Thursday, April 9, 2020

With The World In The Grip Of A Pandemic, Will China Decide To Invade Taiwan?


James Holmes, National Interest: The Chinese Spring Offensives of 2020

Regaining every inch of ground once ruled by imperial China is central to the dream President Xi Jinping exhorts Chinese to embrace. Miss an opportunity and China’s dream might never come true. And where would that leave Chinese Communist rulers, who already face a sullen populace? Is now the time Beijing may decide to strike—thanks to COVID-19?

In 1918 the German Army unleashed a titanic series of spring offensives. Their goal: to crash through British and French lines in France before the United States could make its weight felt on the field of battle, putting victory forever out of reach. Things were as good for the Reich that spring as they were going to get. Germany had driven Russia out of the war the previous winter, freeing up troops from the East to swing to the West. Meanwhile, America was still gearing up for war.

Berlin perceived an opportunity to triumph—if it exploited this interlude of manpower and matériel superiority. Germany’s martial overseers could act now or resign themselves to defeat. The army had to strike hard and strike fast.

Now could be Xi Jinping’s now-or-never moment. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) general secretary might see the pandemic now invading the West as an opportune time to settle scores around China’s periphery. U.S. leaders are consumed with managing disease outbreaks. President Donald Trump forecasts “a hell of a bad two weeks” coming up. U.S. military forces appear to be in disarray after coronavirus infested both aircraft carriers forward-deployed to the Western Pacific, stranding USS Theodore Roosevelt in Guam and Ronald Reagan in Japan. Indeed, the skipper of Theodore Roosevelt publicly implored the Pentagon to allow him to evacuate and quarantine his crew.

Carrier airpower would spearhead efforts to reverse aggression in East Asia. Sidelining both flattops—albeit temporarily—is a big deal.

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WNU Editor: I doubt that China will use the current crisis to launch a military offensive on Taiwan. To many unknowns for China to take the risk. But I would not be surprised if some planners are discussing such an option in Beijing right now. This is how a Chinese invasion of Taiwan may occur .... A Chinese Invasion Of Taiwan Will Not Be An Easy Task (June 24, 2019).

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

They could probably attack Taiwan and the UN/WHO would still blame Taiwan.

Anonymous said...

If a person is sick with Corona and you put them on a ventilator, the death rate is around 90% or better.

It is better to put them on another treatment such as a CPAP machine.

All the asshole Democrat governors are just reading what is placed in their hands by equally stupid people. Fucking blind leading the blind.

Make sure to put every infected liberal on a ventilator, because you would not want to be accused of not doing 100% to make them better.

Anonymous said...

Cpap: "It keeps the airways continuously open in people who are able to breathe spontaneously on their own, but need help keeping their airway unobstructed."



But isn't this the point? The covid can't breathe on their own