In the case of a sub, it is where it's crew are given a day off, they surface and the crew have a "picnic" and swim like they were having a day at the beach.
WAR CHINA THREATENS TO INVADE TAIWAN
- Thread starter danielboon
- Start date
In the case of a sub, it is where it's crew are given a day off, they surface and the crew have a "picnic" and swim like they were having a day at the beach.
jward
passin' thru
Indo-Pacific News - Watching the CCP-China Threat
@IndoPac_Info
#China threat to #Taiwan 'is serious and more imminent than many understand': #US admiral China considers recovering control over Taiwan its "number-one priority. The rejuvenation of the Chinese Communist Party is at stake" with the Taiwan issue."
View: https://twitter.com/IndoPac_Info/status/1374439892659310594?s=20
Asia China threat to Taiwan 'closer than most think': US admiral
24 Mar 2021 02:08AM
WASHINGTON: The Chinese threat to invade Taiwan is serious and more imminent than many understand, the US admiral chosen to lead the Pentagon's Indo-Pacific region said on Tuesday (Mar 23).
China considers recovering control over Taiwan its "number-one priority", Admiral John Aquilino, nominated to become commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command, told the Senate Armed Services Committee.
"The rejuvenation of the Chinese Communist Party is at stake" with the Taiwan issue, he said.
Aquilino disagreed with outgoing Indo-Pacom commander Admiral Philip Davidson's recent comments that China could attempt to attack and take over Taiwan as soon as six years from now.
"My opinion is that this problem is much closer to us than most think and we have to take this on," he told the panel, which was reviewing his nomination.
Aquilino said the threat was such that the United States needs to implement a proposed US$27 billion plan to boost US defences in the region "in the near term and with urgency".
"The Chinese Communist Party has generated some capabilities in the region that are designed to keep us out," he said.
"The most dangerous concern is that of a military force against Taiwan."
Aquilino though declined comment on the suggestion by Republican Senator Tom Cotton, a hawk regarding the Chinese threat, that Beijing could opt to attack Taiwan as early as next year.
Cotton noted that Russia invaded and occupied Crimea in 2014 just days after it hosted the Winter Olympics.
China, he noted, will host the Winter Olympics in February 2022.
Democratic and self-ruled Taiwan split from China at the end of a civil war in 1949, and is a longtime US ally.
But Beijing has always maintained its claim of sovereignty over the island.
Aquilino, currently the head of the US Pacific fleet, stressed that there were two major concerns of letting China seize Taiwan.
First is the potential threat to global trade, much of which passes the island.
Second, he said, is the damage that would have on US credibility with its Asian allies like Japan, South Korea and the Philippines.
"The status of the United States as a partner with our allies and partners also is at stake should we have a conflict in Taiwan," he said.
@IndoPac_Info
#China threat to #Taiwan 'is serious and more imminent than many understand': #US admiral China considers recovering control over Taiwan its "number-one priority. The rejuvenation of the Chinese Communist Party is at stake" with the Taiwan issue."
View: https://twitter.com/IndoPac_Info/status/1374439892659310594?s=20
Asia China threat to Taiwan 'closer than most think': US admiral
24 Mar 2021 02:08AM
WASHINGTON: The Chinese threat to invade Taiwan is serious and more imminent than many understand, the US admiral chosen to lead the Pentagon's Indo-Pacific region said on Tuesday (Mar 23).
China considers recovering control over Taiwan its "number-one priority", Admiral John Aquilino, nominated to become commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command, told the Senate Armed Services Committee.
"The rejuvenation of the Chinese Communist Party is at stake" with the Taiwan issue, he said.
Aquilino disagreed with outgoing Indo-Pacom commander Admiral Philip Davidson's recent comments that China could attempt to attack and take over Taiwan as soon as six years from now.
"My opinion is that this problem is much closer to us than most think and we have to take this on," he told the panel, which was reviewing his nomination.
Aquilino said the threat was such that the United States needs to implement a proposed US$27 billion plan to boost US defences in the region "in the near term and with urgency".
"The Chinese Communist Party has generated some capabilities in the region that are designed to keep us out," he said.
"The most dangerous concern is that of a military force against Taiwan."
Aquilino though declined comment on the suggestion by Republican Senator Tom Cotton, a hawk regarding the Chinese threat, that Beijing could opt to attack Taiwan as early as next year.
Cotton noted that Russia invaded and occupied Crimea in 2014 just days after it hosted the Winter Olympics.
China, he noted, will host the Winter Olympics in February 2022.
Democratic and self-ruled Taiwan split from China at the end of a civil war in 1949, and is a longtime US ally.
But Beijing has always maintained its claim of sovereignty over the island.
Aquilino, currently the head of the US Pacific fleet, stressed that there were two major concerns of letting China seize Taiwan.
First is the potential threat to global trade, much of which passes the island.
Second, he said, is the damage that would have on US credibility with its Asian allies like Japan, South Korea and the Philippines.
"The status of the United States as a partner with our allies and partners also is at stake should we have a conflict in Taiwan," he said.
jward
passin' thru
Lucas Tomlinson
@LucasFoxNews
5h
China launches 20 aircraft, including bombers, to fly around Taiwan. U.S. admiral said this week potential invasion of island ‘closer than most think’
View: https://twitter.com/LucasFoxNews/status/1375422526248136705?s=20
danielboon
TB Fanatic
MERDE
Lucas Tomlinson
@LucasFoxNews
5h
China launches 20 aircraft, including bombers, to fly around Taiwan. U.S. admiral said this week potential invasion of island ‘closer than most think’
View: https://twitter.com/LucasFoxNews/status/1375422526248136705?s=20
jward
passin' thru
EndGameWW3
@EndGameWW3
2h
What is America going to do when China goes for Taiwan and Russia goes for Ukraine at the same time. Americas adversaries are ready to box America in.
