Washington's paranoia has a clear purpose

Many know that Washington has been suffering from serious dysfunction, as was reflected in the latest Gallup poll in which Americans said the government was the US' No 1 problem, but few realize that the symptoms of paranoia are worse.

On Tuesday, at the Atlantic Council, a think tank in Washington, a group of so-called experts were discussing the implication of the emerging anti-access/area-denial capabilities in the Asia-Pacific region. The views of most countries, from Singapore and Thailand to Vietnam and the Philippines, were presented. Yet not only was there no speaker from China, which was the focal point of the talk, but also none of the panelists mentioned the Chinese perspective.

Instead, the three panelists, two with a Pentagon background and the third having once worked for the Japanese embassy in Washington, described how China with its growing military power poses a threat to the US and every other country in the region. One said China could shoot down satellites, while another asserted that China could use its missiles to attack Japan. They then started to emphasize how every country in the region is scared of China and seeking help from the US.