Taiwan is a poor example. Lincoln was the legitimate, elected representative of the United States. The communists weren't the legitimate government of the time. KMT was the considered the legitimate government. We did exactly the right thing by not acknowledging a hostile takeover of mainland China. That's why ROC held the permanent seat in the UN security council for 25 years. We didn't back Taiwan because we had Chiang Kai-Shek tattooed on our collective asses. We had sound legal reasoning behind. Did China recognize the Taliban government in Afghanistan? How about ISIS? Are you recognizing them too?
I'm glad you said the KMT is the legitimate government. The KMT was formed sometime before 1911, after 1911, along with Yuan Shikai, they forced the Qing government to abdicate, and give the reins of government to the Republic of China, which was headed by Yuan, NOT KMT. KMT was later outlawed and banished, they made a come back a little later, and formed a weak government in Guangdong, with the help of a warlord who later almost killed Sun Yatsen.
Sun Yatsen in turn, turned to the Soviets, and made he CCP a part of the Republic. Along with the CCP, with a Communist Regiment, YiTing, going head first into battle. In 1927, KMT purged CCP, as CCP held Shanghai and Chang wasn't about to let CCP have Shanghai, thousands were killed.
In the chain of events, the CCP was part of the republic of China, also made and legitimized by Sun himself, thus Sun was the father of both CCP and KMT.
The only way CCP isn't legitimate is if the purge made it so, would you say a purge can make a party illegitimate?
You can see the difference between Taliban, ISIS and CCP.
So you do see our problem with China crowding its neighbors
. But yet you disregard it?
Our recon is over international waters. The problem with you claiming the islands in the middle of the ocean is that you're putting the "Chinese coast" next to us not the other way around. The other countries don't mind us there because they have defense pacts with us.
We mind you guys flying near us, the Chinese coast was just China and you disregard it. Now we are taking actions into our own hands. Whatever others think in this issue isn't important, what is important is what we think.
This may come as a shock to you, but China doesn't take orders from the US, just like the US doesn't take orders from China. You do what you must do in cyber space and we will do what we must in South China Sea.
And I agree with the US policy. You can call me biased if you'd like (and to an extent, I'm sure I am). However, think of international waters and airspace as a park bench. You're welcome to sit on it. You just can't build a home around it and pretend like its yours. You said it yourself that it was creepy to stand 2" away from someone. If you're walking along, yeah you might brush up against someone, sometime. That's the difference between what we're doing and what you're building. We've brushing up against people as we walk by, you're the creepy guy who's standing way too close for comfort. China has a right to put any and all defensive or offensive systems its heart desires. What is not acceptable is building stuff in other people's EEZ.
It's not international waters, the Philippines and Vietnam and more claims it, which means EVEN IF our claim is illegitimate, those islands will still generate EEZ and territorial sea, according to BOTH Vietnam and Philippines, if they are to fall into their hands. Which means even though some may be inside other's EEZ, it doesn't make them theirs, there isn't a part of the law that says what's closer is yours.
As to brushing by, when I see a guy in a 10,000 dollar suit, I don't go up as close as possible, I would continue on my way, but not make a point to stand near him to show who's boss. If I did, he would file a restraining order, and this is our way of saying GTFO.
I think its great that you solved your border disputes with Pakistan, Russia and Mongolia. I don't know much about the your conflict with India. However, the little bit I looked up shows me that you agreed to the line drawn by the same guy when it came to your border with Burma. There is one interesting point I wanted to raise regarding your conflict with India. You're claiming an entire state there as yours. However, they've had control for 70 years. What is your plan if they woke up one day and said fine, its yours? Those people don't know Chinese. They have nothing in common with you. Your only basis for this claim is that the Qing empire once had peripheral control of this area through Tibet. Other than that, you've got nothing. This is all ancient history. Do you see why you're making your neighbors uncomfortable? Do you see why we think your claims are no more than glorified attempts at a land-grab?
Burmese and China signed treaties that settled the borders, same way we solved it with Pakistan, with the guy drawing the same line. India, however, especially Nehru sees India as the leading third world nation and wanted no part of a negotiation, thus came the 62 war.
Now you can see it however you like, someone in China might think Indian people are screwed over in America, but it doesn't matter because it is settled. Once these borders of China become settled again, who would even raise an eyebrow over what's China's and what isn't.
Nobody brings up the fact China Tajikistan dispute, they ceded land to us, but it doesn't matter, because it is settled.
BTW, India also claims Chinese territory, why don't you bring that up, it's not a one way claim.
Taiwan is a completely different from all the other cases because, in essence, they claim sovereignty over you and vice versa. It is not a classic border dispute.
Yet, there you are, which makes it worse, you are interfering in the internal politics of China. If Communism was a thing in the cold war, it stopped once the cold war stopped and we are no longer communist.
Before you bring up Taiwan attitude, the confederates didn't separate because they loved the union.
Again, PRC fought the ROC for supremacy over China. You are not the same entity. You don't automatically get everything they claimed. If you have anything that is not based on the Qing Empire or random claims by the ROC after WWII, I'd love to hear it. However, China would be better off taking it to arbitration. If you have a legitimate claim, I'm sure you'll prevail.
Of course, we gave Senkaku to Japan. We took it from them. They had it BEFORE WWII. Why would we give it back to you? You lost them in the first Sino-Japanese war.
All Japanese occupied territories are to be returned, that includes Taiwan which was. Now those islands were administered by the US after WW2, after US relinquished control who should it be returned to, according to the treaty that was signed by the Japanese, of which we are a party.
I'm guessing you're looking for more than North Korea/South Korea, India and the tensions today in the SCS?
The super powers created the Koreas, btw who really started Korean war is debatable, let's not forget the first Korean President is no charmer. India and China is a British creation, and South China Sea is a inherited claim of ROC.
BTW, the Vietnamese claim is also inherited from their American puppet, while Philippines came from the US, did a non existent nation create claims?
There are some terrific accomplishments there. Before you can take over the reins of this world, you're going to need to be either a economic or military superpower (preferably both, like you know who
). You're neither right now. 35 year of backbreaking work and sacrifices have brought to within 60 percent of us. I'm just wondering if you should be worrying about taking over the reins rather than how to get past us first.
Sure in PPP terms we are already #1, but I'm willing to wait for nominal #1. As to military, we are already advancing fast, America created F-15, only 30 years later did we create an equivalent, now, it's only 10 years. We'll have a hard time catching the US in numbers as we don't want to become a world police, and the world doesn't have room for a world police anymore, as current US dominance cannot last, due to the fact, China is getting a bigger slice and the pie isn't getting bigger.
Last taking South China Sea, final claim undecided, not going to be the entire 9 dash line, international organizations Africa, Asia and South American investment, and more, these are all part of it.
Unless you think after we pass you in GDP, and one day we wake up America accepts it. It's incremental, even the US needed the League than UN.