Posted on 03/16/2005 8:34:58 PM PST by Lokibob
Pentagon delegation arrives in Taipei for talks with militaryBy Rich Chang
STAFF REPORTER
Thursday, Mar 17, 2005,Page 1
A US military delegation arrived in Taipei yesterday, and will discuss the People's Liberation Army's (PLA) capabilities with Taiwanese military officials.
A member of the delegation, who requested anonymity, told the Taipei Times that the US saw the possibility of China's launching an attack using asymmetric warfare tactics against Taiwan as increasing.
"The US is concerned as to whether the PLA would be able to start an asymmetric war against Taiwan and whether there exists a fifth column of infiltrators in Taiwan," he said.
He said that the military delegation would also attend a four-day, closed-door unscheduled briefing with the Ministry of National Defense (MND) on the PLA's ability to invade Taiwan.
Meanwhile, National Security Bureau (NSB) Director-General Hsueh Shih-ming (Á§¥Û¥Á) told the legislature on Monday that, according to NSB statistics, law enforcement officials have documented more than 49,000 Chinese illegal immigrants in Taiwan, and had repatriated more than 45,000 of them. Over 4,000 are missing.
Hsueh said that, while the NSB found that some of them are spying for China in Taiwan, the NSB has yet to uncover any organized activity among Chinese immigrants.
Hsueh, however, admitted that the NSB is concerned that China might use infiltrators to engage in asymmetric warfare against Taiwan, employing such tactics as sabotage and hacker attacks, or using biological and chemical weapons to destroy Taiwan's military infrastructure, command systems, and political and business centers in a short time.
"The goal of such tactics is to devastate the morale of our armed forces and citizens. This threat is strikingly similar to terrorism in nature," he added.
The US delegation member said that in addition to discussing Chinese infiltrators, the delegation would also exchange its views with Taipei on China's increasingly aggressive submarine force.
He said the US is concerned about incursions by Chinese submarines into the waters surrounding Japan and the Pacific Ocean east of Taiwan.
"A Chinese nuclear submarine made an incursion into waters near Okinawa last November, which really angered and affected Japan," he said.
The US is also concerned about China's acquisition of advanced Kilo-class attack submarines from Russia, he said.
He added that the US is seeking to share intelligence with Taiwan about anti-submarine warfare.
He said several delegations of US military personal would be arriving in Taipei in succession to observe the annual Han Kuang (Han Glory) exercises.
In related news, a Chinese newspaper yesterday said that the former commander of US Pacific Command, Admiral Thomas Fargo, will lead the US' biggest-ever delegation to watch this year's war games, which begin next month.
Japan will also send military personnel to Taipei, the paper said.
The report said the nation's military is preparing to conduct joint computer war games with the US and Japan, and the military will link up with the US military's Pacific headquarters in Hawaii for the first time.
We should covertly help Taiwan get Nuclear weapons.
Well I thought the F22 was too expensive and maybe it still is but no I hope we can get at 20 of them ready quick. Even 5 would help.
Yes. But a note: Currently Australia is on China's side.
"The Chinese" means Chinese Communist Party and what they intend is 100% known: they want to stay in power.
Outfit the Taiwan governemnet with a couple of Missile Silos with command and control aimed at Peking and Moscow.
The send in two awacs and two stealth ready to roll crews with full doomsday loads and have them visit the ships at sea.
One nuclear sub off the coast and one fully loaded destroyer ladend with anti-nuke missle busters.
A 12 ship fleet of fast fully loaded destroyers
equipped with anti sub and full operational deck
satellite guided missle launchers.
with 1500 special forces navy seal and ranger class
experts from search and destroy, with haul as fast boats. Include two harrier class jets on each ship.
Then we will see if they are so ready to take down a democratic nation.
Ops4 God Bless America!
Taiwan needs to go nuclear (if it has not already).
I wish they could regarding the immigration issue!
Look at a topographical map of Asia. For China to send an army into the Middle East, they would have to cross desert and the Himalayan Mountains. And that's just to make it to the Chinese border. Supporting such an invasion would be a logistical nightmare.
If we went to war with China, it would be interesting if Congress decided to exercise their Constitutional prerogative to "grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal", and commission privateers to go seize Chinese commercial shipping. Maybe we could still keep the Walmart shelves full
Taiwan is a lot closer to the mainland, like 5.5 nautical miles from the mainland.
Matsu Islands
Taiwan stations a total of about 18,000 troops on the offshore island of Matsu. Situated outside the mouth of the Min River, the Matsu Islands form the northern anchor of the offshore defense line commanding the Min River. The main island of the complex is Nankan, more commonly known as Matsu, from the name of the major port of the island. It is 114 nautical miles northwest of Keelung, the port city on the northern tip of Taiwan, and is the same distance north of the Kinmen Islands. There are two harbors in Nankan: Fuwo and Matsu. Other major islands of the group are Peikan, Kaoteng, Tungyin, Hsiyin, Tungchu, and Hsichu. Nankan is the largest, with an area of 10.4 sq. km. Kaoteng is located only 5.5 nautical miles (9,250 meters) from the Chinese mainland.
