Might China go further than Vietnam?
***Eventually, yes. But they’re astute observers of history. They saw how Hitler invaded Poland and rapidly invaded other countries, causing an uproar. They want the free lunch that comes with invading Viet Nam (we’ll never go back there to defend them), then picking fights with neighbors as they see fit.
The thing that sticks in the chinese craw is Taiwan. And they know they could invade Taiwan & get away with it, so there’s nothing really stopping them. I mean, do we want to send our boys to die by the hundreds of thousands to defend an island nation that has never declared independence? I doubt it, not after how we betrayed Viet Nam.
I just don’t see our military going anywhere right now. Heck, I doubt there’d be much American appetite to go to war for Japan. Does anyone sincerely think the public (who control war policy now, as we saw in Syria) give a damn about a treaty? The masses want the government catering to them, not fighting overseas.
China would be foolish not to take advantage of a chronically weak president. In fact if they could pick off Vietnam, they would essentially trigger a domino effect, and I’m betting the governments in Laos and Burma would just declare allegiance to China.
Not sure about Cambodia, and Thailand will probably be too busy preparing for its own civil war which looks likely.
Very well said..