Does North Korea get emboldened to invade South if this happens? What other chips fall?
U.S. fears China attack on Taiwan
81–90 of 236 posts
Re: U.S. fears China attack on Taiwan
#82This has been the talk for a long time, but nothing has become of it. Nothing in the article made me think this will change. It's like the doomsday people saying every year will be the last. Well, they will be right one year at least.
They were talking about the potential of pandemics every year too, and then they were right last year.
Re: U.S. fears China attack on Taiwan
#83Earlier quoted context omitted.
I don't see a scenario where China gets anything more than a smoldering crater in terms of industry if they manage to take Taiwan by force.
Maybe a solution is to arm the Taiwanese citizens.
They already have mandatory service. I don't think you would get a worthwhile benefit from passing out guns.
Re: U.S. fears China attack on Taiwan
#84I think this article essentially misses the mark. China isn't flirting with taking Taiwan because the leader is willing to take risks; China is flirting with taking Taiwan because it now has overwhelming military superiority over Taiwan. The United States has bases thousands of miles away while Chinese bases are literally right there. China's capital spending on military capabilities (new + direct research & developm…
I think you are forgetting that there are nuclear missile submarines within striking distance of every major Chinese city. This is a game of chicken, not a game of "who has better logistics."
Re: U.S. fears China attack on Taiwan
#85I would imagine that one of the biggest concerns associated with China taking over Taiwan is that China would gain control over some of the most significant semiconductor manufacturing facilities in the world.
I think this is negligible compared to the “era” that it would start. Taiwan is seen as a more westernized country and an attack on Taiwan would start a cold war-like era with China and the western world.
Re: U.S. fears China attack on Taiwan
#86All the American companies that choose to censor the word Taiwan and call it part of China are directly complicit with this. No rational person in a position of responsibility could have thought that this wasn’t the long term intention
Which intentional treaty denied Taiwan being part of China? BTW, it's totally fine for people living on the Taiwan island to form an independent country, like what Jewish people did. But please, do not annex my home country's sovereign land.
Re: U.S. fears China attack on Taiwan
#87All the American companies that choose to censor the word Taiwan and call it part of China are directly complicit with this. No rational person in a position of responsibility could have thought that this wasn’t the long term intention
Which intentional treaty denied Taiwan being part of China? BTW, it's totally fine for people living on the Taiwan island to form an independent country, like what Jewish people did. But please, do not annex my home country's sovereign land.
Sorry bud, but didn't Taiwan lose China; not the other way around?
If anything, Taiwan has a claim on China as sovereign land. This is Stupid, yes, but but it would (very roughly) be like if in 1066 the Normans had lost -- and then they kept claiming "Britain is ours!" Years later. Uhhh... No. Britain would be the Anglo-Saxon's. No question.
Call me out if my logic is off -- but this seems more reasonable at a glance.
Re: U.S. fears China attack on Taiwan
#88If you're to follow local media in China, the rhetoric around taking back Taiwan has grown stronger. Winnie the pooh also got a time limit extension on CCP leadership on the platform of a fully unified China. The signs are all there, though I just don't see how anything resembling a conventional warfare can happen there. The potential lives at risk are quite high and if the toll is that high it will be difficult to s…
China has squashed the virus, its placing a major emphasis on consumption, its navy now rivals the US. Taiwan is home to the largest semiconductor fab in the world and there is a worldwide shortage of semiconductors. Other countries around the world are struggling to get the virus under control and they are dealing with stuttering economies. The US is in the midst of a culture war where nobody can agree over economics vs virus protection or interventionism vs isolationism. The dollar is in a shaky position between massive stimulus and the increasing interest in crypto. I’d say China sees this as their best opportunity to make a move with little opposition.
Re: U.S. fears China attack on Taiwan
#89Now is the most favorable time for China to strike. With everyone reeling from the pandemic, a centralized government can temporarily move faster than everyone else and consolidate faster than everyone else. A chance like this won't come again, so I'd be pretty surprised if they didn't make their move this year.
Not to mention we are twenty years into the Global War on Terrorism.
The appetite of the US public for another conflict, especially one directly against a superpower, is exceptionally low.
Re: U.S. fears China attack on Taiwan
#90Fun fact: satellite photos of China's largest military base show that it contains a detailed, lifesize replica of a part of downtown Taipei including the presidential palace. I wonder what the soldiers on that base might be training for?
Some sources: https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/33591/chinas-biggest-b... ; https://thediplomat.com/2015/08/satellite-imagery-from-china... ; https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2015/07/24...
What a great PR move from China. It's obvious that they put it right there on a military base where they know the satellites will be looking.