China, Russia To 'rehearse Invasion Of Taiwan'

[Tombstone]

So, what is a "country" to do? What are your thoughts about a response if China attacks and invades Taiwan? Please note this piece of news released this week as well.

Serious discussions only please.

MOSCOW, March 17. (RIA Novosti)-Yesterday, Chief of the Russian General Staff Yury Baluyevsky left for China to settle a scandal over the first Russian-Chinese military exercise, Commonwealth-2005, which is due to be held this fall off the Yellow Sea coast, writes Kommersant.

The initial plans were to practice operational teamwork in combating terrorism during the exercise. However, Beijing, skillfully changing the format of the exercise, has tried to re-orient the two countries' armies to practicing an invasion of Taiwan.

The choice of where the exercise will take place became a stumbling block. The Russian military selected the Xinjiang-Uigur autonomous region, basing their choice on the area's problematic nature due to Uigur separatists and its proximity to Central Asia, which has become an arena in the fight against international terrorism. However, Beijing flatly rejected the proposal. Instead, it suggested the Zhejiang province near Taiwan.

A joint exercise in this area would look too provocative and trigger a strong reaction not only from Taiwan but also America and Japan, which recently included the island in the zone of their common strategic interests.

Beijing is trying to use Russia as an additional lever of pressure on the disobedient island to show it that its policy is also causing dissatisfaction in Russia, from which the Taiwanese are expecting assistance in their dialogue with Beijing and bid to join the WTO and the UN.

On the Russian military's insistence, the exercise was shifted north to the Shangdong peninsula. However, the Chinese are trying to change the format of the exercise with proposals to enlarge the contingents with Marines and Pacific Fleet warships. Marine landings to seize the area will be practiced during the "antiterrorist" exercise.

Russia's agreement to hold the exercise will inevitably cause a furor in America, Japan and Taiwan. But a refusal will spoil relations with China, which three months ago courteously agreed to Russia's proposal to hold an exercise.

[David813]

The new openly aggressive policies used by the U.S. ensured this problem would surface. Russia and China united is I believe a necessary balance to the rogue aggression of the Bush Administration. The economic relationship they share is sobering enough. Taiwan was a one party dictatorship until several years ago so the idea of placing the country/province on some democracy pedastal is just foolish. Entering into a military conflict with China would be disastrous for the U.S. Taiwan is not worth the price we would pay. The ongoing struggle to secure downtown Baghdad and Kabul is example enough that a military clash with the Chinese would give rise to a new superpower. Taiwan belongs to China. If the U.S. can enjoy the freedom to select and invade whichever 3rd world country it chooses then certainly China should have the right and freedom to reclaim their historical territory stolen by the reactionary cowards that engulfed the island in the late 40's and the 50's. Taiwan being independent is almost like Miami Cubans declaring that Florida (where they fled) is their own nation. I say the U.S. better stay out of this one or pay a price we have never seen. There is more than one Goliath in the world.

[Jives]

This is obviously our worst nightmare. China is the only country that could possibly hurt us in a war, Russia's military is in ruins (although they are rebuilding it).

China has the manpower to win a strictly conventional war, but of course something that full scale could easily become global and nuclear.

A politician friend of mine has suggested that if China invaded Taiwan, the US would not risk a nuclear war, but instead would increase the tarriff on imported goods from Taiwan and China by 600% making it equal to American goods. Although as consumers, it would hurt the average American citizen, my friend thinks this would cripple China's economy pretty quickly.

One thing I know from my Air Force days, though (I had a Top Secret clearance)....

If it got really, really nasty, we have weapons and safeguards far, far worse than nuclear bombs. Of course there are the neutron bombs, but bioweapons would be much harder on a dense population such as China's. We have these in abundance, and I'm talking about stuff a thousand times worse than Anthrax.

Botulinins that are small enough to ride on the particles in the air, making them universally dispersable very quickly, and 99% lethal. We could literally turn China into a graveyard in days. But would we be willing to use something like that? Probably yes, if they used nukes first. It's a matter of survival after all. Them or us. Welcome to the madness that is Military Strategy. MAD - Mutually Assured Destruction, an appropriate acronym if ever there was one.

Then there are our "Level 7" projects. Whole cities that have been buried in the deserts years ago. Over three thousand feet deep, they have hydroponics garders, a freeze dried supply of food for 500 years, a nuclear reactor with a 500 year fuel supply and the tools and equipment for expansion. In them reside doctors, nurses, technicians, teachers, electricians, scientists.....everyone you would need for a self-sufficient civilization.

They are all volunteers, specially selected for minimum claustrophobia. Each person was tested rigorously for psychological resiliance. They are cut off from all contact with the surface and are not due to check the surface for another century. Their location is one of the highest kept secrets of our country. Sort of a biological timecapsule.

We'll all die, but they will carry on the American way of life, and America will rise from the ashes of the nuclear fire like a Phoenix

[David813]

Victory at all costs huh! Scary stuff. Opening the pandora's box re: bioweapons would be a grave mistake. Most warmongers disregard the civilian population. The only hope to abort China from becoming a real threat to the world is to encourage dissent inside their borders. True, an almost impossible job due to the notorious discipline of the East Asians, but a far more optimistic view of our future world.

[Jives]

David813 wrote: Victory at all costs huh! Scary stuff.


I didn't tell you the really scary stuff. I'm not allowed to.

[Lon]

Fortunately or unfortunately, the U.S. has been a defender and supporter of Taiwan since the 40's, when Mao won the conflict against Chang and the Nationalists. This is a hard position to change. China does have huge manpower and weaponry, including missles. They have no significant navy, but Russia does. Russia and China together would be awsome opponents. Hope that scenario never develops.