Posted on 06/10/2004 4:41:16 PM PDT by Tailgunner Joe
They're betting on a Kerry win.
well I would find it hard to believe they would make such a move before the olympics. Plus how many ships carrying chinese troops would be sunk before they left the port? We have quite a few attack subs that have too much time on thier hands.
Knocking out that dam would be something.
PLA? Sounds like one of those terrorist acronyms. I wonder how our supplying the Taiwanese with nuclear weapons would affect the communist's plans?
The Chinese have more than 35 subs.
Pragmatically, China would not care whether anyone came to the Olympics or not. The main concern would be whether anything would be left of their military after they attacked Taiwan. The attack, successful or not, could put China out of business for decades. Their incoherent and confusing history would add yet another incoherent and confusing chapter as China collapsed from within to eventually two or four different countries, none of them able to rule Taiwan.
Bush Sends Stern Warning to Taiwan over Independence Moves
We can't exactly confront China when they are funding the growth of government.
Taiwan would be in deep trouble and would face a Red Chinese attack from TWO major armed camps. The first red Chinese attck would come, of course, from the Chinese mainland. The second prong of the attack would come from the major Chinese military base in Panama.
Agreed...my gut feeling is that China aren't going to rock the boat as long as their pride is left undamaged and they have prestige and cash. The worst danger for starting a war is an economic downturn, Taiwan arbitrarily declaring independence or anything else destabilising.
Wars for territorial control are so twentieth century. Why resort to them when you reap more through peaceful means...that said, if you want peace, prepare for war.
As to their subs, their current vessels aren't the great factor - the fact that they're developing a set of experienced submariners and beginning to build and buy the better Kilos is. An average sub in the hands of an experienced professional crew is more dangerous than a top notch sub in the hands of a green crew chosen for political reliability. When you consider the abysmal state they were in under Mao, the professionalism blossoming again in one generation is amazing.
"When the PLA designates an area off Taiwan a missile-strike zone, no ship will dare cross the zone."
Bah. What will the PLA do when the US sends a carrier taskforce into the "zone?"
This guy sounds like one of those foreign service types who end up identifying with "their" country.
I'm not sure that you have a very clear idea of exactly how far it is from Panama to Taiwan. It would be easier to launch an attack from, say, Turkey or Madagascar.
They are making great progress very quickly. I am watching their space program, they are doing very well.
well not sure about that. Have you seen the price of Rebar latley ? Some going to Iraq but most going to CHINA. for the olympics. This is their chance to show the world they have indoor plumbing. My bet is that the old gaurd dies off and the place goes hong kong ish
China has massive wargames scheduled for the Taiwan Straits at the end of this month.
We just sortied 7 carrier battle groups, reassinged 12,000 troops from S. Korea and are making plans to pull 40,000 out of Germany.
Pieces of a puzzle?
It is according as to how the '04 election over here turns out.
If President Bush is re-elected,it is iffy.
If john kerry is elected, it probably be a go.
Do you guys honestly think it will be beneficial for the US will get involved in a war between China and Taiwan? I don't think so. Maybe just some type of covert operations, but nothing big.
You guys are nuts. China's Navy would be taken out in about 2 days. The vessels are crap.
I agree. I'm no fan of totalitarian regimes but anything that gets humanity back into space is good to me. I just hope the current wave of interest in space lasts long enough for a realistic and sustainable program to be set in place. I like the quite simple and achievable goals they set - they're not overreaching themselves.
I also think the governments of the west might be surprised to learn that the public will accept risks as part of a space program. This belief you can wrap our explorers in cotton blankets and keep them safe or nothing doing is killing the entire space arena (Well, at least giving dictatorships a chance to catch up).
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