Does Taiwan Need Nuclear Weapons To Deter China?

1945 ^ | 10/10/2021 | James Holmes

[Kevmo]

Makes sense. If I were Taiwan, that’s what I would do.

[Lurkinanloomin]

Yes.

And missiles capable of hitting Three Gorges Dam.

[LukeL]

I was thinking a 1-5KT warhead on a missile/bunker buster aimed for the Three Gorges.

[Fai Mao]

Taiwan makes cruise missiles. Some have a substantial range.
https://missilethreat.csis.org/country/taiwan/

[Chengdu54]

China can lose 80 million people and barely blink. How many can Taiwan lose?

[MNJohnnie]

So, it seems, a nonnuclear onslaught is what Taipei mainly needs to deter. History has shown that nuclear weapons stand little chance of deterring nonnuclear aggression.

That is such an utter absurdity it renders the rest of the article nonsense. The Cuban Missile Crisis, and the Berlin Airlift are two examples of confrontations that went no father due to the nuclear card.

If China is not worried about a nuclear exchange, as this author argues, it certainly is not going to be intimidated by any conventional armed porcupine strategy And final point, can Taiwan even turn itself into an Israel style garrison state with this "porcupine" strategy without going bankrupt?

[laplata]

You’d better set all the FReepers straight and let them know that you already know that Taiwan already has Nukes.

[Kevmo]

Careful now. When I started pointing that stuff out, my post got deleted. These military cheerleaders are thin skinned.
https://freerepublic.com/focus/news/4002437/posts?page=50#50

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

Futzing around and not planning, and there will be no choice but to use nukes. In the military, that is called “four p’s”, for “piss poor prior planning”.

Instead, the Taiwanese have known of this threat for a very long time. They know that China has planted LOTS of fifth columnists, weapons and resources in Taiwan in preparation for hostilities.

So why haven’t the Taiwanese been doing the same to China?

The Explosive Ordnance Demolitions (EOD) people in the US Army have to think ahead of bombers, so play some bizarre training games. One I have heard of is to choose a random metropolitan area around the world, and then plot to “neutralize” is with explosives *on a budget*. That is, limiting themselves to say $500 of commonly available materials, to “neutralize” a major metro area for a week.

This means transportation, ground and air, communications, fresh water and power, etc. And they had the knowledge to do it. Just a bunch of NCOs talking highly classified business.

But that is *exactly* what Taiwan should be doing right now.

And they don’t have to limit themselves to just explosives. Any trick in the book to foul up the Chinese war effort is valid.

Shouldn’t be any need for nukes at all. And the current batch of warmongers would lose so much face that their jobs and their lives should be forfeit.

[hardspunned]

Of course they do, as does Japan and South Korea. There is a huge power vacuum in the area. The balance of power that has kept relative peace in the area for seventy years is fading as quickly as American credibility. That power vacuum will be filled by either China or by Japan, Taiwan and or South Korea armed with nukes with non Chinese satrap fingers on the button.

[crz]

Taiwan CAN NOT win anything with a nuclear exchange.

All the Reds have to do is reply with four or five and Taiwan ceases to exist.

Of course, then what good would China get out of it? They’d have nothing but a contaminated island and will have to fight an all out war in the region, with most likely Japan and Australia...and most likely some others.

[noiseman]

China can lose 80 million people and barely blink. How many can Taiwan lose?

It’s not about competing body counts, it’s about applying pain at the most vulnerable points to bring down the communist regime. Three Gorges Dam is but one of many asymmetrical pain points that a nuclear Taiwan could hit, that would keep the regime so busy they couldn’t effectively continue a campaign against Taiwan. Frankly, I think the CCP has been making a huge mistake recently by not only threatening Taiwan, but also Australia, India, Japan, etc. (as well as the U.S., of course). If China did move against Taiwan, or especially if they did that in concert with some kind of belligerence toward any of these other countries, they would have their hands full in a hurry.

So many people think China is somehow this invincible 800 pound gorilla, which they are not even on their best day, but they would have no chance if they pissed off everyone else at once. Yet they seem determined to do just that. Maybe they think Russia will back them up, but I really doubt that would happen.

[FLT-bird]

Yes. The only thing that would deter the Chicoms would be a couple hundred Taiwanese nuclear missiles aimed at them.

[doorgunner69]

“Washington would never trade Los Angeles for Taipei”

Then again, some do not care about L.A................

[The Duke]

Apparently Taiwan and Japan are buds. If this is the case that I would not be surprised if Taiwan could sink every ship and transport aircraft that China sent its way, without using nukes at all.

China might be able to bomb them, but I'm not sure they can occupy Taiwan. I hope we never find out.

[doorgunner69]

let them know that you already know that Taiwan already has Nukes

I would suspect so, Japan certainly does, although in "parts' for deniability.

Helping Taiwan would make immense strategic sense.

[laplata]

So you believe Taiwan already has nukes?

[laplata]

If China would Nuke Taiwan the world would turn against China. Most likely there would be sanctions and boycotts.

[noiseman]

Washington would never trade Los Angeles for Taipei”

Then again, some do not care about L.A................

Throw in San Francisco and New York and we’ve got a deal! (Oh, you mean we’re trying NOT to lose those cities?)