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With Taiwan drills, Xi tries to salvage something from Pelosi visit

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By Yew Lun Tian

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Former Singaporean diplomat Bilahari Kausikan said the hype is partly a face-saving effort for Xi, who cannot afford to look weak before the party congress.

Indeed, nothing but pure domestic theater....and whatever benefit China made by practicing a potential blockade was offset by the US and Japan watching and collecting intel on the whole operation...

"The hard and incontrovertible fact is that for all the bluster, China failed to deter the Pelosi visit. So the CCP has to put up a show in its response," he said.

And was that the main point? Did China deliberately make open threats and ultimatums knowing the US couldn't then back down, thus ensuring Pelosi's visit, giving it another opportunity to ramp up nationalism before this upcoming party congress?

Never underestimate the CCP's ability to lie, deflect, and distract...

14 ( +18 / -4 )

Sh1mon M4sadaToday  06:56 am JST

China's military planners have long discussed a blockade of Taiwan, but until now most likely saw practicing such a move as too provocative, security experts say.

This ^ is the most likely goal of the drills. They have been wanting to do this since for ever, and The White House (incompetent as usual) let China go through with it by distancing itself from Pelosi.

Xi is just shooting off his mouth again. He's using Pelosi's visit as an excuse to act bellicose and pompous when in fact he truly has nothing to say about this, and he doesn't have the right to in the first place.

Taiwan is its own nation, Xi needs to quit flapping his chops like a Pac-Man and suck it up like a real man.

12 ( +20 / -8 )

Xi isn't Mao.

From 1958 to 1962, his Great Leap Forward policy led to the deaths of up to 45 million people – easily making it the biggest episode of mass murder ever recorded.

Chinese govts have killed 100,000,000 people since 1900. That's pretty impressive, in a terrible way.

Xi is only in the millions killed with the argument that COVID was accidental. I suppose there is still time. I do believe that Xi will kill millions in the attempt to achieve his personal goals, unfortunately.

As for solutions to any blockades, they will need to be clandestine. We will never know, but I suspect lots of ships will quietly sink.

11 ( +15 / -4 )

China has shown how weak minded they really are.

10 ( +16 / -6 )

China: Let's make threats so the US will back down from the Pelosi trip. If they do, no smaller country would dare defy us. And if the US defies us and Pelosi visits Taiwan, we can do a blockade rehersal that we;ve always wanted to do. A win-win scenaro!

US: We don't take orders from China. Pelosi will visit Taiwan and reaffirm our support.

China: We warned you! Now we will carry out a huge excercise that will serve as a rehersal for a blockade.

US: Everybody got that? New data for our simulations.

AUS/JPN/INDIA/NATO: Yup got it.

7 ( +13 / -6 )

Xi needs to take a Valium and chill. He’s way too serious.

7 ( +8 / -1 )

Chinese President Xi Jinping may not have been able to stop Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, but he ordered his country's military

Xi Jinping is another overly sensitive, delicate new world order man, like his BFF Putin, if someone he does not like gets too near him he orders his military to get involved. Warmongering dictators, are keeping the world on edge because of their fragile egos. And most of the globe's authoritarians forbid opposition parties to challenge them, and run sham elections to ensure they remain in power. Yes, I am aware Zelensky, whose country has been invaded and is at war, has restricted opposition. And that Putin's puppet was voted out of office, unlike Putin's puppet Lukashenko who refuses to leave, most democracies have many problems to be fixed but as long as a balance of power remains there is a chance a dictator-wannabe can be limited in what they might try to do to increase their personal wealth and power.

6 ( +11 / -5 )

The free world is not scared of Xi and China's sad and pathetic naval exercises. They will stay the course.

The Chinese are the ones who are rattled, seeing this as a "crisis". So in that sense the visit by Pelosi was a big success, as well as shoring up the US backing of free Taiwan.

6 ( +13 / -7 )

A rehearsal is much different than the real thing. Good luck with that China. You will be fighting a country that is not afraid to use it’s military night to decimate its enemy.

6 ( +10 / -4 )

Xi needs to take a Valium and chill. He’s way too serious.

He needs to shove one up the fire escape and smoke a joint.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

Anything china may do, militarily, is going to be a BIG LOSS in the long run, they know it and WE know it…but you know, all that armament has a shelf life.

