China Intensifies Military Build-up Against Taiwan: Report

[GUNNER]

China Intensifies Military Build-up Against Taiwan: Report

TAIPEI, Sept 1, 2010 - China is ramping-up its military presence facing Taiwan despite the easing of hostilities across the Strait, a defence ministry report cited by local media warned Wednesday.

"Although the cross-Strait ties have improved significantly in recent years, the Chinese communists' military have not slowed at all their pace of build-up aimed at Taiwan," the United Daily News said, citing the ministry report.

In a report to the US Congress last month, the Pentagon also warned that China's military build-up against the island has "continued unabated" despite improving political relations across the Taiwan Strait.

China's military spending for 2010 rose 7.5 percent on last year, in spite of the global economic downturn, said the Taiwan report which was sent to parliament last week.

Looking ahead, the defence report said Beijing may offer concessions to Taipei on minor issues but will not budge on the decades-old dispute over the island's sovereignty.

Ties between Taiwan and the mainland have improved markedly since 2008 when Ma Ying-jeou of the Beijing-friendly Kuomintang party came to power.

But despite the fast warming ties, Beijing still refuses to renounce the use of force against the island, saying it was aimed at preventing the independence movement gathering ground on the island.

The People's Liberation Army may also attack the island "should the military tip the balance seriously towards Beijing," the defence report was quoted as saying.

It also cautioned of the likelihood of Chinese military action should Taipei push for a referendum on independence, or if it amends the constitution in favour of independence.

Last month's Pentagon report said China is investing in nuclear weapons, long-range missiles, submarines, aircraft carriers and cyber warfare.

"The balance of cross-Strait military forces continues to shift in the mainland's favor," the report said.

Beijing still considers Taiwan part of its territory awaiting reunification -- by force if necessary -- even though the island has ruled itself since 1949 at the end of a civil war.

 

[yangtomous]

hehe,so funny an American say that .no Chinese said that civil war was end ,it may break out again anytimes.and this is just China civil war about PRC and Taiwan .Uncle Sam also support that Taiwan is a part of China since1979.the United States recognized the Government of the PRC as the sole legal government of China and acknowledged the PRC position that there is but one China and Taiwan is part of China.
Republic of China ? United States relations - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Dark Angel]

Us is a game changer but to what extend and the myths are too hyped imho

 

[Vassnti]

Back on topic it almost seems like there are two groups running China.

One belives (( as i do )) that reunification is inevitable, economic ties are stronger every year with in a decade or two at most China and Taiwan will be so close that being seperate will seem silly. There will be a new generation that see each other as brothers rather than old adversaries and things will work out.

yet at the same time there are people talking war installing new missiles like it is 1950 and they expect the Kuomintang to invade.

Why two such different approaces to the same problem?

 

[below_freezing]

its very consistent. why are there rewards for doing good and punishments for committing crimes?

 

[DesiGuy]

You don't even have the guts to attack North Korea after they attacked and sunk the battleship of a US ally.

Even a single nuke scares off Americans. The USA only attacks weak nations like Vietnam... and LOSES to these weak nations.

you should be thankful, that obama is president, NOT BUSH!

 

[CardSharp]

Back on topic it almost seems like there are two groups running China.

One belives (( as i do )) that reunification is inevitable, economic ties are stronger every year with in a decade or two at most China and Taiwan will be so close that being seperate will seem silly. There will be a new generation that see each other as brothers rather than old adversaries and things will work out.

yet at the same time there are people talking war installing new missiles like it is 1950 and they expect the Kuomintang to invade.

Why two such different approaces to the same problem?

Carrot and the stick my friend. The CCP tried in the 90's and early 2000's to intimidate Taiwan towards reunification by firing missiles over the island and running military exercises at Taiwanese election times.

This backfired horribly and a very-pro separatist president got elected. Some heads must rolled and the CCP altered its policy and next tried the carrot approach. It invited the KMT chairman to visit the Mainland and started normalizing things like post and air flights. This worked out much better and this combined with a corrupt Pres. Chen ensured a Pan blue victory in the last election.

But just because the carrot has been offered, doesn't mean the stick isn't there. The implications now has become that the PLA is strong enough to challenge the US at least around its own coast line and the moment Taiwan declares independence, there will be a immediate invasion.

But neither the US or China want this and China hasn't done stupid things like firing missiles over the island in a while and the US has largely told Taiwan to shut up about independence.

(I am not really very knowledgeable about this field, I'm sure other Chinese members can fill you in better)

 

[Nomenclature]

Reunification is impossible unless there's substantial military power to enforce the claim if necessary.

What's the incentive for Taiwan to reunify with the mainland? Currently zero. They're doing quite well themselves and won't gain anything positive upon reunification.

Since there's no positive to be gained for Taiwan, if mainland want reunification, it will have to show there's negative to be avoid by a peaceful reunification, namely, a very costly military confrontation.

 

[CardSharp]

You don't even have the guts to attack North Korea after they attacked and sunk the battleship of a US ally.

