Taiwan Goes On High Alert Against Possible Chinese Invasion

Taiwan News ^ | 2/14/03

[HighRoadToChina]

"See where I'm going with this? China is not the USSR lite, it's a large third world country with a shoddy military track record. Any temporary success they have at first due to a sneak attack will be reversed quickly and completely."

It' called asymetric warfare. Did you read #73?

[HighRoadToChina]

"I wonder which side the Rus will end up on."

So long as ChiComs don't attack Siberia (they have plenty of reasons to do so), the Ruskies will be on PRC side.

[Steel Wolf]

Try a million casualties. My point is this: ChiComs don't care if it took a million or two or three to do what's necessary for the "Motherland".

Willpower won't float them across the Taiwan strait. To execute a successful amphibious attack involving a few million troops requires skills, equipment, training, and prowress that the PLA does not possess. Their motivation is not in question.

If Taiwan was connected to the mainland, I'd agree that they'd use human sea tactics for as long as it took to get it back. 'Renhai zhanshu' will wear down almost any defender.

Westerners like yourself and most others don't understand this.

I know that 'yang gui bu dong' anything about China. My point is that China doesn't understand anything about ampibious warfare if they think the boat parade is a viable invasion tactic. Operation Overlord and Inchon were incredibly risky, using a fraction of the men and material. A larger invasion into the claws of a waiting enemy would be riskier still.

[Marysecretary]

I don't understand it either, HighRoad.

[Steel Wolf]

It' called asymetric warfare. Did you read #73?

I do have a passing familiarity with asymetric warfare. It's great for launching suprise attacks against known weak points. It's no substitute for real military capability. In a prolonged struggle, asymetrics are easily overcome. Like the boxcutter trick on the airlines, some tricks only work once, then tactics have to change.

Sometimes, old tricks are the best. China with no access to oil, and no electricity, due to their power plants being leveled, will not be economically viable. The Chinese need to think long and hard how much protection a handful of Russian export weapons will really offer against an enraged United States.

[HighRoadToChina]

It's called greed. Money has great sway over anyone. Pat sold his soul for some TV shares for his network in Communist China, and also in Zaire if you read my other comment.

[elfman2]

"I guess you never studied Korea I. Those millions of Red Chinese did push the US/UN/SK forces back at least for a short while. "

Oh yea, that great Chinese "amphibious/airborn" assault in Korea. Those experienced 75 y/o troops have been itching to give it another go.

[elfman2]

"So once those two factors are neutralized, nothing is going to stop the Red Chinese from executing their million man invasion of Taiwan. "

Yes, I'm sure China's navy would still exist two weeks after they engaged ours. We'd probably lead with our AC carriers, rather than nest them within the battle groups and anti-sub sweeps. Good thing they'll never arrive because our AC would just be targets for those skilled pilots like Wong Way. The sky's falling.

[HighRoadToChina]

Look, the point that we were arguing about is the extent that Communist China is willing to expend in terms of manpower to fight wars.

If you want to be facitious, go right ahead.

[elfman2]

"Look, the point that we were arguing about is the extent that Communist China is willing to expend in terms of manpower to fight wars. "

I was lampooning their ability, not willingness.

[Semper911]

Bump to the top. We knew this was coming, but it could get interesting.

[ContraryMary]

The only thing that prevents China from annexing Taiwan is the fear that the U.S. will strike. Without that threat they would have invaded Taiwan long ago -- at whatever it takes. And as for mobilizing masses upon masses of troops as past of an invasion force, it's been done successfully in the past.

[ContraryMary]

The Taiwanese have more troops and more arms than the Germans did in Normandy in 1944.

That's not saying much. As I recall, the invasion of Normandy did not go so well for the Germans.