China is picking quarrels and provoking trouble

Continuing the discussion from China sending planes and doing retarded things again? (October 2021 edition):

1 Like

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-06-16/a-far-flung-taiwan-island-risks-triggering-a-u-s-china-clash

Chinese war planes have been flying into Taiwan airspace between Taiwan and the Pratas island (Dongsha island), and they have also been training troops and nurses for a nighttime island landing.

If it does happen, there’s little chance to limit the fighting to just the Pratas Islands, and since the entire South China sea has been in an arms race practically for a decade, and regional a powder keg waiting to explode, the conflict might not even be limited to just Taiwan.

This news is almost 5 months old. Any new developments?

4 Likes

The nurse night time combat island landing training is new.

The news is also catching on in Taiwan, as legislators recently asked the Defense Minister about it.

2 Likes

“As the Minister of Defense, my determination to resist the enemy is strong until the very end.”

In the legislature he said he told the soldiers stationed at Pratas to have the determination of dying to defend the island.

1 Like

Here is an opinion piece saying why it would be foolish for China to take the Pratas Islands.

The attempt to 隔山震虎 (“scare the tiger from another mountain”) would backfire and make their desired “holy” goal of reunification even more difficult.

I think, any first military move by China would be disastrous for them politically and strategically. They probably want to wait for an incident that allows them to claim being forced into action.

3 Likes

I think it would be dumb as well to take any of the islands as now you’ve got the entire world mad at you, sanctions for sure, military action possible for what, a small island. If you are going to do it, go big or go home

Jinmen might be the exception if the majority of the island voted to go with China, it would be like Crimea, condemned but not actionable

To them, the existence of Taiwan is an insult to the Chinese people and symbolizes the humiliation of the fall of the last dynasty. It’s the last piece to complete their empire lost.

2 Likes

Poor preparation and low morale are pressing concerns; sweeping leaves and pulling weeds in basic training

1 Like

The majority of people in Kinmen believe they are 金門國, going to break free of both China and Taiwan, funded entirely by Kaoliang exports.

Good luck to them with the drought they’re having (crap sorghum yields this year). 60% of their water comes from China, cuz a windy island didn’t consider building a wind-powered desalination plant, geniuses that the KMT are.

2 Likes

Chinese media is talking up a lot about preparing for war this week. More than any time in last decade

I don’t read Chinese (as in, from the country of China) media. I did see that Covid cases are on the rise there though. Care to share some of the CCP propaganda?

2 Likes

Covid?
War?
Weather/harvest issues?
National pyjama party celebration?

They closed down Disneyland after one case.

Just loads of stories saying preparing for war etc. More news on Taiwan than usual.

https://m.thepaper.cn/baijiahao_15189037

One story that has been quite hot is about the best places to buy houses in Taiwan post-unification

China spends more efforts on internal propaganda than it does external, and it spends a lot of money and resources on both.

The fast-and-loose move here is to style “them” as Manchu imperialists. It’d be like Queen Elizabeth today styling herself as Queen Victoria and pledging an all-out effort to retake India and Pakistan and Bangladesh. That kind of move would be risible and laughed at. And so is the “we are Manchu imperialists” move made by Beijing.

Guy

I dont think they see themselves as Manchu Imperialists.

This other guy says China might attack between the winter Olympics and the next American election.

That’s a good article and the guy makes some good points, but doesn’t do the other column, the reasons in the plus column of taking over the Pratas, I’m not sure the plus column doesn’t outweigh his negative reasoning.

1 Like

The more internal problem XJP faces, the more they are going to drum up war in the media to divert public attention to the real issues they face.

2 Likes