@EndGameWW3
2h
What is America going to do when China goes for Taiwan and Russia goes for Ukraine at the same time. Americas adversaries are ready to box America in.
jward
passin' thru
WION
@WIONews
5h
Twenty Chinese military aircraft enter Taiwan's air defence identification zone. This is the largest incursion yet reported by the island's defence ministry, marking a dramatic escalation of tension across the Taiwan Strait.
View: https://twitter.com/WIONews/status/1375495260688805889?s=20
@WIONews
5h
Twenty Chinese military aircraft enter Taiwan's air defence identification zone. This is the largest incursion yet reported by the island's defence ministry, marking a dramatic escalation of tension across the Taiwan Strait.
View: https://twitter.com/WIONews/status/1375495260688805889?s=20
jward
passin' thru
Bloomberg
@business
18h
The U.S. and Taiwan sign an agreement to boost cooperation between coast guards, to push back at China’s increasingly assertive maritime activities
View: https://twitter.com/business/status/1375323047125790721?s=20
@business
18h
The U.S. and Taiwan sign an agreement to boost cooperation between coast guards, to push back at China’s increasingly assertive maritime activities
View: https://twitter.com/business/status/1375323047125790721?s=20
jward
passin' thru
Franz-Stefan Gady
@HoansSolo
6m
A robust synthetic aperture radar program “will provide critical intelligence to help shape Taiwan’s preparations for both a more effective defense of the nation and, critically, also buy valuable time in an asymmetric conflict.”
@Diplomat_APAC
Yes: “Historically, space ISR capabilities have been prohibitively expensive for most Indo-Pacific countries. This has changed. Now, many smaller countries can purchase commercially ... satellite or multi-satellite constellation at an affordable cost.”
View: https://twitter.com/HoansSolo/status/1375862626207563778?s=20
@HoansSolo
6m
A robust synthetic aperture radar program “will provide critical intelligence to help shape Taiwan’s preparations for both a more effective defense of the nation and, critically, also buy valuable time in an asymmetric conflict.”
@Diplomat_APAC
Yes: “Historically, space ISR capabilities have been prohibitively expensive for most Indo-Pacific countries. This has changed. Now, many smaller countries can purchase commercially ... satellite or multi-satellite constellation at an affordable cost.”
View: https://twitter.com/HoansSolo/status/1375862626207563778?s=20
northern watch
TB Fanatic
northern watch
TB Fanatic
U.S. fears China attack on Taiwan
Axios
March 27 2021
A Taiwan fighter jet drops flares during a 2019 military exercise simulating a Chinese invasion. Photo: Tyrone Siu/Reuters
The Biden administration has concluded that China "is flirting with the idea of seizing control of Taiwan as President Xi Jinping becomes more willing to take risks to boost his legacy," the Financial Times reports.
Why it matters: An invasion of Taiwan, the self-governed island claimed by Beijing, would force the U.S. to decide whether to go to war with China to defend an implicit ally.
U.S. fears China attack on Taiwan - Axios
Axios
March 27 2021
A Taiwan fighter jet drops flares during a 2019 military exercise simulating a Chinese invasion. Photo: Tyrone Siu/Reuters
The Biden administration has concluded that China "is flirting with the idea of seizing control of Taiwan as President Xi Jinping becomes more willing to take risks to boost his legacy," the Financial Times reports.
Why it matters: An invasion of Taiwan, the self-governed island claimed by Beijing, would force the U.S. to decide whether to go to war with China to defend an implicit ally.
- The recent conclusion by the Biden administration is based on Chinese behavior during the past two months a senior U.S. official told FT.
- After a show of force by Chinese bombers off Taiwan just after President Biden took office, the State Department said: "We urge Beijing to cease its military, diplomatic, and economic pressure against Taiwan."
- China views taking control of Taiwan as "their No. 1 priority," Aquilino said.
U.S. fears China attack on Taiwan - Axios
danielboon
TB Fanatic
It is just a matter of time 
I don't think china joe would defend Taiwan unless so ordered by his handlers. Otherwise, he would let China take over the entire South Pacific area without lifting a hand to help any of our allies.
danielboon
TB Fanatic
He just signed a deal with Japan and China isn't just going after Taiwan. I hope our military is ready because we have no leadership at the top
Nor at the top in the military
northern watch
TB Fanatic
China's growing firepower casts doubt on whether U.S. could defend Taiwan
In war games, China often wins, and U.S. warships and aircraft are kept at bay.
Military vehicles carrying HHQ-9B surface-to-air missiles participate in a military parade at Tiananmen Square in Beijing on Oct. 1, 2019.Greg Baker / AFP via Getty Images file
March 27, 2021, 3:01 AM PDT
By Dan De Luce and Ken Dilanian
NBC News
WASHINGTON — China's massive arms buildup has raised doubts about America's ability to defend Taiwan if a war broke out, reflecting a shifting balance of power in the Pacific where American forces once dominated, U.S. officials and experts say.
In simulated combat in which China attempts to invade Taiwan, the results are sobering and the United States often loses, said David Ochmanek, a former senior Defense Department official who helps run war games for the Pentagon at the RAND Corp. think tank.
In tabletop exercises with America as the "blue team" facing off against a "red team" resembling China, Taiwan's air force is wiped out within minutes, U.S. air bases across the Pacific come under attack, and American warships and aircraft are held at bay by the long reach of China's vast missile arsenal, he said.
"Even when the blue teams in our simulations and war games intervened in a determined way, they don't always succeed in defeating the invasion," Ochmanek said.
