Taiwan: Chinese Sending Military Planes "Almost Daily"

[Diahon]

Stop the presses. Stop the fucking presses.

China is sending military planes near Taiwan with increasing frequency in what appears to be a stepping up of its threat to use force to take control of the island, Taiwan’s foreign minister said Wednesday.

oh shit oh fuck oh shit oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck

That lead doesn't fuck around, does it?

I don't know if anyone who's been watching Xi long enough saw this as an inevitability, but this is to me a shocker, an outlier beyond even my wildest expectations of what this year is going to be like.

Xi, old-school irredentist? Of all things possible on this day and age -- THAT?! It was out of sight, out of mind for me, for Taiwan was both economically prosperous yet utterly insignificant next to China's present might.

China does not need Taiwan, so risking all-out war and wholesale destruction just for so geographically insignificant a claim...

... preposterous, and yet...

There can be no end to this mischief once this starts, once Xi orders the occupation of the island and the effective destruction of its inhabitants. If Xi's China is an expansionist state hellbent and successful at expanding its territory even though it has no reason to beyond Xi's own thousand-galaxy-brained thought about what he thinks is his Middle Kingdom's domain, what's next for it?

The Philippines -- my Philippines -- with the riches its has left even after decades of exploitation, misappropriation, and abuse, due to Xi's claim to the Spratlys?

Vietnam, previous dynasts having conquered and subjugated the country hundreds and thousands of years ago?

The Koreas? Nepal? Bhutan? Mongolia? Eastern central Asia? Japan?

What next?

[Picairn]

Fourth Taiwan Strait Crisis, here we come!

[Greed and Death]

The US is tied up with the pandemic.

This would be the ideal time to bring that wayward providence back into the fold.

[Greed and Death]

Also in other unrelated news the consulates to China in the US are being closed.

[The Emerald Legion]

The US is tied up with the pandemic.

This would be the ideal time to bring that wayward providence back into the fold.

It's almost like maybe informing the world that a fleet is inoperable due to Covid was a bad idea.

[-Astoria-]

Can we just skip over 2020 already?

[Valrifell]

Also in other unrelated news the consulates to China in the US are being closed.

Here's a story on the topic if you don't trust G&D

[Diahon]

Can we just skip over 2020 already?

If you as a Nigerian already feel this, then you have an inkling of how I, sitting in the country south of X, have been feeling.

[Diahon]

Also in other unrelated news the consulates to China in the US are being closed.

Here's a story on the topic if you don't trust G&D

This may or may not be relevant to this thread, but if possible please refrain from talking about this unless it's demonstrably relevant, yes?

[Valrifell]

Here's a story on the topic if you don't trust G&D

This may or may not be relevant to this thread, but if possible please refrain from talking about this unless it's demonstrably relevant, yes?

Of course, it is nominally unlinked to the increasing military tensions.

Just further reinforcing the idea of deteriorating relations between the PRC and the US, which this episode is also a part of.

[Diahon]

This may or may not be relevant to this thread, but if possible please refrain from talking about this unless it's demonstrably relevant, yes?

Of course, it is nominally unlinked to the increasing military tensions.

Just further reinforcing the idea of deteriorating relations between the PRC and the US, which this episode is also a part of.

Yes, but this thread is focusing on one extremely fraught sign of that deterioration.

[New Visayan Islands]

Can we just skip over 2020 already?

King Crimson doesn't go that far in one go.

Anyway, yikes. First HK, now TW?

[-Astoria-]

King Crimson doesn't go that far in one go.

who?

[Thermodolia]

This may or may not be relevant to this thread, but if possible please refrain from talking about this unless it's demonstrably relevant, yes?

Of course, it is nominally unlinked to the increasing military tensions.

Just further reinforcing the idea of deteriorating relations between the PRC and the US, which this episode is also a part of.

WW3 here we come!!

[Diahon]

King Crimson doesn't go that far in one go.

who?

the rock band

probably

Of course, it is nominally unlinked to the increasing military tensions.

