Reuters: China has debated attacking Taiwan-controlled islands, Taiwan official says
TAIPEI, Nov 4 (Reuters) - A top Taiwan security official told lawmakers on Thursday that China had internally debated whether to attack Taiwan's Pratas Islands but will not do so before 2024, the year President Tsai Ing-wen's term ends.
National Security Bureau Director-General Chen Ming-tong did not say how he knew that such a move had been debated or why it would not happen during the next few years.
China's defence ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday.
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Update: China 'debated' attacking Taiwan islands (Canberra Times/AP).
WNU Editor: I have always said that if China was serious in upping its military pressure on Taiwan, aside from using warplanes and naval ships challenging Taiwan's border, it would be the seizure of one or more of its islands. The Pratas Islands, because of their location and strategic importance, would be the prime target.
As to this claim from this Taiwan official that China has debated attacking Taiwan-controlled islands. That is nothing new. When I was in China in the 1980s, my Chinese contacts in Fujian province (this Chinese province is across from Taiwan) always entertained me on how they would go about using their military to seize Taiwan's islands that are off the coast of China.
3 comments:
Seizing The Pratas should be a reline and not a n Obama/President Drooler Red line. It should be threat of full scale war. First embargo for about 30 days (No food and no oil) followed by kinetic war.
Taking the Pratas totally changes the calculus of a kinetic war. It makes resupply to SW Taiwan ports suicidal. You know they are going to put on it ship missiles on it to make the ones they put in the South China Seas look token.
The islands inshore close to China make good OPs/LPs to warn of an invasion. I am sure diplomatic types in the US would see them as bargaining chips. But the emphasis is in the 1st syllable of diplomat and most dips do not know what an LP or OP is. They might as well give the Czechoslovakia Maginot Line to Hitler all over again. If a time machine were invented diplomats would be chomping at the bit to do just that.
Taken Dongsha would not seemingly affect the security of Taiwan m but it would change the Exlusive Economic Zone and Air Defense Identification Zones. It is a no brainer that partisan diplomats would give it away with a promise to not make their party look any worse before the next election.
Seizing the islands would not be the end of it. See Case Green
"The plans of Fall Grün had a large role for psychological warfare, both within Czechoslovakia and against Czechoslovakia's allies. "
I am happy to note that Joe Biden cannot be swayed by Chinese propaganda. He has been bought off, fair and square.
The Hell of it is that would it makes difference in American offshoring of industry to China?
I assume anon is preparing himself physically and mentally to fight the kinetic war over a South China Sea island
Ceding ground carelessly is not a smooth move unless one is trading space for time or pulling of a Cannae type maneuver.
Seizing the islands will give Xi months and maybe 3 years of power. But it won't overcome economic problems. If he cannot overcome economic problems sufficiently his faction might have problems. What is the solution? Seize more islands? Seize Taiwan?
Each island is a stepping stone, buffer or out right roadblock.
As stepping stone, Penghu, make for a short helicopter 30 minute flight to Taiwan. It also gives the PRC a radar site (eyes) while denying it to Taiwan. It also makes a great platform for anti-air and anti-ship.
Giving the islands to the PRC makes the defense of Taiwan cost prohibitive. Once you can say Taiwan is not willing to defend itself, it makes it easy for the Washington Weasels to weasel their way out of coming to their aid.
Preparation? I joined when the Russians has superiority against NATO in tanks, artillery etc. You wanna play that card again, son?
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