Posted on 04/09/2014 12:09:51 PM PDT by mojito
....The southern tip of the Ryukyu Islands sits only about 80 miles east of the Senkakus. Unlike the uninhabited Senkakus, the Ryukyus host not only roughly 1.5 million Japanese residents, but also the U.S. Marine and Air Force bases that anchor the U.S. presence in the East China Sea. Occupying the Ryukyus would fracture the U.S. strategic position in East Asia -- separating U.S. forces based in Japan (to the north) from those at Bahrain, the other permanent U.S. hub in Asia, far to the west. At a bare minimum, U.S. ships and aircraft would have to detour around Chinese-held islands, waters, and skies -- incurring the additional time and costs longer voyages entail.
Island combat may seem anachronistic in this day and age, but in fact there are sound strategic reasons for China to take some or all of the Ryukyus. Currently, U.S.-Japanese forces are able to cordon off the East China Sea from the Western Pacific by fortifying the islands with weaponry able to strike at shipping and aircraft that venture within range, thus keeping Chinese ships from exiting or reentering. A near-seas People's Liberation Army (PLA) offensive, on the other hand, would guarantee access to the Western Pacific for Chinese warships and merchantmen -- balking allied efforts to wall off vital sea space.
Conquering the islands would pay offensive dividends as well. Emplacing PLA naval, air, and missile forces along the island chain would give the PLA a presence jutting out into the East China Sea. Forces based to Japan's south could threaten north-south movement along the Asian seaboard and well into the Western Pacific. Maritime control -- the ability to close shipping and air routes -- thus bestows political clout on Beijing.
(Excerpt) Read more at foreignpolicy.com ...
With the Barry & Kerry show playing an extended run, I'd give the odds as a toss-up.
The article is longish, but detailed and worthwhile if you're interested in the issue.
Not gonna happen...
who the hell wrote this ?
The United States Marine Corps will never be run off of Okinawa . Not by any Chinese at least . I don’t care who thinks they are in charge in D.C. , such a matter would be up to the Marine Corps ( and other forces) They ain’t going nowhere . Screw the PRC
Anything’s possible if things heat up in Eastern Europe...
...as long as we have a strong president, a robust military and a firm foreign policy (and don't owe trillions in debt to Chins).
The United States Marine Corps will never be run off of Okinawa .
Calling all dictators, communists and communist dictators, if you want to expand your borders, do it now.
I think I might let the Chinese take Okinawa.
Just sayin....
I am actually shocked at how fast the world fell apart.
ultimately , it’s not up to him
It’s the beginning of military campaigning season in the Northern hemisphere. There are a number of bloodless and slightly bloody conquests either under way or ready to begin. With a weakened USA tyrants have little to hold them back.
Probably an good time for them to try it.
Of course you're right. The article is interesting. But it's also alarmist, and a bit silly. I suppose next week the author's article will be "Russia Might Actually Seize Poland."
With soebarkah all foulness is possible.
at this point I think our good folks in the Armed Forces have their own red lines , there are certain things that simply wouldn’t fly . Benghazi was one thing and look at the fallout , but if a foreign power , say China , were to decide to try and seize a significant location and began killing our deployed ,stationed active duty in the process , and the c&c did nothing ? That would be it for him and to hell with where the chips fell . He knows there are lines that simply cannot be crossed . That would be one of them . Think of the cost in US lives we paid for Oki . Some of us do not forget
Russia has already taken claim over some of Japan’s northern islands, so they are being taken from both ends. Russia has been holding them since just after WW II.
Now would be a good time for Japan to light off a nuke just to show they can. (Yeah, I know about their constitution, but surely it’s a ‘living’ document too?)
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