Just further reinforcing the idea of deteriorating relations between the PRC and the US, which this episode is also a part of.

WW3 here we come!!

on another note, though -- astoria, can i apply for asylum in nigeria asap?

[New Visayan Islands]

who?

the rock band

probably

Close.

I'm starting to understand why "living in interesting times" is supposed to be a bad thing.

[Novus America]

This is probably just bluff and bluster. Xi actually outright invading Taiwan would be stupid and insane.
Unfortunately something being stupid and insane does not mean a madman like Xi would not do it.

So although I still think an outright invasion unlikely we cannot ignore the possibility it might happen. And if it does we should interfere to stop it.

Also long past time to drop this “one China” silliness and recognize the ROC as a separate state from the PRC.

By recognizing the PRC as the only government of “China” we are only encouraging PRC revanchism and irredentism.

[Lanorth]

This is probably just bluff and bluster. Xi actually outright invading Taiwan would be stupid and insane.
Unfortunately something being stupid and insane does not mean a madman like Xi would not do it.

So although I still think an outright invasion unlikely we cannot ignore the possibility it might happen. And if it does we should interfere to stop it.

Also long past time to drop this “one China” silliness and recognize the ROC as a separate state from the PRC.

By recognizing the PRC as the only government of “China” we are only encouraging PRC revanchism and irredentism.

Agreed. But I bet Taiwan could kick China's ass in a defensive war, especially with NATO, in the contingent event that war broke out.

[Thermodolia]

This is probably just bluff and bluster. Xi actually outright invading Taiwan would be stupid and insane.
Unfortunately something being stupid and insane does not mean a madman like Xi would not do it.

So although I still think an outright invasion unlikely we cannot ignore the possibility it might happen. And if it does we should interfere to stop it.

Also long past time to drop this “one China” silliness and recognize the ROC as a separate state from the PRC.

By recognizing the PRC as the only government of “China” we are only encouraging PRC revanchism and irredentism.

Idk we’ve just kicked the Chinese out of Houston so I’d expect this spat to continue

[Earthbound Immortal Squad]

Am I the only one who sees quite a disturbing few parallels with the expansion of the Nazi regime in the 30's and the rest of Europe not doing anything to stop the Nazi's while they took Austria, the Sudetenland and other territories and what China is doing now. But hey tearing down statues of dead slave owners is more important to some people it would seem.

[Valrifell]

Am I the only one who sees quite a disturbing few parallels with the expansion of the Nazi regime in the 30's and the rest of Europe not doing anything to stop the Nazi's while they took Austria, the Sudetenland and other territories and what China is doing now. But hey tearing down statues of dead slave owners is more important to some people it would seem.

Did that feel good? Get it out of your system?

[Andsed]

Of course, it is nominally unlinked to the increasing military tensions.

Just further reinforcing the idea of deteriorating relations between the PRC and the US, which this episode is also a part of.

WW3 here we come!!

Fucking finally. The writers have been teasing it for far to long.

[Earthbound Immortal Squad]

Am I the only one who sees quite a disturbing few parallels with the expansion of the Nazi regime in the 30's and the rest of Europe not doing anything to stop the Nazi's while they took Austria, the Sudetenland and other territories and what China is doing now. But hey tearing down statues of dead slave owners is more important to some people it would seem.

Did that feel good? Get it out of your system?

I took no joy or hatred in that I merely made my observation of recent events and their respective magnitudes in the grand scheme of things.

[Greed and Death]

Also in other unrelated news the consulates to China in the US are being closed.

Here's a story on the topic if you don't trust G&D

Why would no one trust me ?

Surely I wouldn't use escalating tensions to suggest falling diplomatic conditions might result in nuclear war.

[Nakena]

Did that feel good? Get it out of your system?

I took no joy or hatred in that I merely made my observation of recent events and their respective magnitudes in the grand scheme of things.

Godwins Law in effect. What the PRC does is concerning enough in its own right and context. We don't need to bring in Adolf.