Taiwan Goes On High Alert Against Possible Chinese Invasion

Taiwan News ^ | 2/14/03

[dmcg_98]

Taiwan on alert against any Chinese invasion

2003-02-14 / Agence France-Presse / Defense Minister Tang Yiau-min (´öÂ`©ú) said yesterday the military had been put on a state of alert for fear China could take advantage of any war in Iraq to launch an invasion of the island.

Tang warned that Beijing's hostility towards Taipei was as strong as ever despite the unprecedented civilian flights between Taipei and Shanghai over the Lunar New Year holiday period.

"They have yet to give up their attempt to take over Taiwan by force. This was clearly stated by (President) Jiang Zemin (¦¿¿A¥Á) in the Chinese Communist Party's 16th Party Congress documents," Tang told a press conference here.

China could decide to attack its arch rival when the world's attention was preoccupied with war in the Gulf.

"The Chinese communists could cash in on such an occasion," said Tang.

"They could sabotage and attack our banking systems, democracy and other social institutions which are superior to those on the mainland."

The defense ministry has also stepped up security and its monitoring of Chinese troop movements and improved its crisis management capability.

While ruling out any possibility of Taiwan's involvement in a U.S.-led war against Iraq, the minister said President Chen Shui-bian's (³¯¤ô«ó) government would provide humanitarian aid to refugees.

Tang also defended Chen's recent announcement in which he ruled out the possibility of direct cross-strait flights even after the resumption of air links with China following a half century hiatus.

Civilian planes would instead be required to fly on a detour for national security reasons even after direct cross-strait transport links are opened up, Chen insisted.

"The Taiwan Strait is a shield (for Taiwan). Wouldn't it be just what the Chinese communists wanted if the shield was removed?" Tang said.

Six Taiwan airlines operated a total of eight chartered flights to and from China for the first time during the Lunar New Year period from January 26 to February 10, but they had to transit Hong Kong or Macau.

Local business and industrial leaders have pushed for direct links between the Taiwan and China, insisting they would help lower shipping costs and facilitate economic ties across the Taiwan Strait.

Taiwanese businesses are estimated to have invested some US$70 billion in China since 1987.

Commenting on China's growing missile threat, Tang said Taiwan had been working to build its missile shield.

"Research and development efforts have got underway to build a missile defense system. Hopefully the target could be arrived at within the next 10 years," he said, without going into details.

[elfman2]

"You'd be surprised what a few million troops can do. Those who underestimate what the enemy can do are called "losers". "

Those who think adding a "few million troops" to a complex force projection operation will make much difference are called "ignorant". Those who have this pointed out to them, but still insist on arguing about something they know nothing about just aren't called.

[HighRoadToChina]

I totally agree that America needs to arm and have the best navy, army, air force, marines, space force in the world.

But we need to stop supplying the Communist Chinese with our US dollars (almost $100 billions just last year) with our buying of Made in China products.

[HighRoadToChina]

"Those who think adding a "few million troops" to a complex force projection operation will make much difference are called "ignorant"."

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.

[HighRoadToChina]

"Context… Not unless they can all swim across the strait as well as they walked across that boarder. If you've ever assisted in planning an amphibious assault, you'd recognize that it's not something that can be choreographed without decades of practice, much less one of this size on that island with us as a wild card."

If and when they can control the Taiwan strait, they can send thousands of junkers across the strait.

They need to neutralize the US subs, which they'll do with the Shkval rocket torpedoes. No US sub will venture into the Taiwan straits with that torpedo in operation, because there is no US technology to counter a 270 MPH torpedo.

They need to neutralize the ROC defenses along the coast, which they will bombard with over 1000 SRBM (currently they have over 600 and are increasing by 50-60 per year).

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

US aircraft carrriers? See article above.

[HighRoadToChina]

Here is a great article on a woman of God in China. Makes our Sunday Christians look rather lame.

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/11/27/1038386200865.html

[Steel Wolf]

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.

Those millions of Red Chinese took hundreds of thousands of casualties, and the PLA Volunteers were on the brink of collapse close to the armistice. Starting at the point they crossed the Yalu, their casualty rate was more than ten times ours, in both wounded and dead. The bulk of their weaponry was a mix of Japanese, American and some Russian equipment, all of it scarce, and all of it pushed to the front lines.

