"If we are serious about avoiding war in the Taiwan Straits than a good, solid show of firm resolve is the only guarantor of "peace" that has ever been shown to work (hello Mr. Chamberlain, hello?),"
I agree with your entire post, especially the final observation.
That said, I've noticed for the past decade the Chinese offer up vague mutterings, vague threats, on a regular basis. I suspect its designed much more for internal comsumption than anything else.
Even the Chinese admit, grudgingly, that they have no viable means of attacking Taiwan sucessfully at this time, nor will they for another half dozen years, minimum. Short of nuking Taiwan, there isn't anything they can do but mutter ongoing threats of "doom" for Taiwan, and any that interfere.
Big sign of weakness, in my opinion. After fifty years of this stuff, eventually you gotta take it with a big grain of salt.
Yes, but China is on the rise, gobbling up more and more concrete, steel, and gasoline. Chinese consumption is one of the reasons that gasoline prices have risen so much. And the more they open their economy and make it more like capitalism, the stronger they'll get. This is one country I almost wish would stay strictly communist because it will keep them weak.
IMO, we should be worrying more about China than a pissant country like Iraq. They're not much of a threat now, but they certainly have the potential, particularly if we come to loggerheads over resources like oil.