Posted on 08/31/2020 12:09:01 PM PDT by Mariner
AIPEI (Reuters) - China's armed forces are growing in their prowess but still lack the capability to launch a full assault on Taiwan, the island's defense ministry said on Monday.
Beijing is stepping up military activities around what it views as sovereign territory. It has never renounced the use of force to bring democratic Taiwan under its control, a message reiterated by President Xi Jinping last year, though Taiwan has shown no interest in being run by autocratic Beijing.
Xi is overseeing an impressive military modernization program, adding stealth fighters, aircraft carriers and other equipment, and the Chinese air force and navy have undertaken regular exercises or missions close to Taiwan.
In its annual report on China's military prowess delivered to parliament, a copy of which was reviewed by Reuters, Taiwan's Defence Ministry laid out scenarios for Chinese actions, including blockades and seizing offshore islands.
It said China's military continues to dedicate itself to strengthening live fire drills, building its strength for new types of battle and developing emerging technology and weapons.
"But on the operation of tactics and strategy toward Taiwan, it is still restricted by the natural geographic environment of the Taiwan Strait, and its landing equipment and logistics abilities are insufficient," it added.
"It still does not have the formal combat capability to fully assault Taiwan."
(Excerpt) Read more at yahoo.com ...
The strait is over 100 miles across.
While China could burn their cities with missiles, they cannot invade against the Taiwanese capability alone.
Much less so with the US and Japanese navies as hostile entities.
It would be a turkey shoot.
IMO Taiwan needs a nuke. Maybe they can get one from Israel.
It would be a turkey shoot.
Agreed. But not without some risks. China has been developing their anti-ship missiles for some time. I still doubt they could do much damage other than some lucky shots. They do have a few subs though. But our detection technology is far superior than their ability to hide.
Open fire on Taiwan and the attack subs would inundate China. Their ports and air fields, would first be targeted, then Navy.
What are the possibilities for the PRC infiltrating Taiwan with masses of ‘tourists’ who are actually special forces
IMO Taiwan needs a nuke. Maybe they can get one from Israel.
What if they built a doomsday bomb that would make the island uninhabitable for 100,000 years if it looked like a Chinese invasion would succeed? What would China do about it?
Amphibious invasion is one of the most difficult military maneuvers imaginable. For all its size the Chinese Army is inexperienced and poorly led by corrupt leaders. Aside from murdering poorly armed Tibetans and unarmed Uighurs, Falun Gong and students it has little in the way of combat experience. The only reason the PLA defeated Chiang was that it sandbagged its strength while the Kuomintang exhausted itself fighting Japan. The PLA’s “punitive” assault on Vietnam after the Vietnam War only revealed an incompetent PLA.
Not long ago the PLA got its @ss handed to it by the Indian border guards in the disputed border regions.
They have lots of fancy weapons, true. And a poorly trained snowflake Army due to years of one-child family policies. The PLA even admits the problem of its soldiers being raised without siblings and are spoiled little “princes”.
Japan would be likely to intervene as well. It doesn’t look like an invasion would succeed. But Xi is a maniac and who knows what he will do?
3 gorges would be an obvious target
I lived in Taiwan during the 70’s. Taiwan’s geography limits the Chinese landing sites to a few areas. It doesn’t matter if the Chinese have more men and equipment if they cannot land those men and equipment quickly. It would be like the battle of Thermopylae and the 300. Advantage Taiwan...
China will not act until the USA is distracted—like in an election crisis done by China’s Democratic Party Friends that or a coup by Obama-Generals or Civil War (both possible).
Trump assassination is my bet (Pence too). Nancy as PONTUS would do zip if China acted. (Go to the UN and send them a long letter). The invastion would be a Trojan Horse type event with a 5th collumn in place to rise up. Armies flown in on planes—The place would fall over night. BUT it must be fast or the Chinese might get bogged down and lose. Any mishap or delay would cause China to “lose face”. Might Nuke a few Taiwanese Cities to force the issue—if they do not comply with Red Chinese rule.
>>What are the possibilities for the PRC infiltrating Taiwan with masses of ‘tourists’ who are actually special forces<<
Lol...just take a look at the Chi-com infiltration of the U.S. for the answer.
I think the closest comparison to China’s military would be that of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Money is no object for either force, so there are lots of shiny new toys, but little for training — especially the realistic kind.
Saudi Arabia can’t do much other than bomb rebels in neighboring Yemen. Their army is not competent to to much else.
China’s army does look spiffy on the parade ground, however.
You quickly sow minefields around every Chinese port within the theater. No re-supply for the few PLA troops that get ashore. Done. Over.
The one constant with Chinese military tactics is the total disregard for casualties. No matter how difficult the operation, the human cost has always been a small matter to them historically. Add in the communist disregard for human life, and you have a scenario for miscalculation that could be disastrous for life as we know it. Trump is the only leader in the west that has shown enough gumption to possibly forestall PRC aggression. His re-election is essential.
China has an unlimited number of young males that they could volunteer as cannon fodder.
The Chinese study history, like any other competent military. They know our D-Day invasion survived only because of surprise, made possible because the Germans had only rudimentary radar and didn’t see a thousand ships crossing the channel until they saw them with their own eyes. And they are not stupid enough to think they can pull off a D-Day style invasion in a high intensity intel environment, where every raft and rowboat will be seen a hundred miles away.
Taiwan told china the first thing they would do is take out the Three Gorges dam. china did not like to hear that.
Airborne assault troops?
They require air supremacy for that.
Something they’ll not have.
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