Thailand, US boost military ties

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Thailand, US boost military ties

Published: 15 Nov 2012 at 19.10
Online news: Security

Thailand and the United States pledged on Thursday to renew their military alliance for a new security era during a regional tour by Washington's defence chief designed to counter China's rise.

US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta said the new joint defence declaration between the decades-old allies had "moved this alliance into the 21st century".

The last time the two nations drafted such a joint declaration was in 1962, when the US promised to defend Thailand from "communist aggression".

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pointoffew
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Discussion 3 : 16 Nov 2012 at 10.133
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pointman-1, The Chinese economy is NOT contracting according to any standard and the US holds less than 25% of the world's gold (source: World Gold Council). In 2011, China most likely passed the United States in new patent applications (source: Thomson R.). The 16.2 (not 14) trillion is NOT the size of the US economy but of US public debt. China, with 8% of US national debt, is the largest foreign holder. (source: US Treasury) It's reducing that holding in favour of the euro, because the US triple deficit is unsustainable. The US holds less than 3 percent of the world's oil reserves.
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pointman-1
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Discussion 2 : 15 Nov 2012 at 21.422
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Disc 1, pointoffew: China isn't so powerful, or rich as people would like to believe. The amount of U.S. Treasuries China, holds has actually decreaed over the past 4 years. China, bought U.S. treasuries simply because they know the greenback is a guaranteed investment. There's no-way China, holds a large part of a 14 Trillion Dollar U.S. Economy. China, has very little Gold reserves whereas, the USA, holds over 75% of the world's Gold. United States, technology is leaps and bounds ahead of China's technology, i.e., that technology will soon make the USA, the world's leading oil producer. China's economy is actually contracting.
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pointoffew
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Discussion 1 : 15 Nov 2012 at 20.161
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Sad but not surprising that the US and Thailand are so reluctant to wake up to the not so new reality.
While the US within 10 years spent in excess of 1,000 BILLION dollars on their wars abroad, financed with bonds, China bought those bonds and basically acquired large parts of the US economy, holding the US hostage at their own request, while buying major stakes in utilities and companies.
China is now ten times more powerful than before 9/11 on the back of the ultimate lethal weapon: the Greenback.
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Thailand, US boost military ties | Bangkok Post: news