Even a single nuke scares off Americans. The USA only attacks weak nations like Vietnam... and LOSES to these weak nations.

Does anyone else think it's funny that the US and SK have gone silent on the Cheonan's actual sinking. The thing is I'm pretty sure the Cheonan was just a South Korean screwup, not a North Korean attack. The Russians have publicly come out and said it was likely that Cheonan's idiot skipper ran into a mine and now Nature has published a report against the claim that it was a torpedo.

For anyone not familiar, Nature is the holy grail of scientific publications. Every scientist would give their left arm for an article worthy of Nature, so if they've published evidence against the US, SK, Japan report, I am going to accept their version of events.


http://www.nature.com/news/2010/100714/full/466302b.html

 

[anon45]

Does anyone else think it's funny that the US and SK have gone silent on the Cheonan's actual sinking. The thing is I'm pretty sure the Cheonan was just a South Korean screwup, not a North Korean attack. The Russians have publicly come out and said it was likely that Cheonan's idiot skipper ran into a mine and now Nature has published a report against the claim that it was a torpedo.

For anyone not familiar, Nature is the holy grail of scientific publications. Every scientist would give their left arm for an article worthy of Nature, so if they've published evidence against the US, SK, Japan report, I am going to accept their version of events.


Questions raised over Korean torpedo claims : Nature News

The response to it has been the military exercises China has been crying about. Just because its run its course in the news doesn't mean there hasn't been action. A more in depth report showing the methods used to determine the outcome are also set to be released any day now if you have a continued interest in it, though it is supposed to be very lengthy.

I'm no physicist, but the comments section of your link seems to contain a pretty good counterargument to the article.

 

[CardSharp]

Does anyone else think it's funny that the US and SK have gone silent on the Cheonan's actual sinking. The thing is I'm pretty sure the Cheonan was just a South Korean screwup, not a North Korean attack. The Russians have publicly come out and said it was likely that Cheonan's idiot skipper ran into a mine and now Nature has published a report against the claim that it was a torpedo.

For anyone not familiar, Nature is the holy grail of scientific publications. Every scientist would give their left arm for an article worthy of Nature, so if they've published evidence against the US, SK, Japan report, I am going to accept their version of events.


Questions raised over Korean torpedo claims : Nature News

The response to it has been the military exercises China has been crying about. Just because its run its course in the news doesn't mean there hasn't been action. A more in depth report showing the methods used to determine the outcome are also set to be released any day now if you have a continued interest in it, though it is supposed to be very lengthy.

I'm no physicist, but the comments section of your link seems to contain a pretty good counterargument to the article.

Note above that I refer to the sinking itself and did not mean that the US response isn't on-going and significant.

As for the comment section? Don't mistake it for a peer-review process, the only credentials you need to post there is a political opinion and a keyboard.

 

[Beskar]

Nothing to see here, Troll's been banned.

Back to the topic, shall we?

 

[Vassnti]

Reunification is impossible unless there's substantial military power to enforce the claim if necessary.

What's the incentive for Taiwan to reunify with the mainland? Currently zero. They're doing quite well themselves and won't gain anything positive upon reunification.

Since there's no positive to be gained for Taiwan, if mainland want reunification, it will have to show there's negative to be avoid by a peaceful reunification, namely, a very costly military confrontation.

Military confrontation isnt reunification it is conquest, an invasion of Taiwan would destroy any benifit to China and leave you with 20 million angry people to deal with. China could win the war but it might not win the peace.

 

[Chinese-Dragon]

Military confrontation isnt reunification it is conquest, an invasion of Taiwan would destroy any benifit to China and leave you with 20 million angry people to deal with. China could win the war but it might not win the peace.

You're right.

Of course the main goal is peaceful reunification. I am fully AGAINST the use of any violence against our brothers in Taiwan. There has already been enough bloodshed and civil war between brothers and sisters.

Right now I think the overall best solution is to maintain the status quo, to give China some time to conduct democratic reform. If Taiwan still does not want reunification after that, I think we should just let them go. Another war between Chinese brothers and sisters is not worth it.

I think the chances of peaceful reunification INCREASE as time goes on... and as China becomes more developed. So maintaining the status quo gives us the best chance of a positive outcome.

 

[siegecrossbow]

I personally considers military reunification the LAST LAST possible way to handle the reunification. It should not be used UNLESS the Ultra-Independence people declares independence, which will leave China with no choice. As Vassiniti said it will cause huge losses of human lives and destruction of infrastructure and will alienate the Taiwanese and mainlanders for decades to come.

The ultra-independence people, however, will not be able to interfere with Taiwanese politics significantly. Millions of Taiwanese, even some who support Independence, enjoy the flourishing business relations with the mainland. I think the numbers of Taiwanese living in the mainland also numbers in the millions right now and across-strait marriage rates are at an all time high. Why hurry? Give the Taiwanese people time and I am sure that they will make the right decision. There is a lot more benefits to be gained from reunification with China than independence.