Hu and Medvedev Blast The US Missile Shield Plan

Can Tran May 23, 2008

Over the past few months, there have been talks of a plan by the United States to implement a global missile defense system. This was a move that was condemned by Russia’s government and then-Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Russia’s condemnation of the US missile defense shield was backed by Belarus. It also supported Russia’s warning back in December of 2007 that it would place missiles in the country to act as a counter-balance to the US missile defense shield.

One of the locations to be used for the US missile defense bases is Poland. Poland gave stipulations on the missile base. Bogden Klich, the Polish Defense Minister weighed in on the plans. Klich said that a missile defense base would expose Poland to many different threats.

Poland’s government has given the stipulation that the US must help modernize Poland’s armed forces.

US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said that the missile defense system was successful back in February of this year. It was used to shoot down a disabled spy satellite. Gates also said that the US government was prepared to share some of the technology with China.

China too has expressed its concerns.

Now Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Chiense President Hu Jintao have critized and condemned the US plan for the global missile shield. The two of them have weighed in on the plans and said that the plan does not bring any balance or stability. This was Medvedev’s first trip overseas after being elected president of Russia. Putin was elected as Russia’s Prime Minister.

Originally, both presidents were talking about expanding nuclear cooperation. They were discussing a deal in which Russia would regularly ship low-enriched uranium to China along with building a facility to enrich uranium to generate electric power.

But, then the talks shifted to condemnation of the US plan for a missile defense shield. While the US insists it will combat against possible missile strikes from Iran and North Korea, China and Russia think differently.

Like Putin, Medvedev has openly criticized the plan. In short, neither Russia nor China likes the idea of the shield.