A war over Taiwan remains a worst-case scenario that officials say is not imminent. But China's growing military prowess, coupled with its aggressive rhetoric, is turning Taiwan into a potential flashpoint between Beijing and Washington — and a test case for how the U.S. will confront China's superpower ambitions.
The outgoing head of the U.S. military's Indo-Pacific Command, Adm. Philip Davidson, warned senators this month that the U.S. is losing its military edge over China, and that Beijing could decide to try to seize control of Taiwan by force by 2027.
"We are accumulating risk that may embolden China to unilaterally change the status quo before our forces may be able to deliver an effective response," the admiral told the Senate Armed Services Committee.
"Taiwan is clearly one of their ambitions. ... And I think the threat is manifest during this decade, in fact, in the next six years."
U.S. intelligence analysts have warned for more than a decade that China's military strength was progressing at a dramatic pace, and that America's superiority was evaporating in the Pacific, Defense officials told NBC News. Only now has the message finally hit home, with simulated battles driving home the point.
"You bring in lieutenant colonels and commanders, and you subject them for three or four days to this war game. They get their asses kicked, and they have a visceral reaction to it," Ochmanek said. "You can see the learning happen."
Twenty years ago, China had no chance of successfully challenging the U.S. military in the Taiwan Strait, and Pentagon planners could count on near total air superiority and the ability to move aircraft carriers close to Taiwan's eastern coast.
But a more prosperous China has invested in new naval ships, warplanes, cyber and space weapons and a massive arsenal of ballistic and cruise missiles designed to undercut the U.S. military's sea and air power.
"When you look at the numbers and ranges of systems that China deploys, it's pretty easy to deduce what their main target is because pretty much everything they build can hit Taiwan. And a lot of stuff they build really can only hit Taiwan," said David Shlapak, a senior defense researcher at the RAND Corp. think tank who also has worked on war-gaming models involving China.
Every generation of Chinese missiles has "longer and longer ranges on them," said one senior Defense official, and the missiles present a growing dilemma for the U.S. in how to penetrate the area around Taiwan, the official said.
Sowing doubts
Even if China refrains from direct military action on Taiwan, U.S. officials and analysts worry that Beijing could eventually force Taipei to buckle through steady military and economic pressure that creates a perception that the U.S. can't guarantee the island's defense.
"At some point does China have enough military capability to push the Taiwanese into some sort of settlement, where you never get into a fight, but it's just that threat hanging over the head of Taiwan?" the Defense official said.
If China succeeded in subjugating democratic-ruled Taiwan, it would send shockwaves through America's network of alliances, and cause other democratic governments in Asia to doubt Washington's reliability and strength, officials and experts said.
China views the self-governed island as part of its own territory and has never renounced the possible use of force to bring it under Beijing's control. China's political leadership sees reunification with Taiwan as a core objective, and Beijing's actions and statements have grown more assertive in recent months.
When contacted by NBC News, China's embassy in Washington pointed to recent comments from foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian, who accused the United States of adopting a Cold War mentality and overstating tensions over Taiwan.
"By exploiting the Taiwan question to exaggerate China's military threat, some people in the United States are actually looking for excuses to justify the increase of the U.S. military expenditure, expansion of its military power" and interference in regional affairs, the spokesperson said.
"The United States should abandon the Cold War zero-sum mentality, view China's development and national defense development objectively and rationally, and do more things that are conducive to mutual trust between China and the United States and regional peace and stability," he said.
Starting in June, China started regularly flying fighter jets and bombers across the median line in the strait separating mainland China and Taiwan, and into Taiwan's Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ). The flights have forced Taipei to scramble its fighter planes to intercept the Chinese aircraft.
The Chinese military flights are part of a campaign of pressure tactics designed to wear down Taiwan's small air force, the Defense official said, adding: "From Taiwan's perspective, there's a level of fatigue associated with this."
Taiwan has reported a series of aviation mishaps in recent months, raising questions about whether China's encroachment was having an impact on Taiwan's air crews. Two Taiwanese fighter planes crashed on March 22 in the third such incident in six months.
The U.S. Navy, meanwhile, has sent guided-missile destroyers through the Taiwan Strait three times since Biden took office, and the U.S. Air Force flew B-52 bombers to a base in Guam last month to "reinforce the rules-based international order in the Indo-Pacific region."
The United States is committed by law to providing Taiwan with the means to maintain its self-defense, and successive presidents have approved arms sales to the island, including F-16 fighter jets and Patriot missile batteries.
But Ochmanek and other analysts argue that Taiwan — and the United States — need lower-tech weapons to fend off a potential Chinese invasion, and that big-ticket items like fighter jets and Patriot missiles will prove useless in the event of a Chinese assault.
"They've invested a lot of money in Patriot missiles. Those Patriot missiles are going to die in the first few hours of the war," Ochmanek said. The same goes for fighter jets on the runway targeted by potential Chinese missile salvoes, he and other experts said.
Ochmanek argues Taiwan should invest in mines, drones and mobile anti-ship and anti-aircraft missiles that could slow a Chinese amphibious and airborne invasion, providing precious time for U.S. help to arrive.
Although senior military officers mostly agree that Taiwan and the U.S. need to adapt to the risks posed by China, it’s not clear if Congress or the Pentagon would be ready to give up purchasing more fighter jets or other expensive hardware to free up money for alternative weapons.
"We are acutely aware of the threat posed by China's military build-up, as well as its aggressive behavior in Taiwan's vicinity," said a spokesperson for Taiwan's mission in Washington, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States.
"These actions threaten peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and are part of a broader pattern of Chinese attempts to intimidate countries in the Indo-Pacific region," it said.
"Taiwan has increased our defense spending commensurate with these challenges," the spokesperson said, and the island has plans to bolster investments into "asymmetric capabilities."