Much like the Tet Offensive, the enemy fought until they were ground to a halt, then pleasently suprised to see that the Americans were done fighting.

Also, the context is much different. The PLA of that time was comprised of fanatics, men under the sway of Mao's charisma and filled with revolutionary fervor. Todays PLA is not made up of the same men who walked shoulded to shoulder across minefields to clear them for follow on units. Things are different now. Emperor Mao is dead, and the beauracrats have been in charge for decades.

[the gillman@blacklagoon.com]

re: your #73, nice post. Puts a lot of things together.

Hope you and I aren't the only ones who see things this way.

[Steel Wolf]

You'd be surprised what a few million troops can do. Those who underestimate what the enemy can do are called "losers".

You'd be suprised what a huge signature moving a few million troops makes. For them to launch a mobilization on this scale, it would require months of preparation in ways that they could not hide from us. You can't launch a million man amphibious assault at the drop of a hat.

Once the mobilization begins, we'd have months to craft our response, and get ready.

If they tried a sneak attack on Taiwan, it would be on a much smaller scale. They couldn't put half the troops to sea that Taiwan has on the island as a rapid strike. They may be able to get in a good sucker punch, however, but that would be it. If it's at us, they'll wish they hadn't. China is a big place, with lots of targets.

[HighRoadToChina]

As I have said again and again. The PLA will not move until they are totally sure that they can neutralize the US 7th Fleet. "Do you want to lose your aircraft carriers for Taiwan?"

Once they feel confident about that, they will be in the invasion mode.

BTW, there are those who argue that PRC would never destroy Taiwan's infrastructure or kill millions of people, because "why killed the goose that lays the eggs mentality". There is a spiritual dimension to PRC's "liberation" that most people just do not understand.

Case in point: the wiping out of Tibet, their people (over 1/4 of the Tibetan populations is killed by the Communist Chinese), their culture, etc. So, I would not be surprise if millions of Taiwanese were killed if they used a neutron bomb(s) over Taiwan to united their so-called "Motherland".

[Marysecretary]

Wow, what an incredible story. And it could happen here, too. I hope we all have the faith and strength she has. What a reward she has waiting for her in Heaven! Thanks, HighRoad. I appreciate this ping. I've always loved the Chinese people. Missionaries planted many seeds there which are bearing fruit.

[HighRoadToChina]

I hope not either. FR is great for educating the masses, don't you agree?

[Steel Wolf]

They need to neutralize the ROC defenses along the coast, which they will bombard with over 1000 SRBM (currently they have over 600 and are increasing by 50-60 per year).

Several batteries of PAC-3s could change that equation rather quickly. Dong Feng-11's and 15's aren't terribly hard to shoot down, even if only half are stopped, it won't be a catastrophic blow.

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

One million men would not be enough, given the size of Taiwan's army, and the fact that they would be defending a small amount of coast from an amphibious attack. If Taiwan didn't have a single tank, artillery piece, fighter or ship, it wouldn't be enough.

How about the fact that the U.S. currently borders China. Remember Afghanistan? Perhaps the separatists in Urumqi and Tibet would like a helping hand from Uncle Sam? China would be terribly vulernable to attacks on its western borders.

Never turn your back on the man you just mugged.

[HighRoadToChina]

It my blood boil when I hear so-called "Christians" like Pat Robertson doing business in Communist China and defending the dictatorship that is worse than Nazi Germany:

Pat Robertson, founder of the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN), 700 Club, founder of the Christian Coalition, key investor in Robertson’s buyout of China Entertainment Television (CETV) along with the Riady family’s Lippo Group [aren't these the same Clinton backers--HRTC comment], investment partner in PRC was the Lippo Group--Indonesian conglomerate headed by James Riadyon, on Larry King's March 15, 1999 program: "Well, China is a great country. I was over there just recently -- actually, in August -- I had a wonderful meeting with Zhu Rongji...and he's a very intelligent man and a very nice guy. I think China is opening itself up in -- in many fronts to modern ideas. The Internet is strong over there, television and commerce." Clarification on the forced abortion flap (4/17/01): "In the CNN interview, I did not preface my remarks with my long-held view, but I merely expressed what to me seemed obvious--that the Chinese people with a population of 1.2 billion will face a tragic dilemma of massive proportions if they permit their population to explode upwards of 2 billion people."