5 ( +9 / -4 )

The Beijing ***** will be met with fierce and unending resistance. Taiwan will fight to the end.

Boycott China. Hands off Taiwan.

Xi the Chinese tyrant is another "man child" megalomaniac ready to push the world into a catastrophic war solely for his own personal glorification.

4 ( +9 / -5 )

Might

4 ( +6 / -2 )

Sh1mon m4sada:

Making the White House useful to the CCP has been a pattern since the Obama era.

Since the Nixon era actually. He switched recognition from the Republic of China (taiwan) to the peoples Republic of china.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

bass4funk

Could the CCP really be that stupid, as to invade Taiwan ?

Did you ask yourself the same thing when Putin saber rattled about invading and taking over Ukraine? People shrugged that off and now here we are.

And look how that is going for Putin. It has been an unmitigated disaster from day one. I doubt that Russia will recover from it.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Could the CCP really be that stupid, as to invade Taiwan ?

3 ( +6 / -3 )

They are trying to disguise the humiliating and revealing blow they just had, when all the hostile threats from China about Pelosi’s visit were ignored and nothing happened in response.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Very well put. . . literally.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

There is little doubt for the EU commission/Europe as a continent the consequences if Taiwan were to fall under the Government of China jackboot 

60 percent of EU imports from Taiwan are associated with machinery and numerous electronic appliances across multiple sectors in 2021.

However, this pales in comparison for European businesses the prospect of/to a threat to supplies if the world’s biggest semiconductor company: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), outsourcing more than 45% semiconductor market were at risk

Pelosi wasted little time after stepping of the aircraft setting up a meeting with Mark Liu TSMC chairman.

A full blockade of the Taiwan Strait, would be unthinkable for the future of global economy/trade.

The leadership of the free world needs to accept and confront the Government of China.  

No more appeasement, turning a blind eye.

Sanction, debt cancellation, embargos, and yes military confrontation.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

That was a great fire works show China put on. Now everyone can go home and replay it on YouTube.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

What exactly did Pelosi's visit achieve?

2 ( +4 / -2 )

It’s not the first time the crazy Ruskies have unleashed their weaponry around nuclear power plants. Idiocy knows no bounds.

Putin … global menace #1.

1 ( +5 / -4 )

> Fighto!Today  08:10 am JST

The free world is not scared of Xi and China's sad and pathetic naval exercises. They will stay the course.

The Chinese are the ones who are rattled, seeing this as a "crisis". So in that sense the visit by Pelosi was a big success, as well as shoring up the US backing of free Taiwan.

It's happened numerous times before. The US isn't going to let the CCP take over Taiwan.

'Crisis'? What crisis? That's Orwellian newspeak 4 ya. Just like Trashtrump's sass about a 'border crisis' and 'invasion' by those 'animals'. Totalitarian propagandic BS.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

What exactly did Pelosi's visit achieve?

She honestly believes that by doing a few photo-ops she is saving the world from tyranny, and if her actions trigger war, it’s not her fault.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Pooh bear has failed in his effort then.

Yes, I am aware Zelensky, whose country has been invaded and is at war, has restricted opposition.

The British Fascist party was banned during WW2 as well, preventing self avowed supporters of your enemies from undermining you is a perfectly reasonable response in time of war. Not all opposition parties have been banned just those supporting the russians.

We shall see how all this goes down at the Party Conference, not everyone in the party is enamoured of Xi.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Could the CCP really be that stupid, as to invade Taiwan ?

No, it’ll be a blockade like a medieval castle siege without scaling walls or ramming doors.

Think boa constrictor and not a lion attack.

China wants to make Taiwan insignificant like Hong Kong. They are taking on TSMC. without which Taiwan will be insignificant.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

The Taiwan Strait was never blocked,their are 100 of ships going to Taiwan and China, China going to war would be bankrupt by an war Google Marine Traffic Taiwan Strait

0 ( +2 / -2 )

2020hindsightsAug. 8  01:13 pm JST

bass4funk

Could the CCP really be that stupid, as to invade Taiwan ?

Did you ask yourself the same thing when Putin saber rattled about invading and taking over Ukraine? People shrugged that off and now here we are.

