"In terms of airborne forces, Fisher quoted reports suggesting that China's 15th Airborne Army might be substantially expanded to a force that exceeds 50,000 men...."In terms of the politico-military scenario sketched in #3, in which the ROC and prospective allies, are in one way or another subverted into not fighting, or not fighting vigorously, including a reply with devastating air, the planned attack would be mainly airborne in my opinion.
They may also be planning a quick airborne assault on a small island now part of the ROC, thinking neither the ROC or the USA would respond vigorously. This would be mainly political in thrust, to fit the long-term goal of subverting the will of the ROC to resist a later, larger move.
The CCP and PLA, of course, calculate they still have a lot of time to work with.
Best regards. S&W R.I.P.
"Reports of the trafficking of Red Mercury (claimed to have the composition Hg2Sb207) have been circulating for many years. Red Mercury was touted as a mediator in nuclear weapons design, particularly as an essential ingredient in pure-fusion weapons, a view expressed most recently in International Defence Review (6/94) by Dr. F. Barnaby, a former Director of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. What is known about Red Mercury is that it was the Russian code name for the production of Li6D — a legitimate component of thermonuclear weapons, but not some mystical or magical ingredient for other purposes. In recent years Red Mercury has been widely discredited, and the "market" for it appears to be diminishing. "
Ah yes, then there's the putative confusion between the characters for "well" and "cinnabar", and what Fr. Wieger noted as the curious "daltonism" of ching, hehe.
Best regards. S&W R.I.P.
You can bet on it that China will and already has started to try and beef up its air force way more...
Best regards. S&W R.I.P.