politics

China determined to battle on two fronts as North Asian tensions spike

11 Comments
By Michael Martina and Tim Kelly

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11 Comments
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China is heading towards starting a major war in the region. Despite China's bellicose attitude most nations are calm and rational in their responses. Can't say I can include Vietnam in that group though. They really have a grudge and they may not take it sitting down.

2 ( +6 / -4 )

As long as Taiwan remains independent and a US ally, its all just Bla bla bla bla bla bla bla

2 ( +2 / -0 )

In the last war PRC was with VN against US .... now it will would be US & VN against PRC, along with Japan riding to the relief of the Philippines. What a political black comedy.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

“China has its own limits to where it can go,” said Lee Tai-hwan, director of the China studies centre at the Sejong Institute near Seoul. “It can’t simply stop complying with U.N. sanctions against North Korea. They don’t want to leave a bad example in relations with neighbouring countries by doing something bad to South Korea.”

They've left many bad examples, and adding more.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

@OssanAmerica - I fully agree with you regarding China's attitude. On the other hand I think that if a war occurs it would be a very, very bad event for China as the economic fallout would be huge. China has always been good at testing limits. This reminds me of the old USSR/USA cold war days where provocations were used more as a test rather than a lead up to war. Perhaps this is what China is doing.

China's remarks regarding THAAD are laughable given how they are militarizing the oceans and engaging in a dramatic military build up throughout the East Asian waters.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

In the last war PRC was with VN against US

The last PRC war I remember was China invading Vietnam (and losing), which is one reason for the Vietnamese grudge against China. I am afraid some Chinese military leaders would be only too happy to attack Vietnam again, to make up for the loss of face.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Tokyo-EngrAug. 12, 2016 - 12:04PM JST @OssanAmerica - I fully agree with you regarding China's attitude. On the other hand I think that if a war occurs it would >be a very, very bad event for China as the economic fallout would be huge. China has always been good at testing limits. >This reminds me of the old USSR/USA cold war days where provocations were used more as a test rather than a lead up >to war. Perhaps this is what China is doing.

It could very well be. But pushing and pushing this "testing" is what causes incidents to occur, intentional or unintentional, which in turn can lead to conflict. Especially when you've got one side crazed with hyper-nationalism and their military openly talking about being ready for war all the time. Like all countries even China has it's hawks, moderates and doves. Unfortunately the current CCP leadership seems to be listening to the PLA hawks. Should conflict break out, I agree that China will be the loser politically and economically.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Look at the probable result: The nullification of sixty years of "strategic modernization." Xi Jin-ping and the Chinese Standing Politburo should visit the Japanese war dead shrine on August 15, 2016.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Dear Premier, hold your head up The US Government and the Government of Japan wish to tell you what to do. But they do not have the right. Educate the people of Japan as to what radiation contamination does to people. Yeah I want to tell the Premier what to do too.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Just a note. I’m not sure it is very accurate to say that China lost the short war with Vietnam. They certainly lost a lot of material and men, but they also achieved most of their goals, to the extent they are known. However most importantly is that China pulled out before the Vietnamese forces could accomplish any serious loss of face to them. So maybe it would be better to call it a tie.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

One thing is undeniable and that is that China has managed single handedly and without provocation, in the course of just a few short years to not only change Japan's post-WWII completely pacifist position, but to strengthen the US-Japan military alliance, as well as increase US military alliances in Asia and unite a wide range of nations from Vietnam to Australia against it. Really quite a feat, but was that what Xi Jingping was aiming to achieve? Do the PLA hawks really feel that China is ready to confront he United States now, rather than in a couple of decades?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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