[Poohbah]

As always, it is the combined munitions and platforms (be they ballastic, cruise or other) of the Axis which must be reckoned with.

No--you first have to demonstrate that this Axis is real, and that each player is REALLY willing to court national suicide to support the other guy's nuclear strike.

That aside, kindly explain to me a coherent theory of victory for this "Axis."

The fake Sino - Russian split notwithstanding (and Henry da K now inducted into PT Barnum's Suckers' Hall of Fame) what we face is a much more robust version of the Molotov - Ribbentrop assemblage.

Lots of arm-waving. No verifiable fact.

Mind PROVING that the split is fake?

But this time there will be no backstabbing, at least not until AFTER the West has been destroyed, or, somehow made a miracle recovery in the midst of the most destructive war ever to confront mankind.

Even more arm-waving, and still no verifiable fact.

Please provide a convincing argument that the above assertion is, in fact, true.

China and Russia have VERY different interests. Among other things, China still refers to Siberia as "stolen territory," and they've had damn near 400 years to get over it. (And we thought the neo-Confederates on this board kept a grudge!)

Also, China is presently engaged in a slow-motion invasion of Siberia. At some point in the not-distant future (hint: think birth rates), Russia will have two choices: (a) meekly accede to a Chinese annexation of the richest stockpile of minerals and lumber left on the globe, or (b) get snippy about it and turn most of Manchuria into a radioactive slag heap.

I don't see (a) as an option.

[DarkWaters]

I don't see (a) as an option. Indeed there is a slow 'invasion' into Russia, but given their lack of response by now I have to assume that this is a done deal between those in both governments. Russia is a very paranoid country when it comes to countries invading her on any level, thus she will react without restraint.(I could hear the cry now 'for the sake of your homeland we must defeat the invaders and remember the last time we won against the last invaders, the Nazis, we shall not surrender'[or something to that effect].) However, the two have concluded the Good Neighborly and Friendship treaty on 7-16-01 and a whole host of talks ranging from low, mid, and high level officials on both countries soils. Otherwise, the nukes would have flown long before over this when China was weaker. Now she grows in tech and heavy industry on a scale not seen in some time. Not to mention Russia's willingness to give a certain amount of tech as well fabrication abilities for components of China’s own modern weapon systems. The only question so far is what is Russia getting out of the deal?

They both supply support for the DPRK which is a major thorn in our side. Should war occur here and we are taken off guard, then China has the most to gain and by extension of the region so does Russia though to a lesser extent. At the moment the two countries have far more to gain by working together rather than in competition or outright hostility. After all, if America takes it on the chin in this region and possibly others, then we loss our power base which creates a power vacuum. So who has the ability to fill this power vacuum? The only other countries that can are China and Russia. And nothing brings two enemies together than the common hatred of another enemy. Should they succeed in this endeavor, no doubt the two would return to the old view as each being the enemy since they no longer have to worry about us. Its simple strategy, eliminate your greatest threat with your lesser threat and then take out your lesser threat since no one is there to stop you. So far the two have shown remarkable cooperation underneath, while keeping out of the world spot light as much as possible.