Dongfeng-17 missiles on display at a military parade marking the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China in Beijing, on Oct. 1, 2019.Pan Yulong / Xinhua News Agency/Getty Images file
U.S. military officers in the Pacific say the Pentagon needs to shift more weapons and resources to Asia and transform its mindset to take on China. Without a change in U.S. weapons and tactics, the American military could find itself at a disadvantage in Taiwan and across the Pacific, potentially undermining the confidence of allies and partners that look to Washington as a counterweight to China, Defense officials said.
"If we make no changes in posture, then absolutely, you're going to find a future where we're simply outmatched," a second Defense official said.
"You can't just maintain the same static line of forces that we have currently assigned, particularly west of the International Date Line. That will not do the job."
The Pentagon declined to comment.
China's growing firepower casts doubt on whether U.S. could defend Taiwan (nbcnews.com)
jward
passin' thru
Global: MilitaryInfo
@Global_Mil_Info
There are rumors coming out of Japan's Ministry of Defense, according to Zaobao, that Japan is planning to increase troops on Yonaguni Island which is only 111 km from Taiwan - a possible move that could increase a confrontation between Japan and China.
8:19 PM · Mar 29, 2021·Twitter Web App
________________________________________
Replying to
@Global_Mil_Info
Japan agreed to cooperate and also protect U.S. warships and planes in the event that China invades Taiwan.
View: https://twitter.com/Smart_Sapper12B/status/1376707572812636160?s=20
Replying to
@Global_Mil_Info
Also this
View: https://twitter.com/Smart_Sapper12B/status/1376707787716239371?s=20
”
@Global_Mil_Info
There are rumors coming out of Japan's Ministry of Defense, according to Zaobao, that Japan is planning to increase troops on Yonaguni Island which is only 111 km from Taiwan - a possible move that could increase a confrontation between Japan and China.
8:19 PM · Mar 29, 2021·Twitter Web App
________________________________________
Replying to
@Global_Mil_Info
Japan agreed to cooperate and also protect U.S. warships and planes in the event that China invades Taiwan.
View: https://twitter.com/Smart_Sapper12B/status/1376707572812636160?s=20
Replying to
@Global_Mil_Info
Also this
View: https://twitter.com/Smart_Sapper12B/status/1376707787716239371?s=20
”
Posted for fair use.....
www.japantimes.co.jp
Taiwan cuts back on scrambling fighters, tracking intruding Chinese aircraft with missiles
Taiwan’s air force has repeatedly scrambled to intercept Chinese jets in recent months, and the United States approved in July a possible $620 million upgrade package for Patriot surface-to-air missiles to Taiwan.
Twenty Chinese military aircraft entered Taiwan’s ADIZ on Friday, in the largest incursion yet reported by the island’s Defense Ministry and marking a dramatic escalation of tension across the Taiwan Strait.
Though they have not flown over Taiwan itself, the flights have ramped up pressure, both financial and physical, on the air force to ensure its aircraft are ready to go at any moment in what security officials describe as a “war of attrition.”
Speaking in parliament, Deputy Defense Minister Chang Che-ping said that initially fighter jets were sent out each time to intercept the Chinese aircraft, whose missions are concentrated in the southeastern part of Taiwan’s ADIZ.
As that took up valuable time and resources that was then changed, with Taiwan sending slower aircraft up if China did too, but that has changed too, Chang added.
“So we now largely use land-based missile forces to track them. We are considering the war of attrition issue,” he said.
China claims democratic Taiwan as its own territory and has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control.
While Taiwan’s air force is well trained, it is dwarfed by that of China’s.
Taiwan’s Defense Ministry has spoken of the repeated missions, along with its aircraft being “middle-aged,” leading to a huge increase in maintenance costs not originally budgeted for.
The defense minister said in October that Taiwan had spent almost $900 million so far in 2020 on scrambling its air force against Chinese incursions, describing the pressure they are facing as “great.”
Taiwan cuts back on scrambling fighters, tracking intruding Chinese aircraft with missiles
Though they have not flown over Taiwan itself, the flights have ramped up pressure, both financial and physical, on the air force to ensure its aircraft are ready to go at any moment.
www.japantimes.co.jp
Taiwan cuts back on scrambling fighters, tracking intruding Chinese aircraft with missiles
-
A F-CK-1 Ching-kuo fighter jet is pictured at an air force base in Tainan, Taiwan, in January. | REUTERS -
REUTERS
- Mar 29, 2021
Taiwan’s air force has repeatedly scrambled to intercept Chinese jets in recent months, and the United States approved in July a possible $620 million upgrade package for Patriot surface-to-air missiles to Taiwan.
Twenty Chinese military aircraft entered Taiwan’s ADIZ on Friday, in the largest incursion yet reported by the island’s Defense Ministry and marking a dramatic escalation of tension across the Taiwan Strait.
Though they have not flown over Taiwan itself, the flights have ramped up pressure, both financial and physical, on the air force to ensure its aircraft are ready to go at any moment in what security officials describe as a “war of attrition.”
Speaking in parliament, Deputy Defense Minister Chang Che-ping said that initially fighter jets were sent out each time to intercept the Chinese aircraft, whose missions are concentrated in the southeastern part of Taiwan’s ADIZ.
As that took up valuable time and resources that was then changed, with Taiwan sending slower aircraft up if China did too, but that has changed too, Chang added.
“So we now largely use land-based missile forces to track them. We are considering the war of attrition issue,” he said.
China claims democratic Taiwan as its own territory and has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control.
While Taiwan’s air force is well trained, it is dwarfed by that of China’s.
Taiwan’s Defense Ministry has spoken of the repeated missions, along with its aircraft being “middle-aged,” leading to a huge increase in maintenance costs not originally budgeted for.
