Taiwan Warns It Will "Fight To Very Last Day" If China Attacks As US Warship Transits Strait

[Yongpeng Sun-Tastaufen]

I work with engineers from both sides of the strait. Over drinks, the Chinese guys admitted at the 'regular people' level, no one cares if Taiwan declares independence. However, once they return to China, then they sort of have to care because the government sort of forces them to care, at least at the superficial level. The Chinese guys realized from when they were young that the Taiwanese are a different people. One guy said that Chinese and Taiwanese are more different to each other than whites and black Americans are to each other. That was a shocker to me. The Chinese guys understand that Taiwan remaining de facto independent from China is more important to Taiwanese and unification is important to Chinese. The Chinese guys admitted that China will gain nothing with a forced Taiwan unification. So it sounds like this 'domestic consumption' is artificial on the China side.

Currently Taiwan has independence, but not sovereignty. China does not recognize Taiwan as a sovereign state. Of course, if Taiwan declares such, there will be war.

 

[Feng Leng]

I work with engineers from both sides of the strait. Over drinks, the Chinese guys admitted at the 'regular people' level, no one cares if Taiwan declares independence. However, once they return to China, then they sort of have to care because the government sort of forces them to care, at least at the superficial level. The Chinese guys realized from when they were young that the Taiwanese are a different people. One guy said that Chinese and Taiwanese are more different to each other than whites and black Americans are to each other. That was a shocker to me. The Chinese guys understand that Taiwan remaining de facto independent from China is more important to Taiwanese and unification is important to Chinese. The Chinese guys admitted that China will gain nothing with a forced Taiwan unification. So it sounds like this 'domestic consumption' is artificial on the China side.

Chinese engineers who speak English fluently enough to work and live overseas for extended periods of time are not representative of Chinese people.

 

[gambit]

it's comparable. Some rough numbers from Wikipedia:

1990 US vs. Iraq aircraft: 2780 (USAF+USN) vs 1114 (2.5x greater)
2021 PRC vs. ROC aircraft: 1373 (PLAAF) + 302 (naval aviation) vs 288 (5x greater)

1990 US vs. Iraq AWACs: 11 vs. 0 (+11)
2021 PRC vs. ROC AWACs: 45 vs. 5 (+40)

1990 US long ranged precision munitions launched: 288 Tomahawks, 35 AGM-86
2021 PRC long ranged precision munition available: Taiwanese claimed 2000+ SRBMs, 1000+ cruise missiles

One major difference is that the PLAN's destroyers and subs can be brought to bear against Taiwanese targets, while the USN mostly contributed naval aviation against Iraq. Here's an analysis of what a single 052D could do to the entire Taiwanese navy.

What do you think would happen if the US did not have a ground war in Desert Storm?

 

[Yongpeng Sun-Tastaufen]

What do you think would happen if the US did not have a ground war in Desert Storm?

Every war is different. America did not send a single ground soldier to Japanese home islands to beat Japan. Aerial bombardment did the trick.

 

[gambit]

Currently Taiwan has independence, but not sovereignty. China does not recognize Taiwan as a sovereign state. Of course, if Taiwan declares such, there will be war.

What for? What are the tangible losses to China if Taiwan declares independence?

 

[CAPRICORN-88]

Any foreign warship whether it is the size of an Aircraft Carrier ornot are all sitting ducks. If Pentagon are aware of the danger, I wonder how come its people appear so ignorant.

Maybe like the TIk Tok survey they did on US streets, folks in USA don't even know where Xinjiang is, or how many minutes is there in a kilometer, she replied 89. Paris in Italy is the smallest country in the world.

Some says Xinjiang is in South America and was so happy when she was told, it is correct.



And those clever blokes at the White House who thought Neil Armstrong was the first to land on the sun is now advising the President on how to run America and promoting democracy.

 

[Yongpeng Sun-Tastaufen]

What for? What are the tangible losses to China if Taiwan declares independence?

China law forbids two China states. There can only be one China. That is law. If Taiwan declares a sovereign state, the Taiwanese president will be hang like Saddam.

Anyway, Taiwan is not China's priority for the next few decades while America continues to weaken. Only after 2050 may Taiwan become an issue for China. For the next few decades China's priority is become world hegemon, not just Asia hegemon.

 

[Feng Leng]

What for? What are the tangible losses to China if Taiwan declares independence?

What are the tangible losses to USA if China conquers Taiwan, dominates Japan and drives USA influence out of East Asia?

 

[Yongpeng Sun-Tastaufen]

What are the tangible losses to USA if China conquers Taiwan, dominates Japan and drives USA influence out of East Asia?

Americans are obsessed about Taiwan. China can hardly care. China is already Asia hegemon if not world hegemon.

 

[gambit]

Every war is different. America did not send a single ground soldier to Japanese home islands to beat Japan. Aerial bombardment did the trick.

Looks like you are like the other guy -- not much of a reader.

Back in WW II, the US could not bear a prolonged air war against Japan, no matter how much industrial capacity the US have. Strictly on the technical front, the US could have. But a war is not merely conducted on the technical capabilities and this is where keyboard warriors like you do not understand. Or more likely CANNOT understand since you never made the effort at self education in the first place.

The US had an invasion plan just in case the A-bombs failed. Japan had a resistance plan called Operation Ketsu-go just in case the US had to invade.

 

[Yongpeng Sun-Tastaufen]

The US had an invasion plan just in case the A-bombs failed. Japan had a resistance plan called Operation Ketsu-go just in case the US had to invade.

Could have. Should have. Would have. Doesn't matter a damn. History is history. No one can change that.

 

[FairAndUnbiased]

What do you think would happen if the US did not have a ground war in Desert Storm?

without the ground war, US destroyed 96% of Iraqi electrical generation, killed 3000 civilians and 10k troops. The US was limited by lack of precision munitions and had restrictive RoE. This is understandable as it was a small war for the US. US did inflict 200% GDP losses on Yugoslavia ($29.6 billion) a few years later.

 

[gambit]

What are the tangible losses to USA if China conquers Taiwan, dominates Japan and drives USA influence out of East Asia?

You did not think before you asked that. You missed the error in your attempt to deflect. But the reason you deflect is because you know the answer: Zero. China would lose nothing tangible because China had nothing tangible on Taiwan for the last 60 yrs. So in the end, your question is pointless.

without the ground war, US destroyed 96% of Iraqi electrical generation, killed 3000 civilians and 10k troops. The US was limited by lack of precision munitions and had restrictive RoE. This is understandable as it was a small war for the US. US did inflict 200% GDP losses on Yugoslavia ($29.6 billion) a few years later.

Without the ground war, Iraq would have survived because just like in WW II, the US had no stomach to conduct a protracted air campaign based out of regional allies, and eventually, they would tire of that protracted air war as well. So even though we did stopped at 100 miles from Baghdad, the ground war was destructive enough against the Iraqi Army in that we broke their will to fight. Without an invasion of Taiwan, China cannot keep lobbing missiles at Taiwan HOPING that the Taiwanese will surrender.

 

[gambit]

Could have. Should have. Would have. Doesn't matter a damn. History is history. No one can change that.

Fine. Then let Taiwan go. What do you have to lose? Nothing.

 

[Feng Leng]

You did not think before you asked that. You missed the error in your attempt to deflect. But the reason you deflect is because you know the answer: Zero. China would lose nothing tangible because China had nothing tangible on Taiwan for the last 60 yrs. So in the end, your question is pointless.

LOL Taiwan is nothing more than our gateway to kicking USA out of East Asia so we can replace USA as the hegemon.