I recognize that others out there know a lot more than I on certain matters, but I am nowhere near as confident in Chinese rationality as you are.
Shooting our P3 out of the air wasn’t exactly a peaceful act. Not returning our people right away wasn’t either.
I don’t trust those idiots.
They didn’t build that military base in the Spratleys just to let it sit there and grow dust.
They didn’t build that military base in the Spratleys just to let it sit there and grow dust.
That’s true.
But they will use it when the time is right. The time is not right just yet.
Well, FWIW, it was a reckless Chinese jet fighter pilot who buzzed too close, got his jet sawn in half (and died) and it did enough damage to the P-3 that they had to put it down.
Rather than ditching it, they landed on Hainan Island.