[glide625]

With all due regard for the importance for survival I simply don’t see the U.S. winning in an armed conflict with China. If you want to endure the loss of millions of Americans lives in an nuclear war, take on China. The only answer to China is to wait them out. They know we can’t beat them in a conventional war on their home turf and that we’d be forced to engage them in a nuclear exchange. No one wins under that scenario but truth be told, with a population 5 times that of the U.S. and a geographic size greater than that of the U.S. when you take into account the size of the region as a whole, China is far more likely to survive a nuclear exchange than is the U.S. It appears to me that time is on our side with China although ultimate resolution may be at Taiwan’s expense.

[SCHROLL]

and here I was torn between learning Spanish and converting to Islam to fit in with the peaceniks. Guess I better get my Mao pajamas as well. No one wants a nuclear war to be sure, but your way pretty much guarantees we’ll be overrun just because of sheer numbers. Should we simply surrender now to make you feel better about things?

[steel_resolve]

They have 5 times the population of America, which also amounts to 5 times the mouths to feed. They get millions upon millions of tons of foodstuffs from the US (mostly grains and livestock feeds) That would end in the event of a war. We are much better prepared, at least from a food situation, to survive a war than China is...

[qam1]

They know we can’t beat them in a conventional war on their home turf and that we’d be forced to engage them in a nuclear exchange.

One Cruise missle hit on the Three Gorges Dam, war over, we win

[qam1]

They know we can’t beat them in a conventional war on their home turf and that we’d be forced to engage them in a nuclear exchange.

One Cruise missle hit on the Three Gorges Dam, war over, we win

[snowrip]

No one wins under that scenario but truth be told, with a population 5 times that of the U.S. and a geographic size greater than that of the U.S. when you take into account the size of the region as a whole, China is far more likely to survive a nuclear exchange than is the U.S.

Uhhhhhh... China isn't that much bigger than the US, and much of it is desert... which is why they import so much food from us. Their population centers are very, very dense, and resources are scarce. They are like the Russians, with a few giant manufacturing and power grids set closely together rather than smaller ones spaced farther apart. Any armed conflict shuts down these areas, and the food supply, immediately.

Also, the Chinese have roughly 60-80 weapons capable of reaching the US. We have several thousand capable of reaching China. Hardly quid pro quo.

[wingsof liberty]

With all due regard for the importance for survival I simply don’t see the U.S. winning in an armed conflict with China. If you want to endure the loss of millions of Americans lives in an nuclear war, take on China. The only answer to China is to wait them out. They know we can’t beat them in a conventional war on their home turf and that we’d be forced to engage them in a nuclear exchange. No one wins under that scenario but truth be told, with a population 5 times that of the U.S. and a geographic size greater than that of the U.S. when you take into account the size of the region as a whole, China is far more likely to survive a nuclear exchange than is the U.S. It appears to me that time is on our side with China although ultimate resolution may be at Taiwan’s expense.

It depends when the war took place. If its after the Olympics next year, we should have the Airborne Laser in service by then. Have a couple of them patrolling off the Chinese coast, and thier nukes can be knocked out of the sky when theyre still in boost phase.

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

The Chinese population is heavily concentrated in their eastern, coastal regions. Furthermore, with missile silos in Alaska, and greater missile/rocket expertise, the United States has a leg up on hitting actual cities in China, particularly the the heavily populated eastern ones such as Shanghai and Beijing. In contrast, the easternmost point of China is still a considerable distance away from the United States' eastern region (east of the Mississippi taken as being eastern) where the majority of Americans still reside.

Opinion: China is the weaker of the two currently, but a big war would be very bad for both sides.

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

P.S. The more time elapses, the weaker the American position becomes with respect to China.

China is developing at a rapid pace, the United States is also developing, but MUCH slower (because the United States is already quite developed by modern standards). As you've pointed out, China has a far larger population, and especially with some of the overpopulationists here in the United States, that doesn't seem set to change very soon.

Currently the United States is stronger than China. In the future, that may not be.