Turkey's indecision a success for China

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Turkey's indecision a success for China

(Global Times) 10:37, November 03, 2013

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It's been reported that Turkey recently announced an extension to the selection process for a medium- and long-range missile defense system until January 31, 2014, signaling a change in its previously announced decision to choose the offer from China.

It is believed to be the result of pressure from the US, the EU and Japan, which are seeking to foil the deal worth more than $3 billion. Nevertheless, this is a big success for China's missile industry, regardless of Turkey's final decision.

It's a historic breakthrough that China's HQ-9 missile defense system stood out in the first round of bidding. For the US and EU, the decision to pick China was an act of "betrayal" by Turkey, a NATO member. The Chinese offer beat the Patriot missile defense system of the US and the Aster 30 system by the EU, due to its high capacity, low price and good service.

This scenario is a manifestation of the progress the "Made in China" brand has made, entering the top echelon of the market, which was beyond the expectations of many Chinese.

The US and the EU are still influential enough to force a sovereign country to reverse its decision. However, this time, it only reflects their failure: They cannot succeed using fair play and have to resort to low methods to control the game and force a restart.

Purchasing military hardware is heavily affected by politics. The US and EU have long controlled the international arms market and maintained an arms embargo over China, but now, when China is capable of joining the competition, they have started to interfere with China's arms exports. In the eyes of the US and EU, China has always been a dissident and Turkey is not trustworthy either.

It's impractical to expect China's rise to take place smoothly. In fact, the higher the position China gains, the fiercer the resistance and obstructions by the West it will encounter. The FD-2000, Huawei, ZTE, Sanyi, among others, have to bear more pressure because of their China label. Interference by the West is a confirmation of the high quality of these products, and the West is probably as put out as we are by this interference. Frictions will continue between the two sides until they find the right position.

The early years after the Cold War were the golden days of the West. From a high moral ground and with money and time, they gave charity to developing countries and lectured them on human rights and democracy. However, the rise of emerging countries, especially China, has exposed their hypocrisy and selfishness.

The successful bid put the West in a panic, which serves as the source of our confidence. They may get one over on China's business once or twice, but they won't always succeed. China is poised to gain new prospects through its efforts.

（Editor：LiangJun、Yao Chun）