliamentary delegates.

The call was made by them - as well as some who sit on the country's top political advisory body - in the wake of a recent US Defence Department report which suggested that Taiwan could target the dam in a pre-emptive strike.

In response, delegates to China's National People's Congress (NPC), the de facto parliament, and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) wrote to the central government in Beijing, calling for it to revise its no-first-use pledge on nuclear weapons.

Their argument is that the undertaking needs to be changed now that the country is facing hostile forces planning attacks against its densely populated regions and the dam, the world's biggest hydroelectric project.

They feel that such strikes should be viewed as terrorist attacks and that China should use nuclear weapons as a deterrence." Full news @ TheStraits Times

In other news...

Japan's muscle-flexing will only fuel distrust

"Despite the nation's pacifist constitution, Japan's Parliament on Monday enacted seven war contingency bills defining response to foreign attack or the threat of attack.

The bills supplement the country's first three contingency laws, passed last June, and underline the shift in Japanese military strategy from defensive to offensive, China Daily said Thursday.

The seven new bills provide Japan with legislative grounds for war preparation and further strengthen its already-formidable military muscle.

The new legislation enables the government to commandeer private property and swiftly evacuate civilians in an emergency, and boosts co-operation with US forces.

The package particularly spells out the right of the maritime Self-Defence Force (SDF) to inspect foreign ships suspected of carrying military cargo in and around Japan's territorial waters.

The legislation also empowers the SDF to provide ammunition to the US military if Japan comes under foreign attack or such a threat is deemed imminent." Full news @ Xinhua

What a bunch of communist hypocrites...

Go figure.