The defense minister said in October that Taiwan had spent almost $900 million so far in 2020 on scrambling its air force against Chinese incursions, describing the pressure they are facing as “great.”
danielboon
TB Fanatic
Wary of Beijing, Taiwan Doubles Down on South China Sea Island
By Ralph Jennings
March 29, 2021 07:30 AM
FILE - An aerial view shows of Itu Aba, which the Taiwanese call Taiping, in the South China Sea, Nov. 29, 2016.
TAIPEI - Taiwan’s military has stepped up training of troops and added defensive weaponry on the contested South China Sea’s biggest natural island to prepare for any attack by Beijing, analysts believe.
Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng told parliament March 17 China was “capable” of attacking and that he wanted Taiping Island “to be ready at all times,” local media reports said. He was referring to a sparsely populated feature in the Spratly archipelago that is located 1,500 kilometers southwest of Taiwan and disputed by five other governments, including China.
FILE - Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng takes a break from speaking to lawmakers at the parliament in Taipei, Taiwan, March 25, 2021.
“That signals unequivocally that Taipei is concerned and takes China’s ambitions, statements and actions — reaffirming that Beijing intends to [capture] the island — very seriously,” said Fabrizio Bozzato, senior research fellow at the Tokyo-based Sasakawa Peace Foundation’s Ocean Policy Research Institute.
China has alarmed Taiwan since mid-2020 by sending military aircraft almost every day over a corner of Taiwan’s air defense identification zone. On Friday, the defense ministry spotted 20 planes, an unusually high count. China has added hangars and radar systems to its own seven holdings in the Spratly chain over the past decade.
Taiping Island, an outpost also known as Itu Aba, would be easier for China to take compared to Taiwan because it covers just 46 hectares (110 acres), some analysts say. The tropical landform supports an air strip, a pier and a small hospital.
To “strain and exhaust Taiwan’s air crew and sailors” and “aggravate” Taiwan’s citizens, China could “demonstrate its power by invading one or another offshore island controlled by Taiwan” including Taiping, the research organization Council on Foreign Affairs said in a special report last month.
The Beijing government claims self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory, a leftover issue from the Chinese civil war of the 1940s, and it has not ruled out the use of force to unify the two sides.
Taiwanese have told government polls they prefer autonomy over unifying with China. Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen rejects Beijing’s “one-China” principle as a condition for any dialogue. The two sides have not spoken formally since 2016.
Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam claim all or parts of the South China Sea, as well. Vietnam, worried about China as well, has landfilled its Spratly holdings over the past two years and the Philippines asked this month that China withdraw about 200 fishing boats from the archipelago. The six claimants look to the sea for fisheries and undersea fuel reserves.
China’s not the Only Country Fortifying Tiny Islets in a Contested Asian Sea
Vietnam keeps adding military installations to some of its 10 holdings in the Spratly Islands, according to an initiative under the Center for Strategic and International Studies research organization
Vietnam warily eyes Taiwan’s development on Taiping Island but it is not considered a threat.
Beijing cites historical usage records to back its Spratly claims and has alarmed the other South China Sea claimants by developing islets for military infrastructure. China maintains the world’s third largest armed forces and ships occasionally rile Southeast Asian states by entering their exclusive economic zones.
Taiwan further bulked up last week by signing a coast guard cooperation memorandum of understanding with the United States. The two sides said Thursday they would create a working group to build cooperation and share information. Taiwan’s coast guard is in charge of protecting Taiping Island.
The U.S. government already sells advanced weapons to Taiwan and has the option of defending it if attacked. Washington recognizes Beijing diplomatically but remains Taiwan’s staunchest informal ally. China resents U.S. help for Taiwan and condemned last week’s coast guard agreement.
“Taiwan is definitely a spot between the U.S. and China, and also cross-Strait relations are really deteriorated,” said Wang Wei-chieh, Taiwan-based analyst and co-founder of the FBC2E International Affairs Facebook page. When considering the threat of war, he said, “we are not really scared of it, but we are also prepared for it.”
There is no immediate “reason” for China to attack Taiping Island, Wang said.
China has not said it plans to attack any Taiwanese holdings and on March 4 Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said his government was committed to “peaceful growth of relations”. Chinese officials base their own claim to 90% of the disputed 3.5 million-square-kilometer sea on a demarcation line established by Taiwan’s constitutional government, the Republic of China.
“How could it attack Taiping Island? China is doing everything possible to create an impression that the two sides are united fighting against outsiders including the United States, Vietnam and the Philippines,” said Chao Chien-min, dean of social sciences at Chinese Culture University in Taipei. “If they want to strike, it won’t be there.”
www.voanews.com
By Ralph Jennings
March 29, 2021 07:30 AM
FILE - An aerial view shows of Itu Aba, which the Taiwanese call Taiping, in the South China Sea, Nov. 29, 2016.
TAIPEI - Taiwan’s military has stepped up training of troops and added defensive weaponry on the contested South China Sea’s biggest natural island to prepare for any attack by Beijing, analysts believe.
Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng told parliament March 17 China was “capable” of attacking and that he wanted Taiping Island “to be ready at all times,” local media reports said. He was referring to a sparsely populated feature in the Spratly archipelago that is located 1,500 kilometers southwest of Taiwan and disputed by five other governments, including China.
FILE - Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng takes a break from speaking to lawmakers at the parliament in Taipei, Taiwan, March 25, 2021.
“That signals unequivocally that Taipei is concerned and takes China’s ambitions, statements and actions — reaffirming that Beijing intends to [capture] the island — very seriously,” said Fabrizio Bozzato, senior research fellow at the Tokyo-based Sasakawa Peace Foundation’s Ocean Policy Research Institute.
