Posted on 07/09/2023 4:44:19 AM PDT by FarCenter
China is ramping up its propaganda machine against Taiwan’s annual live-fire Hang Kuang Exercise scheduled for late this month, a bold show of force against Beijing’s stated “reunification” plans for the self-governing island.
This month, Reuters quoted several Taiwanese officials claiming that at least a dozen news reports from Chinese state media had framed Taiwan’s Han Kuang Exercise as an “escape rehearsal” for Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-Wen and US citizens on the island in the event of a Chinese invasion.
Reuters notes that such media reports first surfaced in May, with the information campaign believed to be organized by China’s Central Leading Group for Taiwan Affairs headed by President Xi Jinping and implemented by various government offices including the Taiwan Affairs Office in Beijing.
A Taiwanese official quoted by Reuters said that the campaign’s objective is to weaken public trust in and create panic around Taiwan’s leadership.
Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Office said that China is always trying to “damage the prestige of our government, divide Taiwanese society and weaken the support of the international community,” adding that “the government will immediately clarify false information and use specific actions to show its determination to defend itself.”
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Taiwan’s air force may also have a readiness problem, with barely half of its fighters believed to be operational. It would also take at least a week to move the jets into hardened shelters, a major weakness if China mounts pre-emptive air and missile attacks to destroy the jets on the ground.
Aging aircraft are also a concern as Taiwan’s F-16s and Indigenous Defense Fighters (IDF) were delivered in the 1990s, posing an obsolescence risk without corresponding upgrades.
Taiwan’s inability to acquire newer aircraft may put it at a long-term disadvantage versus the PLA-AF, with concerns over Chinese espionage precluding US F-35 sales to the Taiwan air foce.
Taiwan also faces a fighter pilot shortage, forcing it to lower entry standards for prospective pilots, recruit officers from other military branches for pilot training, and allow pilots trained on other jets to fly F-16s.
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While China may actively promote propaganda to undermine Taiwan’s will to resist, there may be some element of truth in its “escape plan” spin.
In December 2022, Asia Times reported on a possible US “scorched earth” strategy for Taiwan involving disabling or destroying the self-governing island’s strategic semiconductor factories and evacuating its top semiconductor engineers and scientists for refuge in the US in a worst-case scenario.
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While Taiwan’s democratic survival is contingent on US military intervention, a 2022 Inkstick survey shows that among Taiwan’s “government workers,” which includes military service members, 70% have no confidence in a US intervention in the event of a Chinese invasion.
The same survey shows 53.8% of Taiwanese aged 20 and above believe there would not be a US military intervention on behalf of Taiwan, while only 36.3% said they do.
Save Taiwan? Thanks to the free traitors, we’re funding the military of the country that is threatening to invade them.
Hey wait a minute, won’t these military exercises create more global warming? Jao Xiden can’t have that so he’ll send a few billion dollars to Ukraine to fix it.
At some point in the near future we will abandon Zelensky in Ukraine, probably allowing him exile. Meanwhile we will eventually go back to business as usual with Putin, buying his oil and his weapons.
War most be super expensive with all this inflation going on?
Powers that be get wealth by buying and selling arms.
By now, China has so many moles embedded in the government, military and industry in Taiwan, they pretty much control it.
Any secrets we give to Taiwan go straight to Beijing.
They’ve already let Biden know his role in talking angry but taking no action when it happens.
When China is ready, they will publicly assume control of Taiwan without firing a shot.
My enemies live right next to me, not in asia.
Blinken is the one who stoked this when he came back and said the US doesn’t support Taiwan independence.
Just like our Republicans - talk tough and make deals behind the scenes. Reunification may not be what the majority of Taiwanese people want (like immigration here) but the globalists are not listening.
The United States, since 1973, has had no intention of "saving Taiwan", and we certainly are not going to do it now.
I'm personally shocked that China hasn't taken Taiwan over already. The theft of the 2020 election was the green-light from Biden. Add to that how our military's munitions are depleted, Biden's going to commit WAR CRIMES sending cluster munitions to Ukraine and further discredit the US, our ability to be energy independent was shut down by Biden, the gayification of the military and soooo much more.
Biden has made our great country the laughing stock of the world.
I honestly don't know what China's waiting for at this point. If they don't do it before the 2024 election at this point they'll have lost their window of opportunity.
Gracefully surrender the things of youth: birds, clean air, tuna, Taiwan.
Tuna? NEVER.
Fixed it.
China wants everyone to worry about Taiwan so they won’t complain when China invades Siberia.
Biden only supports the Dictatorships of Ukraine and China.
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