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Is A Chinese Military Attack On Taiwan Inevitable?
19FortyFive ^ | 10/6/2021 | James Holmes

Posted on 10/07/2021 8:11:21 AM PDT by Onthebrink

Xi Jinping’s options

Let us go through his options in broad terms. First, Beijing would doubtless prefer to win without fighting, true to Chinese strategic traditions.[6] That is not because party magnates harbour scruples over using violence, or goodwill towards Taiwan. It is because aggressors love peace.[7] A bloodless triumph lets them get their way while sparing them the dangers, hardships, and costs of war.

But it is increasingly doubtful that Taiwan will capitulate without warfare. Polls reveal that an overpowering majority of islanders now define themselves not as Chinese but as Taiwanese.[8] As a corollary, they reject the legitimacy of the mainland’s claim to be their rightful sovereign.

(Excerpt) Read more at 19fortyfive.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Government; History; Military/Veterans
KEYWORDS: blogpimp; china; crapblog; history; india; military; poswebsite; southchinasea; taiwan; vietnam; war
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To: ScottinVA

An attack on Taiwan is not inevitable, but the prospect is hanging by a thread, ready to fall at the first tremor.

China remains in a better position by continuing to hold the threat, than by actually staging an invasion. Xi Jinping already has the Joe Stolen/”Que mala” Harris regime in that territory once known as “the United States of America”, well under CCP control, and this is their insurance that some insurrection in the US won’t topple the regime altogether.


21 posted on 10/07/2021 9:09:46 AM PDT by alloysteel ("Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity." - Hanlon's Razor)
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To: Onthebrink

It is my understanding from reading Strategic and Military open sources that China does not have the sea life capability to “invade” Taiwan.

Nor do they have the ability to deploy airborne forces in the numbers needed to secure the island.

On top of that, the US, Japan, and Australia would provide the off shore support in the terms of air power and sea launched missiles. In essence, the Chinese sea lift capacity would be on the bottom of the Straits.

The Straits are not really deep enough for stealthy submarine activity, so any reciprocal attacks on the mainland would be from a “stand off” position.

What is unknown is whether attacks on Chinese vessels would result in missile attacks on the Mainland US.

Economically, China would be hard pressed to survive without an overland route for the oil trade—as they would likely face a complete embargo if they attacked. That is the Belt and Road Initiative that is far from being completed.

North Korea would be a wild card. They Norks and CCP have no love loss for Japan. The EOJ would suffer significantly—and that could lead to significant escalation.

The CCP needs to assess the impact of each of these things on their country and economy. The One Child policy means that they have an aging, sagging, demographic profile. They may feel the need to “move now” rather than wait for their strategic forces to catch up.

When you consider these factors (and many more, I assume) it makes little sense to attack Taiwan and her allies.

Of course, sending US troops to the Island (as is reported in the WSJ today) might provide some provocation. China has been pretty provocative lately.

And...this might be a “manufactured” situation where both sides drum up the drama—to have “The Big Guy” come off as a foreign policy hero by diffusing the situation in their “phone call summit” in December. I would not put it past FJB.


22 posted on 10/07/2021 9:09:49 AM PDT by Vermont Lt
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To: setter
Will never attack. Will just announce they are coming in at certain date and that will be that.

You're on it. The chins don't want to kill Taiwan; they just want to own it as part of the "Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere".

As Mao did to Peking, they will simply blockade Taiwan. Within a week, all electricity and communications capabilities will be kaput and Taipei will just kaputulate.

America and the world, of course, will philosophize and wring hands.

23 posted on 10/07/2021 9:20:43 AM PDT by Migraine
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To: Onthebrink

The Taiwan Strait is like the English Channel. Napoleon and Hitler couldn’t solve that military problem; and even with total air and sea control D-Day was almost a disaster for Eisenhower. But Xi is determined and evil, and I think he will make an attempt.


24 posted on 10/07/2021 9:20:55 AM PDT by devere
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To: Onthebrink

The Taiwanese have untold numbers of anti-ship and anti-air missiles ready and waiting. The Chinese will eventually “win” by walking over the sunken ships and planes to the island.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Taiwan_Strait_Crisis

https://adst.org/2016/08/chinas-fight-for-tiny-islands-quemoy-matsu-taiwan-straits-crises-1954-58/


25 posted on 10/07/2021 9:21:52 AM PDT by wbarmy (I chose to be a sheepdog once I saw what happens to the sheep.)
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To: Vermont Lt
On top of that, the US, Japan, and Australia would provide the off shore support in the terms of air power and sea launched missiles

You are normally a sane commenter here.

Is someone else imitating you?