Association of Zaire's dictator Mobutu Sese Seko and preacher began with a Robertson relief group, Operation Blessing, a branch of which has botched a corn-cultivation project on a 50,000-acre farm outside the capital, Kinshasa. During the Rwandan refugee crisis, Operation Blessing expanded its humanitarian efforts to Goma but was criticized for spending too much money on transportation, pulling its workers out too soon and proselytizing. "They were laying on hands," an American aid worker recalls, "speaking in tongues and holding services while people were dying all around." Many relief agencies are notorious for mismanagement and backbiting, but even considering that, Operation Blessing drew a considerable volume of negative reviews from fellow Samaritans. Makau Mutua, projects director of the Human Rights Program at the Harvard Law School, says that currently "Robertson is Mobutu's biggest American catch."

Robertson Asset Management, the fund management firm owned by the founder of CBN, launched the Chinese Web site in February 1999. Robertson’s investment partner in the company is Malayan United Industries based in Malaysia. MUI was also a key investor in Robertson’s buyout of China Entertainment Television (CETV) along with the Riady family’s Lippo Group. Robertson, MUI, and the Lippo Group later sold their 80% stake in CETV.

[Steel Wolf]

As I have said again and again. The PLA will not move until they are totally sure that they can neutralize the US 7th Fleet. "Do you want to lose your aircraft carriers for Taiwan?"

Assuming that America was to pack her bags and go home after we lose tens of thousands of people in the 7th Fleet, then I'd agree with you. The actual response would be the economic, military, and political destruction of the PRC. We could send their economy into the tank with a snap of our fingers, attack their fragile civilian infrastructure, sink and shoot down everything with a red star on it, and then REALLY get started.

People who think that American's can't stomach war forgets that all we need is a little motivation. We fought the third bloodiest war in human history all by ourselves. Casualties in the low thousands from sneak attacks have started major wars.

Case in point: the wiping out of Tibet, their people (over 1/4 of the Tibetan populations is killed by the Communist Chinese), their culture, etc. So, I would not be surprise if millions of Taiwanese were killed if they used a neutron bomb(s) over Taiwan to united their so-called "Motherland".

Tibetians are not Han. Not that Han have ever shied away from killing other Han, but the contexts are different. Tibet was conquest, Taiwan is unfinished business.

[HighRoadToChina]

Also, check this out:

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2001/116/32.0.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A28917-2001Apr17&notFound=true

[HighRoadToChina]

War with PRC will not be on American terms. The PLA is not going to let the US set up shop as we have in Iraq I, Iraq II, Afghanistan, etc.

They are not that stupid.

BTW, I never said that they are going to sink US carrier, but that the credible threat to do so will make the US think twice about the costs of defending Taiwan.

[Steel Wolf]

War with PRC will not be on American terms. The PLA is not going to let the US set up shop as we have in Iraq I, Iraq II, Afghanistan, etc.

The problem I have with all the doomsday prediction I hear about China is that they come from the assumption that China will be executing flawless plans, and the U.S. will be helpless to respond. The reality is that war may start on someone's terms, but it's anyone's game after that.

BTW, I never said that they are going to sink US carrier, but that the credible threat to do so will make the US think twice about the costs of defending Taiwan.

At some point, with the USN sailing for Taiwan, the PRC leadership will have to decide what to do about it. Attack the Americans, or call the whole thing off. If they choose to attack, they may be able to sink several of our ships.

Al Qaida was able to kill a few thousand of our people.

I could punch Mike Tyson.

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.

[HighRoadToChina]

"Those millions of Red Chinese took hundreds of thousands of casualties..."

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".

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

[the gillman@blacklagoon.com]

Not the masses, but emissaries to the masses. Both lurking pols and newspeople, and of course the ever widening circle of Freepdom who are like missionaries of knowledge and conservatism.

The chicoms will move against Taiwan and us, when it suits them. They are already moving economically of course.

I wonder which side the Rus will end up on.

I've long thought that the main strategy of this fourth world war will be proxies and betrayal, at least in the early stages.