And look how that is going for Putin. It has been an unmitigated disaster from day one. I doubt that Russia will recover from it.

If Russia does conquer the Ukraine, if they do win this war it's going to be a Pyrrhic victory at best. Not only will the UN sanctions do their toll over time, but Putin is a pariah. And now this war has bogged down to the urban guerilla level which truly sucks for the Russian soldiers. As the autumn approaches then the winter it's going to be very hard for those troops and morale is really gonna sag, big time. Putin gleefully thought it'd all be done by now, but it looks like he's got a Vietnam/Iraq/Afghanistan (US + USSR)/Somalia/maybe Haiti on his hands. It ain't so EZ now, is it Vlad Pudding Head?

And as for Taiwan, Xi is just popping off his chops - again. He's just thumping his chest and bellowing like an ox but he's just being a juvenile ill-mannered lippy sassybrat like that phony POTUS the US just recently had.

And as an afternote - did any of you hear that Roger Waters of Pink Floyd claims that Taiwan is part of China, has been since 1946? He also seems to deny that Mao's CCP murdered zillions of Chinese (and Tibetans). WTH, man? Is he NUTS?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

He did.

Besides, Tsai has been bowing to Pelosi and her entourage so often that it is virtually a disgrace to many Taiwan Chinese.

If she has to rely so heavily on US to defend, then may as well quit now..

0 ( +0 / -0 )

starpunk

And as an afternote - did any of you hear that Roger Waters of Pink Floyd claims that Taiwan is part of China, has been since 1946? He also seems to deny that Mao's CCP murdered zillions of Chinese (and Tibetans). WTH, man? Is he NUTS?

I saw the interview. Roger Waters gave the ignorant CNN propagandist aka "journalist" a much needed education on the Ukraine issue, of which the CNN guy clearly knew nothing except shallow talking points. About China, Rogers correctly pointed out that the US and most of the world officially recognizes CCP China and not Taiwan. (Remember it was Jimmy Carter who made that decision in 1979). I disagree with him that that is a permanent state. However, if anyone is "nuts" I would say it is those people who take there information directly and uncritically from CNN et al.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

*And as an afternote - did any of you hear that Roger Waters of Pink Floyd claims that Taiwan is part of China, has been since 1946? He also seems to deny that Mao's CCP murdered zillions of Chinese (and Tibetans). WTH, man? Is he NUTS?*

Saw that on Tik Tok. You might want to read up on Mao. The US embargoes China for decades with designs to cripple the CCP and the country. There was famine and desperate measures were taken resulting in deaths of millions. I’ve spoken with American who thought that Mao went around slashing people like Freddie or Jason. The embargo was over twenty years it still didn’t kill off the ruling Communists. Sanctions won’t work if China invades Taiwan which they will not

Waters is just stating a fact: the UN and US recognizes Taiwan as a part of China. That was the agreement the Americans have honored since Nixon.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Xi tries to salvage something from Pelosi visit

Perhaps he made an omelet from all the egg on his face?

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

American people are the ultimate deciders ,that we will defend Taiwan,I hate when a bunch of non American,invoke American military power as if they are part of it protection

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Sad days potentially face us all going forward.

Ukraine

Taiwan

Bosnia

Turkey

United Kingdom

All are facing huge issues that are not the morm. and could potentially lead to the "Spark" that causes the next "Fire" within the Global arena, perhaps leading to the end of Human-kind...

Sad days indeed....

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Never underestimate the CCP's ability to lie, deflect, and distract...

....or any other government or regime.... SOP

-2 ( +10 / -12 )

I guess it would be no problem managing two wars at the same time

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

Decisions of China lashing out post Pelosi’s visit:

Cancellation of the phone call between the leaders of the Chinese and American military theaters.

Cancel the working meeting between the Chinese and the US Department of Defense.

Cancel the meeting of the China-US Maritime Military Security Consultation Mechanism...

The above three points are designed to support PLA’s growth (China is massively outbuilding the USA in almost all categories of military hardware) and the activities are more opaque to Americans. 

Suspend China-US cooperation in the repatriation of illegal immigrants.

This in essence means the US won’t be able to send Chinese illegals back to China again.

Suspend China-US criminal judicial assistance cooperation.

Suspend China-US cooperation in combating transnational crimes.

