Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
ABC
March 13, 2008
World News with Charles Gibson (ABC), 6:30 PM
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Overseas now to China. In an interview published today, the CIA director warned about a growing military threat from China, which recently announced a dramatic 18 percent increase in defense spending.
Against this backdrop of suspicion, America’s top military commander recently traveled to China, and for the first time an American TV journalist, our own Jonathan Karl, went along.
JONATHAN KARL: Keep your friend close, the ancient Chinese saying goes, and your enemies closer. China is not America’s enemy, but the U.S. military is trying to keep the Chinese as close as it possibly can.
Adm. Timothy Keating is the top U.S. commander in the Pacific, where keeping an eye on China may be his most important job.
ADM. TIMOTHY KEATING: I can pick up the phone and call some of these guys. Gen. Guo – he’s getting to be a pal.
KARL: ABC News had unprecedented access as Adm. Keating visited military facilities throughout China.
We’re flying right now on a Chinese military aircraft. It’s highly unusual for a journalist, especially an American journalist, to be flying on one of their airplanes.
It’s Chinese hospitality, but also a way to keep an eye on the admiral.
KEATING: They have been quite firm that we fly on their airplane inside their territorial airspace – understandable.
KARL: Keating gets an especially warm reception from a group of Chinese Navy cadets.
CHINESE NAVY CADET: You are very humorous, and you are very kind, easygoing.
KEATING: And handsome? (Laughter.)
CHINESE NAVY CADET: Yes, handsome.
KARL: There’s a strategic point to Adm. Keating’s charm offensive. The U.S. is wary of China’s rapid military buildup. Inside China’s military headquarters, we did something that almost never happens in China. We asked a top general some questions.
KARL [To Gen. Chen]: Should the United States have anything to fear from China’s military buildup?
That’s impossible, said Gen. Chen. There is such a big gap between our two militaries. If you are afraid, it means you don’t have enough courage.
There are still signs of mistrust everywhere. U.S. officials are convinced that whenever they’re in China, they’re being spied on.
Your staff, your whole group, come into China, leave the computers, leave the cell phones, leave the Blackberries behind. Why is that?
KEATING: It’s our assessment that the Chinese have the capability to penetrate our electronic systems. We would rather they not do that.
KEATING: If there is anything I can do –
KARL: As Keating bids farewell to one top Chinese general, he offers to help him in any way he can.
KEATING: – please contact me directly.
KARL: He wants the general to be as close as a friend – maybe even closer.
Jonathan Karl, ABC News, Guangzhou, China.
March 13, 2008
World News with Charles Gibson (ABC), 6:30 PM
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Overseas now to China. In an interview published today, the CIA director warned about a growing military threat from China, which recently announced a dramatic 18 percent increase in defense spending.
Against this backdrop of suspicion, America’s top military commander recently traveled to China, and for the first time an American TV journalist, our own Jonathan Karl, went along.
JONATHAN KARL: Keep your friend close, the ancient Chinese saying goes, and your enemies closer. China is not America’s enemy, but the U.S. military is trying to keep the Chinese as close as it possibly can.
Adm. Timothy Keating is the top U.S. commander in the Pacific, where keeping an eye on China may be his most important job.
ADM. TIMOTHY KEATING: I can pick up the phone and call some of these guys. Gen. Guo – he’s getting to be a pal.
KARL: ABC News had unprecedented access as Adm. Keating visited military facilities throughout China.
We’re flying right now on a Chinese military aircraft. It’s highly unusual for a journalist, especially an American journalist, to be flying on one of their airplanes.
It’s Chinese hospitality, but also a way to keep an eye on the admiral.
KEATING: They have been quite firm that we fly on their airplane inside their territorial airspace – understandable.
KARL: Keating gets an especially warm reception from a group of Chinese Navy cadets.
CHINESE NAVY CADET: You are very humorous, and you are very kind, easygoing.
KEATING: And handsome? (Laughter.)
CHINESE NAVY CADET: Yes, handsome.
KARL: There’s a strategic point to Adm. Keating’s charm offensive. The U.S. is wary of China’s rapid military buildup. Inside China’s military headquarters, we did something that almost never happens in China. We asked a top general some questions.
KARL [To Gen. Chen]: Should the United States have anything to fear from China’s military buildup?
That’s impossible, said Gen. Chen. There is such a big gap between our two militaries. If you are afraid, it means you don’t have enough courage.
There are still signs of mistrust everywhere. U.S. officials are convinced that whenever they’re in China, they’re being spied on.
Your staff, your whole group, come into China, leave the computers, leave the cell phones, leave the Blackberries behind. Why is that?
KEATING: It’s our assessment that the Chinese have the capability to penetrate our electronic systems. We would rather they not do that.
KEATING: If there is anything I can do –
KARL: As Keating bids farewell to one top Chinese general, he offers to help him in any way he can.
KEATING: – please contact me directly.
KARL: He wants the general to be as close as a friend – maybe even closer.
Jonathan Karl, ABC News, Guangzhou, China.