China has alarmed Taiwan since mid-2020 by sending military aircraft almost every day over a corner of Taiwan’s air defense identification zone. On Friday, the defense ministry spotted 20 planes, an unusually high count. China has added hangars and radar systems to its own seven holdings in the Spratly chain over the past decade.
Taiping Island, an outpost also known as Itu Aba, would be easier for China to take compared to Taiwan because it covers just 46 hectares (110 acres), some analysts say. The tropical landform supports an air strip, a pier and a small hospital.
To “strain and exhaust Taiwan’s air crew and sailors” and “aggravate” Taiwan’s citizens, China could “demonstrate its power by invading one or another offshore island controlled by Taiwan” including Taiping, the research organization Council on Foreign Affairs said in a special report last month.
The Beijing government claims self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory, a leftover issue from the Chinese civil war of the 1940s, and it has not ruled out the use of force to unify the two sides.
Taiwanese have told government polls they prefer autonomy over unifying with China. Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen rejects Beijing’s “one-China” principle as a condition for any dialogue. The two sides have not spoken formally since 2016.
Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam claim all or parts of the South China Sea, as well. Vietnam, worried about China as well, has landfilled its Spratly holdings over the past two years and the Philippines asked this month that China withdraw about 200 fishing boats from the archipelago. The six claimants look to the sea for fisheries and undersea fuel reserves.
China’s not the Only Country Fortifying Tiny Islets in a Contested Asian Sea
Vietnam keeps adding military installations to some of its 10 holdings in the Spratly Islands, according to an initiative under the Center for Strategic and International Studies research organization
Vietnam warily eyes Taiwan’s development on Taiping Island but it is not considered a threat.
Beijing cites historical usage records to back its Spratly claims and has alarmed the other South China Sea claimants by developing islets for military infrastructure. China maintains the world’s third largest armed forces and ships occasionally rile Southeast Asian states by entering their exclusive economic zones.
Taiwan further bulked up last week by signing a coast guard cooperation memorandum of understanding with the United States. The two sides said Thursday they would create a working group to build cooperation and share information. Taiwan’s coast guard is in charge of protecting Taiping Island.
The U.S. government already sells advanced weapons to Taiwan and has the option of defending it if attacked. Washington recognizes Beijing diplomatically but remains Taiwan’s staunchest informal ally. China resents U.S. help for Taiwan and condemned last week’s coast guard agreement.
“Taiwan is definitely a spot between the U.S. and China, and also cross-Strait relations are really deteriorated,” said Wang Wei-chieh, Taiwan-based analyst and co-founder of the FBC2E International Affairs Facebook page. When considering the threat of war, he said, “we are not really scared of it, but we are also prepared for it.”
There is no immediate “reason” for China to attack Taiping Island, Wang said.
China has not said it plans to attack any Taiwanese holdings and on March 4 Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said his government was committed to “peaceful growth of relations”. Chinese officials base their own claim to 90% of the disputed 3.5 million-square-kilometer sea on a demarcation line established by Taiwan’s constitutional government, the Republic of China.
“How could it attack Taiping Island? China is doing everything possible to create an impression that the two sides are united fighting against outsiders including the United States, Vietnam and the Philippines,” said Chao Chien-min, dean of social sciences at Chinese Culture University in Taipei. “If they want to strike, it won’t be there.”
Wary of Beijing, Taiwan Doubles Down on South China Sea Island
Defense minister tells parliament his forces strengthened training of troops on Taiping Island in Spratly archipelago where China controls seven islets
www.voanews.com
danielboon
TB Fanatic
danielboon
TB Fanatic
China/ Russia 
Barris 
Barris John Deere Girl
Veteran Member
If a war begans against these two countries, it will be a SHTF scenario.
jward
passin' thru
HUNTSMAN
@man_integrated
Creeping suspicion that the world is going to become very familiar with Pratas/Dongsha Island in the coming months. Given PRC's escalation in South China Sea gray zone provocations, I would not be surprised to see PRC pull a "Crimea" and militarily annex the island from Taiwan.
View: https://twitter.com/man_integrated/status/1377324313272008712?s=20
Another SCS island to monitor is Taiping Island (Itu Aba) in the Spratlys. While the island is claimed by PRC, VN, and PH, it's Taiwan who holds admin control since 1956 and operates the island as a military airbase. Notably, Whitsun Reef is just a few miles away.
View: https://twitter.com/man_integrated/status/1377324319139901442?s=20
northern watch
TB Fanatic
Indeed those days are over.
Look at the bumbling, befuddled bastards in charge of America now.
There is no one coming to save you.
northern watch
TB Fanatic
They had better buy a s***load.
jward
passin' thru
US pushes and tests China’s ‘red line’ on Taiwan
US deployment of highest level official to self-governing island in 42 years raises question of what Biden will do next to irk Beijing
by Richard Javad Heydarian April 1, 2021
US and Taiwanese flags blow in the wind juxtaposed against a Chinese temple. Photo: iStock
When the Biden administration deployed a sitting American ambassador to Taiwan, marking the first time such a senior US envoy visited the self-governing island in over 42 years, the move clearly aimed to send a signal to China.
Last weekend, US Ambassador to Palau John Hennessey-Niland accompanied Palau President Surangel Whipps to Taiwan, ostensibly as part of ongoing efforts to expedite pandemic-era travel between Taiwan and Palau. The small island nation is one of the few remaining countries to maintain official diplomatic ties with Taiwan.
Yet the broader geopolitical significance of the much-vaunted Hennessey-Niland visit wasn’t lost on China, which almost immediately doubled down on its intimidation tactics against the island, which Beijing considers a renegade province that must be incorporated with the mainland.