Domestic airlines operate flights to all of the major cities on Taiwan proper, as well as to the islands of Kinmen and Matsu off the coast of mainland China. Projects have been made for construction of a new airport at Matsu (Nankan) and Matsu (Peikan).
Matsu has been taking artillery fire from the mainland since the 40"s.
Taiwan need to get serious with its defence. so far it has not.
"Look at a topographical map of Asia. For China to send an army into the Middle East, they would have to cross desert and the Himalayan Mountains. And that's just to make it to the Chinese border. Supporting such an invasion would be a logistical nightmare."
Yeah, your right, would have to go through Pakistan or Tajiikastan first.
"If we went to war with China, it would be interesting if Congress decided to exercise their Constitutional prerogative to "grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal", and commission privateers to go seize Chinese commercial shipping. Maybe we could still keep the Walmart shelves full"
HAHAH. Thats funny. If we went to war I am sure we would at least seize all assets domestically and that would be no chump change.
Silly people on this forum :)
China is not going to invade Taiwan unless Taiwan declares independence. That is, Taiwan will have to make the first move.
The Anti-Secession law doesn't change anything, it's just a re-iteration of what has been said time and time again.
BTW, didn't Virginia voted to SECEDE from the Union as I recall and what did United States do? ATTACKED the south. Just because you're a democracy doesn't give you the right to secede and the international community knows this.
The fact is -- if Taiwan declares independence, the war will be over in 1-2 days. China will launch its missles, hitting NOT the military targets, but Taiwan's high tech industrialized areas, creating massive panic. That alone will force Chen Shui Bian back from independence. Taiwan hasn't seen war or battles for the last 50 years -- the people in teh army has no clue what war is about, much less the people.
U.S. will not be involved with war against China directly, maybe supporting or breaking blockades, but not an outright invasion. Also, a lot of analysts think that China will "break up into pieces" if it can't take back Taiwan -- this is simply not the case. They ahve no clue about Chinese history, especially on how the Chinese suffered greatly when it was occupied by Japanese. If Japan gets involved, there will be 100% popular support in China for the government. You can't win a war without breaking the will to fight, and using Japan will = giving Chinese government what they wanted, a unified China.
Fact is, historically speaking, China and the US really doesn't have any conflicts. China's real enemy, is Japan and is eager to have a payback to that POS some time in the future. I am not sure what the American obsession is with arming Japan, didn't the Japanese killed scores of Americans in WWII? You don't think they want to dominate the world? Think again.
Actually -- i think Bush will also "do nothing" if Taiwan delcares independence and is subsequently attacked by China.
Every presidential candidate would rachet up rhetorics on China and yet by the time they get into office, they do nothing.
The US could easily have launched missle strikes at the orion plane on Hainan island after the incident in 2001 and yet, Bush, got onto TV, looking really grimmed, and literally apologized to China.
There is a reason for this -- perhaps it's something that's not revealed to the US public about the real strength of the Chinese military, and/or economic losses.
China buys about 15% of US debt, Japan buys about 25%. Japan is heavily dependent on China for exports as well as its manufacturing base. If an all-out war starts with China, no doubt China will close its access to the Japanese. This will force Japan into a huge recession (China stops buying steel last yaer from Japan and that ALONE generated a recession for the Japanese), and they won't purchase US treasury bills. That's 40% right there. Without them, US will have to raise interest rates MASSIVELY which will kill its economy. That plus the instant rising of prices from Walmart, which accounts for about 10% of US economy some estimates, will cause a great depression. This is the problem with global trade.
Therefore, US will not get into an all out war with China. It will probably launch airstrikes at the most against Fujian province where most of the missles are pointed at Taiwan, assuming Taiwan didn't capitulate within a few days. That's it. Both side will restrain themselves. In the end, China probably won't be able to invade Taiwan, but Taiwan's infrastructure and technology will be destroyed (and Taiwan will basically, be back to the stone age). China will suffer Fujian province, which about all of the investments there came from Taiwan :)
So chill out -- the war scenario is only viable when Taiwan declares independence. Bush will control Chen shui-bian before he does that.
Taiwan was part of China since the Ming dynasty, about 300 years before US was even a country. Check your historical maps, please. Japan invaded China and the Ching emperor seceded the territory to Japan in 1890's.
I guess the Americans have totally forgotten how bad the Japanese were in 1940's. You think they're not thinking about world domination? They're just using US to do their dirty work right now.
"The way I see it. Once China takes (if they succeed) Taiwan they will cry for peace. They will ask the world to just let it go, the UN and most of the world will comply. Their next major step WILL be Japan and this whole business of theirs will start all over again, just as with Taiwan (Taiwan was never theirs to begain with.) A few years will pass before they strike Japan.
The Chinese government is setting up a lot of propaganda in preparation for war against Japan"
I am confused what you are trying to say here? Are you saying because Dynasty’s of China ruled Taiwan hundreds of years ago that some how the Communists Chinese now have some kind of right over it? I am lost.
My next door Neighbor had all her skin removed from her back and replaced with Elephant skin and she must live with it to this day because doctors say it would be life threatening to attempt the operation.
My wife’s friend was one of the flying tigers that went to China to help defend against Japan’s invasion. My Grandfather fought against the japanese.
We have not forgotten, we know they are no longer ruled by monarchy or dictatorship thus their threat level is next to nil.
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