China wants to defeat Taiwan by exhaustion

[dualstow]

Having crushed the resistance to its rule in Hong Kong, China is moving against Taiwan with irregular tactics meant to exhaust the island's military - which is in bad shape to confront the threat. It's unclear how the incoming Biden administration will respond.
...
The risk of conflict is now at its highest level in decades. PLA aircraft are flying menacingly towards airspace around Taiwan almost daily, sometimes launching multiple sorties on the same day. Since mid-September, Chinese warplanes have flown more than 100 of these missions, according to a Reuters compilation of flight data drawn from official statements by Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense. The data shows that in periods when political tension across the Taiwan Strait peaks, China sends more aircraft, including some of its most potent fighters and bombers.

https://uk.reuters.com/investigates/spe ... -military/

Makes me want to weep.

[Ad Orientem]

I read that yesterday. It is deeply disturbing. China has been getting away with murder I am not seeing much to deter them from further outrages.

[Xan]

Yikes... I'm not sure what can stop them from eventually annexing Taiwan. The main horror there of course is for the Taiwanese people. On the pragmatic side, Taiwan is home to major technology manufacturing, including TSMC, the biggest (I think?) semiconductor manufacturer on the planet. Much of the Western world relies on it. I suppose China has many other things that we rely on (rare earth elements, other manufacturing) but it's certainly going the wrong direction if they take over TSMC.

[yankees60]

Having crushed the resistance to its rule in Hong Kong, China is moving against Taiwan with irregular tactics meant to exhaust the island's military - which is in bad shape to confront the threat. It's unclear how the incoming Biden administration will respond.
...
The risk of conflict is now at its highest level in decades. PLA aircraft are flying menacingly towards airspace around Taiwan almost daily, sometimes launching multiple sorties on the same day. Since mid-September, Chinese warplanes have flown more than 100 of these missions, according to a Reuters compilation of flight data drawn from official statements by Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense. The data shows that in periods when political tension across the Taiwan Strait peaks, China sends more aircraft, including some of its most potent fighters and bombers.

https://uk.reuters.com/investigates/spe ... -military/

Makes me want to weep.

Unfortunately for some of us, Trump is still this country's president for another 41 days. What has he disclosed to us regarding his position regarding this and what he intends to do to support his position?

I do believe he's told us that China's leader is a great leader?

Vinny

[dualstow]

This doesn’t have to be a Trump-free thread but speaking of exhaustion, I don’t have any comments on Trump except to say that I think he’s done a satisfactory job of dealing with China. If I’m grading on a curve, upgrade that to excellent.

But, as Xan suggested, annexation may be inevitable.

I lived on the island for over two years in the 90’s, so there’s a personal connection. End of an era.

[InsuranceGuy]

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[dualstow]

I also lived on the island for 2 years in the early 2000s. I don't think the Taiwanese will be so quick to allow themselves to be defeated seeing the protests in Hong Kong in the recent past. I also doubt the US would allow this to happen given the massive amount of trade we do with Taiwan, but I could be wrong if the allegations of Biden being bought off by the Chinese are true.

I mean the will is there. Both the Taiwanese and the U.S. have it. But is it even possible to stop China if they bypass an all-out invasion?

[InsuranceGuy]

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[yankees60]

I also lived on the island for 2 years in the early 2000s. I don't think the Taiwanese will be so quick to allow themselves to be defeated seeing the protests in Hong Kong in the recent past. I also doubt the US would allow this to happen given the massive amount of trade we do with Taiwan, but I could be wrong if the allegations of Biden being bought off by the Chinese are true.

I mean the will is there. Both the Taiwanese and the U.S. have it. But is it even possible to stop China if they bypass an all-out invasion?

Depends on whether or not the USA is willing to go to war over it. Hard to guess at this point.

Are YOU willing to go to war over it?

Vinny

[dualstow]

Vinny, do you mean referendum or literally pick up a rifle?

[yankees60]

Vinny, do you mean referendum or literally pick up a rifle?

You raise a good question regarding it that I was not thinking about but which I will later address after I say what I meant.

What I meant is whether one is advocating that our country go to war over it.

I had not been thinking about asking if one literally was willing to be a war participant. However, do you not agree that if all in Congress who voted to have a war were mandated to have all their children of age immediately enter military service and be participants as soon as possible that we'd then be fighting a lot less wars? Much easier to send others' children to fight your chosen wars when your family pays no personal costs.

However, the major flaw in what I just wrote it is that presidency has grown so powerful that it is a rare event when any president actually does what he is constitutionally required to do, which is get the Congress to vote on approval of the country going to war.

The way the presidents have got around this for far too long is to just initiate and fight all these "undeclared" wars.

Vinny

[dualstow]

I often think about how the ancient Greek politicians did in fact serve serve in battle, sometimes along with their sons.
I don’t want to turn this into a “should the U.S. go to war” thread. I want to keep the focus on what China is planning for Taiwan.

However, I agree with you. Even though some senators do have children serving in the military, some of them fighting overseas, I do think it would obviously skew toward peace if that were a requirement.

[InsuranceGuy]

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