26 posted on 10/07/2021 9:23:53 AM PDT by Jim Noble (The nation cannot be saved until the GOP is destroyed)
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To: blueunicorn6
They want to invade Taiwan for what purpose?

WOMEN



Missing Women of China
27 posted on 10/07/2021 9:28:44 AM PDT by wbarmy (I chose to be a sheepdog once I saw what happens to the sheep.)
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To: Onthebrink

I expect the ChiComs have deeply infiltrated the elite and political class of Taiwan, the military and law enforcement.

Sleeper cells and assassins up the ying yang.

If they play the War card, the will use every arrow in their quiver, gain the advantage and sue for peace while threatening a wider war.

With Biden, they’re getting their money’s worth.


28 posted on 10/07/2021 9:39:24 AM PDT by Quentin Quarantino (,)
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To: wbarmy

If they want women, they should attack some country with a lot of women.

Like Pakistan.


29 posted on 10/07/2021 9:39:51 AM PDT by blueunicorn6 ("A crack shot and a good dancer”)
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To: blueunicorn6

No, they want Chinese women because their ancestors demand it. Paki and Indian women are not civilized, therefore they are not acceptable. NORKs were acceptable but Chinese leadership began sending those wives back to NK.

Remember, the Chinese still have ancestor worship and doing things for the ancestors. If you have no wife and no children, there will be no worshippers or people to remember you at your grave.


30 posted on 10/07/2021 9:42:59 AM PDT by wbarmy (I chose to be a sheepdog once I saw what happens to the sheep.)
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To: Onthebrink

Short of Taiwan and Japan acquiring nukes...inevitable.


31 posted on 10/07/2021 9:43:02 AM PDT by cranked
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To: Migraine

“America and the world, of course, will philosophize and wring hands.”

And send a few strongly worded letters.


32 posted on 10/07/2021 9:46:59 AM PDT by setter
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To: wbarmy

Impossible.

The communists eliminated all such old fashioned ideas.


33 posted on 10/07/2021 9:47:55 AM PDT by blueunicorn6 ("A crack shot and a good dancer”)
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To: Onthebrink

The chinese will send a sampan navy with 10million “internal migration” civilians armed with CNN uplinks, cameras, and bullhorns. When they get mowed down by our side, the resulting negative PR will be amplified by the chinese knocking out 2 of our aircraft carriers in the blockade.

America will luze stomach for the fight over what it already calls an internal province of China. Taiwan has never declared independence. About a third of civilians in Taiwan are ethnic Chinese and maybe only half of them have loyalties and fifth column tendencies towards communist China.


34 posted on 10/07/2021 9:53:46 AM PDT by Kevmo (I’m immune from Covid since I don’t watch TV.🤗)
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To: Onthebrink

It used to be all huffin’ and puffin’ on these threads where FReepers would say “let’s roll” and rally ‘round the flag and all kinds of nonsense. They did not realize how tenuous our support for Taiwan and our other allies is, especially once you put a globalist libtard in as CiC.


35 posted on 10/07/2021 9:56:29 AM PDT by Kevmo (I’m immune from Covid since I don’t watch TV.🤗)
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To: Dr. Sivana

The Chinese don’t want that. They want the continued business of globalists so it’ll all be “can’t we just get along” and “water under the bridge” as soon as China is in charge and chips are shipping.


36 posted on 10/07/2021 9:58:36 AM PDT by Kevmo (I’m immune from Covid since I don’t watch TV.🤗)
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To: struggle

Yeah huh. And when CNN puts it on world wide that those were cargo ships filled with internal migrating civilians, the resulting PR nightmare will cause Taiwan to back down.


37 posted on 10/07/2021 10:00:14 AM PDT by Kevmo (I’m immune from Covid since I don’t watch TV.🤗)
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To: blueunicorn6

They want attention off their internal problems? By causing more problems? Doesn’t make sense.
***That is what the Generals in Argentina did with the Falklands.


38 posted on 10/07/2021 10:03:42 AM PDT by Kevmo (I’m immune from Covid since I don’t watch TV.🤗)
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To: Kevmo

And that worked so well.


39 posted on 10/07/2021 10:05:12 AM PDT by blueunicorn6 ("A crack shot and a good dancer”)
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To: struggle

There are only 5 spots suitable for an amphibious landing due to tides and currents.Taiwan has been prepared for this for 40 years. I am sure those spots are already mined. Plus they have artillery in the mountains overlooking the landing zones. Add to that all the mobile units they have with anti ship missiles and rockets, it will be very costly for the Chinese.


40 posted on 10/07/2021 10:05:55 AM PDT by TheCipher (To my mind Judas Iscariot was nothing but a low, mean, premature Congressman. - Mark Twain)
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