The London Daily Mail reported Nov. 10, 2007, that a Chinese sub popped up in the middle of a U.S. Navy battle group while it was conducting "exercises" in the Pacific. To the reported red-faced embarrassment of the U.S. naval command, the 160-foot electric/ diesel Song-class Chinese attack sub was able to slip by a dozen warships, two submarines and a complex web of high-tech electronic detection systems to come within missile and/or torpedo range of the USS Kittyhawk—a 1,000-foot-long nuclear supercarrier carrying 47 fighter aircraft and a crew of 4,500.

U.S. intelligence was apparently not aware that China’s growing submarine fleet had become so sophisticated. U.S. diplomats reportedly demanded that Beijing explain why one of its 13 Song-class subs was shadowing the U.S. fleet. China officially claimed to know nothing of the incident and dismissed it as "coincidence."

If you translate the term "military exercises" into "saber rattling" and go back to the wild west and recall the concept of "counting coup," it is easier to understand the significance of the event: China sent a clear message to the Bush administration should it decide to trespass on Chinese interests.

Now, combine that with the fact that China has been exporting toxic toys and food into the U.S., is holding enough debt in the form of U.S. Treasury Bonds (an estimated $1.3 trillion) to crash the U.S. economy should it decide to sell them and has made huge investments in Sudan, Myanmar, Venezuela and Iran—four places where the U.S. is challenging Chinese national interests. Consider also that the U.S. has surrounded Russia with an offensive array of nuclear weapons and both China and Russia have been engaging in joint military exercises.

One more thing: If the U.S. decides to attack Iran, it will move massive naval resources into the Arabian Gulf, which is like a big lake with one way in and one way out. The U.S. Navy will be surrounded by hostiles on all sides and hounded by undetectable Chinese attack subs.