The day before the US envoy’s visit, China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) deployed as many as 20 fighter jets into Taiwanese airspace, the largest incursion of its kind in recent memory. Just days later, the PLA sent 10 other aircraft, including Shenyang J-16 fighters and Chengdu J-10’s, into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ).
The Donald Trump administration came under fire for its unilateralist and protectionist policies, an approach that degraded US alliances in Asia and Europe.
But from Taiwan’s perspective, the Trump years were a golden era for bilateral ties, as Washington rapidly expanded defense assistance to and high-level contacts with the self-governing island, highlighted by the visit last year of then-health secretary Alex Azar.
At one point, even former US ambassador to the United Nations Kelly Craft and then-secretary of state Mike Pompeo, who dramatically loosened legal restrictions on bilateral diplomatic exchanges with the island, contemplated visiting Taiwan in their twilight days in office.
Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen (2nd R) gestures to a US official (L) as then-US Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar (R) and director of the American of Institute in Taiwan Brent Christensen (2nd L) look on during their visit to the Presidential Office in Taipei, August 10, 2020. Photo by Pei Chen/Pool/AFP
Now firmly in office, the Biden administration has made it clear that it won’t abandon Taiwan in any bid to reset relations with China. During his confirmation hearing, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, also known as Biden’s “alter ego”, went so far as to describe Taiwan as a “country” and vowed to create “more space for contacts” with Taipei.
When China recently pressed Paraguay, among few countries to maintain formal ties with Taiwan, to shift its diplomatic stance in exchange for Chinese-made Covid-19 vaccines, the US quickly made a call to the Latin American country to maintain a united front.
As early as January, the new US administration signaled its commitment to maintaining robust ties with Taiwan by making the unprecedented decision of inviting de facto Taiwanese ambassador to the US Hsiao Bi-khim to Biden’s inauguration.
Soon thereafter, Joseph Young, the US acting ambassador to Japan, held a meeting with his Taiwanese counterpart in Tokyo, which was prominently announced on Twitter.
The deployment of US ambassador to Palau Hennessey-Niland to Taiwan was just the latest manifestation of the Biden administration’s proactive efforts to secure maximum possible diplomatic space for the self-governing island.
A veteran diplomat with more than three decades of service in the US State Department, Hennessey-Niland has been a staunch supporter of greater diplomatic support for Taiwan.
During his confirmation hearing in 2019, he publicly supported the Taiwan Allies International Protection and Enhancement Initiative (TAIPEI), which calls on the US and its allies to mitigate Taiwan’s diplomatic isolation amid China’s rising intimidation.
US Ambassador to Palau John Hennessey-Niland speaks at a press conference on enhancing the cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region in Taipei, Taiwan on March 30, 2021. Photo: Annabelle Chih/NurPhoto via AFP
“I know that here in Taiwan people describe the relationship between the United States and Taiwan as real friends, real progress and I believe that description applies to the three countries – the United States, Taiwan and Palau,” said Hennessey-Niland during his meetings with top Taiwanese officials, where he likewise referred to Taiwan as a “country.”
He met prominently with Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Joseph Wu de facto US ambassador to Taiwan Brent Christensen, among other top Taiwanese officials.
“What a triumvirate! Minister Wu, President Whipps & Amb Hennessey-Niland are as one when it comes to trilateral cooperation. are forces for good working together in promoting peace, security & prosperity in the #IndoPacific & around the world,” Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry tweeted as the three officials beamed before the cameras.
Last month, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi demanded the Biden administration to revisit its predecessor’s “dangerous practice” of proactively supporting Taiwan, reiterating that Beijing’s claim over Taiwan is an “insurmountable red line.”
Wu Qian, a spokesperson for China’s Defense Ministry, warned that China won’t “renounce the use of force and reserve the right to take whatever measures are necessary,” echoing earlier threats by top Chinese officials including President Xi Jinping.
The US State Department quickly fired back by declaring, “Our support for Taiwan is rock-solid.”
In that direction, the Biden administration has deployed several warships to the Taiwan Straits and conducted dual aircraft carrier exercises in the nearby South China Sea, which embraces Taiwan’s southern and western coastlines.
The US is also stepping up maritime security and coast guard cooperation with Taiwan in addition to less-publicized joint defense activities to boost Taipei’s self-defense capabilities and enhance interoperability in the event of a contingency, including the prospect of a Chinese amphibious invasion.
Taiwan regularly scrambles its US-made F-16 fighter jets like these to intercept planes from the mainland in its airspace. Photo: AFP/Sam Yeh
Washington is also soliciting support from regional allies, especially neighboring Japan, which has maintained strong ties with its former colony of Taiwan throughout the decades.
During their “two-plus-two” meeting last month, Blinken and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi “underscored the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait” in a solid show of joint support for the besieged self-governing island.
During an upcoming summit in Washington, Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga are expected to discuss rising cross-strait tensions and ways to jointly support Taiwan.
Taiwan, for its part, appears to be emboldened by the US and its allies’ support. Last month, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen visited a naval facility, where she averred how Taiwan has “demonstrated the determination…to defend the sovereignty of our country.”
“We can’t yield any single inch of our land,” she added, as the island quickly becomes the hottest and most prominent frontline of what some see as an undeclared “New Cold War” between the two superpowers.
asiatimes.com
US deployment of highest level official to self-governing island in 42 years raises question of what Biden will do next to irk Beijing
by Richard Javad Heydarian April 1, 2021
When the Biden administration deployed a sitting American ambassador to Taiwan, marking the first time such a senior US envoy visited the self-governing island in over 42 years, the move clearly aimed to send a signal to China.
