Can China Defeat the United States in a Conventional War?

May 20, 2005 | comtedemaistre

[ComtedeMaistre]

Every day, the economic power and political influence of Red China continues to increase. I am, however, interested in knowing how powerful China is militarily. Is China strong enough to defeat the US in a conventional war? The latest I heard is that they have a total of 10 million trained to serve in their military, including reserves. I would especially like to hear from Freeper veterans as well as those serving in the military, on the potential threat that China poses to the United States.

[blueblazes]

I don't think they mind losing a million men, which is probably a concept most Americans would have trouble wrapping their minds around. They could probably afford to lose a few million men and women before it makes any kind of real dent in them.

Personally I don't think there would be a conventional war as I think they could get their goals accomplished economically. If they do become the powerhouse they obviously are seeking to become, why destroy a useful vassal? We just buy all their crap anyway and we'll buy even more of it- and much of it won't be "crap". It will be necessities that we no longer produce here at home. Besides, they could just join with the Mexicans, etc, to dominate us internally as well. We can't even protect our own borders and we refuse to adopt a sensible foreign policy of minding our own business instead of trying to "help" various and sundry loser countries around the world, most of whom would gladly stick a collective knife in our back. (Hello, Iraq????) Our foreign "policy" is basically about appeasement and making corporations richer. Sorry if I sound bitter, but it makes me really angry.

[Double_in_a_bight]

what if they change to something new... like a world dominating derivate of dictator - liberalism:

your free to do everything economically but the executive force, as well as legislative, judicative and the media are centralized.

That's how I think they will do it.

[American_Centurion]

China simply doesn't have the lift capacity to take Taiwan now.

If/when they decide to go, they will certainly have more than enough lift capacity.

Another poster was right regarding change in China, if we get lucky the change could be for the better and we won't have to defend Taiwan from China. I hope that happens, but in that regard all we really have is hope.

[hosepipe]

The only wars of the future will be wars of insurgency..
And the Chinese are already winning that war..
Except the warriors are called "businessmen"..
and the Trojan Horse is not a horse its a Corporation..

And the War... the War is not a really war its competition of Dialectic Materialism.. Its a war of wigets and gadgets.. i.e. MATERIAL..

THEY WILL, "sell us the rope to hang us".. - Lenin(paraphrased)
Which we will sell to each other.. and after the democrats finally self destruct,
the Republicans will build the gallows.. after the insurgency from Mexico is complete, and the dumbing down of America reaches its zenith.

And we will vote in our OWN Manchurian candidate GLADLY..
Them Chinese ain't dummys..

**NOTE- Who is this creature George Bush anyway, anybody know.?.

[Nowhere Man]

I have often wondered what the real motives were behind Bush's turning a blind eye towards illegal immigration, and why he and others are for some sort of amnesty plan.

Could it be that, sometime down the road, they think that we will need all the extra bodies to build a military large enough to engage China in a conventional war, if need be?

I know it sounds like a bad 1960's thriller and I know my tin foil hat is buzzing now but it does make one wonder. B-P Seriously, depending on the venue of the war, I see it going nuclear at some point.

[ForGod'sSake]

A hundred mile long tunnel, eh? A tunnel, er, pipe dream???

FGS

[Nowhere Man]

naaa Japan has the gear to throw them of. Taiwan has modern weapons - but to less to stand for long. It's obviously equipped to survive until the cavallery arives.

IIRC, I know Taiwan did acquire or built some reactors in the 1970's that could be used to breed plutonium if need be. There was scuttlebutt then and now that Taiwan does have nukes and if the "Big Red Breast" ever would attack Taiwan, they would exercise their own "Jericho Option" on Red China.

[superiorslots]

Quote: A fully capitalistic and democratic China becomes a bigger competitor and a more formidable potential adversary

The only problem is HU is taking away liberties and freedoms in china as of late.

[azhenfud]

I think the point is the Mainland's lengths to which it is willing to go to assert its "ownership" of Taiwan.

[Icthus]

WWII is a completely different scenario alltogether. The taking of Taiwan wouldn't be considered a "World War" type of conflict. If China started with Taiwan and then proceeded to invade other areas....sure, who knows what would happen. Remember, the media shapes opinions (and they are antiwar - regardless of the reason),the UN and the EU want to be pivotal players on the world stage when it comes to war (even though they are a joke). If China were to move on Taiwan, it would make for sensational headlines, but it would be hard to get the American people behind that cause. The average American's appetite for war is diminished right now due to the current conflict in the ME.

[trubluolyguy]

I feel that given the sheer numbers of the chinese military, we would have no choice but to go nuclear and probably within the first week.

[superiorslots]

Quote: I don't think China can beat us, I just think we won't fight them.

Bingo!! The american people will cry like baby's if their dvd's and other goods go up in price because of a conflict with china.
The almighty dollar comes first, then country in today's America.

[Icthus]

"...I don't think China can beat us, I just think we won't fight them..."

That pretty much sums it all up.

[RobRoy]

Conventional war? No way. Three words:

Human wave attack.

[hildy123]

I don’t believe the communist would expect to win if they invaded the US. They have no value of human life. They would invade America to achieve three things, shake our confidence, disrupt our economy and thin our population. It truly would be a question of kill ratio. With a large army and friends in the western hemisphere, Castro, Chavez and the Democrats the communist are poised to attack without much warning. The communist have the largest army, the largest shipping companies and they are in key places such as the Panama Canal and Cuba. This would be key to invading the American south.

[Strategerist]

If China was to seize Taiwan, does the US have the capability, as well as the will, to liberate the territory?

China doesn't even have the ability to seize Taiwan even if the US doesn't lift a finger to help Taiwan.

[ampat]

If we were attacked by china (not the likely scenario), and were losing the war, I think we would go nuclear to defend this country, unless a democrat is president.

[RobRoy]

Conventional war? No way. Three words:

Human wave attack.

Oops, I meant yes, not no way...

[hildy123]

I don’t believe the communist would expect to win if they invaded the US. They have no value of human life. They would invade America to achieve three things, shake our confidence, disrupt our economy and thin our population. It truly would be a question of kill ratio. With a large army and friends in the western hemisphere, Castro, Chavez and the Democrats the communist are poised to attack without much warning. The communist have the largest army, the largest shipping companies and they are in key places such as the Panama Canal and Cuba. This would be key to invading the American south.

[hildy123]

I don’t believe the communist would expect to win if they invaded the US. They have no value of human life. They would invade America to achieve three things, shake our confidence, disrupt our economy and thin our population. It truly would be a question of kill ratio. With a large army and friends in the western hemisphere, Castro, Chavez and the Democrats the communist are poised to attack without much warning. The communist have the largest army, the largest shipping companies and they are in key places such as the Panama Canal and Cuba. This would be key to invading the American south.