HONOLULU -- When it comes to U.S. missile defense, the Chinese remain unconvinced -- and unconvincing. Despite numerous attempts by Washington to reassure Beijing that it is not the intended target -- the latest coming this past weekend during Secretary of State Colin Powell's visit to China -- Chinese leaders still find U.S. missile defense plans unacceptable. There's only one small problem with Beijing's unyielding approach: China's acceptance is not required. Nor is Washington compelled to take Beijing's concerns into account, especially if Chinese leaders refuse to enter into a constructive dialogue on this issue.
Don't get me wrong. I'm no fan of ballistic missile defense. As an American taxpayer, I can think of better uses for the billions of dollars that will be needed to develop a system that only has to fail once to be totally useless. But what I have figured out (and what Chinese leaders apparently still do not want to recognize) is that some type of missile defense system will be developed, my (and their) concerns notwithstanding.
U.S. President George W. Bush's May 1 missile defense announcement was unequivocal. "Deterrence can no longer be based solely on the threat of nuclear retaliation," he argued, "defenses can strengthen deterrence by reducing the incentive for proliferation." As a result, the Defense Department was tasked to identify "near-term options that could allow us to deploy an initial capability against limited threats." At the same time, however, Bush promised "real consultations" in determining what America's future missile defense system would look like. "We are not presenting our friends and allies with unilateral decisions already made," Bush asserted, stating his administration's willingness to take the concerns of others, specifically including China, into account.