Last weekend, US Ambassador to Palau John Hennessey-Niland accompanied Palau President Surangel Whipps to Taiwan, ostensibly as part of ongoing efforts to expedite pandemic-era travel between Taiwan and Palau. The small island nation is one of the few remaining countries to maintain official diplomatic ties with Taiwan.
Yet the broader geopolitical significance of the much-vaunted Hennessey-Niland visit wasn’t lost on China, which almost immediately doubled down on its intimidation tactics against the island, which Beijing considers a renegade province that must be incorporated with the mainland.
The day before the US envoy’s visit, China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) deployed as many as 20 fighter jets into Taiwanese airspace, the largest incursion of its kind in recent memory. Just days later, the PLA sent 10 other aircraft, including Shenyang J-16 fighters and Chengdu J-10’s, into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ).
The Donald Trump administration came under fire for its unilateralist and protectionist policies, an approach that degraded US alliances in Asia and Europe.
But from Taiwan’s perspective, the Trump years were a golden era for bilateral ties, as Washington rapidly expanded defense assistance to and high-level contacts with the self-governing island, highlighted by the visit last year of then-health secretary Alex Azar.
At one point, even former US ambassador to the United Nations Kelly Craft and then-secretary of state Mike Pompeo, who dramatically loosened legal restrictions on bilateral diplomatic exchanges with the island, contemplated visiting Taiwan in their twilight days in office.
Now firmly in office, the Biden administration has made it clear that it won’t abandon Taiwan in any bid to reset relations with China. During his confirmation hearing, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, also known as Biden’s “alter ego”, went so far as to describe Taiwan as a “country” and vowed to create “more space for contacts” with Taipei.
When China recently pressed Paraguay, among few countries to maintain formal ties with Taiwan, to shift its diplomatic stance in exchange for Chinese-made Covid-19 vaccines, the US quickly made a call to the Latin American country to maintain a united front.
As early as January, the new US administration signaled its commitment to maintaining robust ties with Taiwan by making the unprecedented decision of inviting de facto Taiwanese ambassador to the US Hsiao Bi-khim to Biden’s inauguration.
Soon thereafter, Joseph Young, the US acting ambassador to Japan, held a meeting with his Taiwanese counterpart in Tokyo, which was prominently announced on Twitter.
The deployment of US ambassador to Palau Hennessey-Niland to Taiwan was just the latest manifestation of the Biden administration’s proactive efforts to secure maximum possible diplomatic space for the self-governing island.
A veteran diplomat with more than three decades of service in the US State Department, Hennessey-Niland has been a staunch supporter of greater diplomatic support for Taiwan.
During his confirmation hearing in 2019, he publicly supported the Taiwan Allies International Protection and Enhancement Initiative (TAIPEI), which calls on the US and its allies to mitigate Taiwan’s diplomatic isolation amid China’s rising intimidation.
“I know that here in Taiwan people describe the relationship between the United States and Taiwan as real friends, real progress and I believe that description applies to the three countries – the United States, Taiwan and Palau,” said Hennessey-Niland during his meetings with top Taiwanese officials, where he likewise referred to Taiwan as a “country.”
He met prominently with Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Joseph Wu de facto US ambassador to Taiwan Brent Christensen, among other top Taiwanese officials.
“What a triumvirate! Minister Wu, President Whipps & Amb Hennessey-Niland are as one when it comes to trilateral cooperation. are forces for good working together in promoting peace, security & prosperity in the #IndoPacific & around the world,” Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry tweeted as the three officials beamed before the cameras.
Last month, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi demanded the Biden administration to revisit its predecessor’s “dangerous practice” of proactively supporting Taiwan, reiterating that Beijing’s claim over Taiwan is an “insurmountable red line.”
Wu Qian, a spokesperson for China’s Defense Ministry, warned that China won’t “renounce the use of force and reserve the right to take whatever measures are necessary,” echoing earlier threats by top Chinese officials including President Xi Jinping.
The US State Department quickly fired back by declaring, “Our support for Taiwan is rock-solid.”
In that direction, the Biden administration has deployed several warships to the Taiwan Straits and conducted dual aircraft carrier exercises in the nearby South China Sea, which embraces Taiwan’s southern and western coastlines.
The US is also stepping up maritime security and coast guard cooperation with Taiwan in addition to less-publicized joint defense activities to boost Taipei’s self-defense capabilities and enhance interoperability in the event of a contingency, including the prospect of a Chinese amphibious invasion.
Washington is also soliciting support from regional allies, especially neighboring Japan, which has maintained strong ties with its former colony of Taiwan throughout the decades.
During their “two-plus-two” meeting last month, Blinken and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi “underscored the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait” in a solid show of joint support for the besieged self-governing island.
During an upcoming summit in Washington, Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga are expected to discuss rising cross-strait tensions and ways to jointly support Taiwan.
Taiwan, for its part, appears to be emboldened by the US and its allies’ support. Last month, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen visited a naval facility, where she averred how Taiwan has “demonstrated the determination…to defend the sovereignty of our country.”
“We can’t yield any single inch of our land,” she added, as the island quickly becomes the hottest and most prominent frontline of what some see as an undeclared “New Cold War” between the two superpowers.
US pushes and tests China's 'red line' on Taiwan - Asia Times
When the Biden administration deployed a sitting American ambassador to Taiwan, marking the first time such a senior US envoy visited the self-governing
asiatimes.com
Craftypatches
Veteran Member
And hard telling what this dementia a—hole will say! Geez and everybody was worried about Trump! Under him and Kamalatoes, we will be lucky to last 4 years, let alone 8 yrs! O hole is getting his wish, bring down America!
northern watch
TB Fanatic
jward
passin' thru
Reuters
@Reuters
Taiwan says European countries helping with submarine project http://reut.rs/3uvYSqL
View: https://twitter.com/Reuters/status/1378198150649896963?s=20