Suspend China-US cooperation in drug control.

The above three points end the special measures China took to prevent illicit drugs from getting smuggled to the USA from China.

Suspend Sino-US climate change talks.

This is more or less lip service. Though China is the world leader in renewable energy, they are the number one polluters as well.

The suspension of cooperation on criminal and immigration issues will have impact on the Americans. The rest will not as much.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Sh1mon M4sada

And look how that is going for Putin.

Rather good I would have thought.

Record shipment of energy at record prices,

Europe becoming independent for gas and oil, not good if that is Russia's only export.

record seizure of territories, Crimea seems to have been completely forgotten.

He has to maintain those. It's not over yet.

New partnership with China, Turkey, Africa - ie winning more friends than ever.

That was all before he invaded Ukraine, asn so not a direct consequence of the invasion.

Finland and Sweden joining NATO. BIG FAIL for Putin.

Don't forget he wanted regime change and a puppet in power, that was his war aim and he has failed at that. Now he has sanctions and a costly war with Ukraine.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

Pelosi's decision to invade China (remember that the US, the breakaway province of Taipei, China and Japan all agree that it is indeed Chinese territory even though some of them unofficially consider it to be what Donetsk and Luhansk were supposed to have become by the Minsk Treaty, an independently governed part of the the larger country) enraged the Chinese POPULATION, leaving the government to have to make a big, showy, dramatic, immediate public response.

That's why the simulation of a reunification by force, including the very clear message that China has the capability to hit any target, anywhere on the island, from a distance that routing the missiles right across the island to the exercise area off shore on the other side sends.

The visit is getting a smaller, almost invisible, quiet response, too, the enforcement of the Chinese labeling laws that don't recognize ROC or TAIWAN as valid country of origin designations, and I expect a slow escalation of that sort of measures to accompany a lot of 'back channel' negotiations on the terms by which an official or semiofficial reunification will be carried out.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

I am old enough to remember how our "mainstream" media went ballistic when Trump took a phone call from the Taiwans president. They call him a complete idiot for suggesting that Taiwn exists. How the "mainstream" narrative has changed.... enough to get whiplash.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Could the CCP really be that stupid, as to invade Taiwan ?

Did you ask yourself the same thing when Putin saber rattled about invading and taking over Ukraine? People shrugged that off and now here we are.

-4 ( +4 / -8 )

The drills have helped China to reveal the dire hypocrisy of US.

On one hand, White House appears to uphold the 1-China policy. On the other, some presumptuous leaders of Washington opt for the contrary.

It is impossible to trust such a split nation..

-5 ( +1 / -6 )

AUS/JPN/INDIA/NATO: Yup got it.

Are you suggesting the above are not savvy enough and fell into this trap? Incompetence, looking the other way, tacit agreement or just being played like a fiddle?

-6 ( +0 / -6 )

And look how that is going for Putin.

Rather good I would have thought.

Record shipment of energy at record prices, record seizure of territories, Crimea seems to have been completely forgotten. New partnership with China, Turkey, Africa - ie winning more friends than ever.

Conversely, how's it going for Biden?

Atrocious pullout of Afghanistan.

NK developing and testing rockets again.

South American nations pivoting further and further away from USA.

Ukraine Invasion.

China practice invasion of Taiwan.

Seriously, stop reading mainstream media as though the generated narrative is the facts because at this rate, we are all going to be begging the likes of Birkshire, Blackrock etc to let us learn Mandarin so we can work for a Chinese company.

-6 ( +1 / -7 )

All you people that are not American citizens,you are on your on with dealing with China, American will only defend themselves,and leave to rest of you to fend for yourself, except Mexico and Canada

-7 ( +0 / -7 )

China's military planners have long discussed a blockade of Taiwan, but until now most likely saw practicing such a move as too provocative, security experts say.

This ^ is the most likely goal of the drills. They have been wanting to do this since for ever, and The White House (incompetent as usual) let China go through with it by distancing itself from Pelosi.

Not that I think Pelosi is truly in it either, it could be just a rouse to obfuscate the fact the Biden administration is folding to the China invest crowd (and there is no shortage of them on Wall St). Making the White House useful to the CCP has been a pattern since the Obama era.

-15 ( +7 / -22 )

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