Randy W Posted July 21, 2022 Report Share Posted July 21, 2022 from the Global Times It would seem that China needs to learn to handle its "internal matters" internally. If Pelosi goes to Taiwan, it will be a huge historic mistake for Washington: Global Times editorial Published: Jul 19, 2022 08:38 PM Quote Pelosi, 82, once said she has been considered the most disliked person in China for over 30 years. She should be ashamed of that apt label. Over the years, Pelosi has never been absent from the areas where troubles could be made in China-US relations. On the Taiwan question in particular, she was one of the first US congressional leaders to call to offer congratulations when Chen Shui-bian was elected as the regional leader in the island of Taiwan back in 2000. Just earlier this year, she also met via video with the island's vice leader Lai Ching-te, who was on his trip to the US. The US will hold midterm elections later this year, and the Democratic Party is at a disadvantage. Pelosi's focus on the Taiwan Straits at this moment seems to be a desperate attempt to take another chance. However, visiting Taiwan is definitely a red line that Pelosi must never cross. China is resolute in defending national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and has the right to take forceful measures against "Taiwan independence" secessionist forces and extraterritorial forces at any time in accordance with changes in the situation, including against the trip and Pelosi herself. China has asked the US side not to arrange Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, and stressed that "the US must be fully responsible for all consequences caused by this." It must be noted that if some US politicians want to use the Taiwan question to make political capital, they will certainly have a deeper understanding and feeling of the old Chinese saying, "he who plays with fire will get burned." Pelosi could spark ‘more serious’ Taiwan Straits crisis; China-US ties would fall off cliff if Washington intended to crash ‘guardrails’ China-US ties would fall off cliff if Washington intended to crash ‘guardrails’ Link to comment
Randy W Posted July 25, 2022 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2022 from a CNN's Meanwhile in China email China's response to Pelosi's potential Taiwan visit could be 'unprecedented' but military conflict unlikely, experts say The United States is no stranger to China's angry responses over its support for Taiwan, a self-governing island that Beijing claims as its own territory. But last week, China's warnings against a potential trip by US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi's to Taipei appeared to have caused concern in Washington. Following reports of Pelosi's plans, China's Foreign Ministry vowed last Tuesday to take "resolute and forceful measures" if the trip goes ahead. Since then, a flurry of remarks from US officials have only added to the sense of alarm. On Wednesday, US President Joe Biden told reporters the US military thinks a Taiwan visit by Pelosi is "not a good idea right now." On Thursday, Pelosi said it's important to show support for Taiwan but declined to discuss any travel plans citing security. "I think what the President was saying is that maybe the military was afraid of my plane getting shot down or something like that. I don't know exactly," Pelosi said. On Sunday, former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also weighed in, offering to join Pelosi on her reported trip. "Nancy, I'll go with you. I'm banned in China, but not freedom-loving Taiwan. See you there!" Pompeo wrote on Twitter. In private, Biden administration officials have expressed concern that China could seek to declare a no-fly zone over Taiwan to upend the possible trip, a US official told CNN. The Chinese government has not specified in public what "forceful measures" it is planning to take, but some Chinese experts say Beijing's reaction could involve a military component. "China will respond with unprecedented countermeasures — the strongest it has ever taken since the Taiwan Strait crises," said Shi Yinhong, an international relations professor at China's Renmin University. Military conflicts flared across the Taiwan Strait in the 1950s — the decade after the founding of Communist China, with Beijing shelling several outlying islands controlled by Taipei on two separate occasions. The last major crisis took place in 1995-1996, after Taiwan's president at the time, Lee Teng-hui, visited the US. Enraged by the visit, China fired missiles into waters around Taiwan, and the crisis ended only after the US sent two aircraft carrier battle groups to the area in a forceful show of support for Taipei. "If Pelosi goes ahead with her visit, the United States will certainly prepare to respond militarily to a possible Chinese military response," said Shi. "The situation between China and the US will be very tense." Pelosi’s reported trip wouldn't be the first time a sitting US House speaker has visited Taiwan. In 1997, Newt Gingrich met Lee, the island's first democratically elected President, in Taipei only days after his trip to Beijing and Shanghai, where Gingrich said he warned Chinese leaders that the US would intervene militarily if Taiwan was attacked. According to Gingrich, the response he received at the time was "calm." Publicly, China's Foreign Ministry criticized Gingrich after his Taiwan visit, but the response was limited to rhetoric. Beijing has indicated things would be different this time around. Twenty-five years on, China is stronger, more powerful and confident, and its leader Xi Jinping has made it clear that Beijing will no longer tolerate any perceived slights or challenge to its interests. "It's a completely different regime in Beijing with Xi Jinping. China is in a position to be more assertive, to impose costs and consequences to countries that don't take China's interest into consideration in their policy making or actions," said Drew Thompson, a visiting senior research fellow at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore. "So in that respect, it's a very different China from when Newt Gingrich visited in 1997." Under Xi, a rising wave of nationalism has swept China, and support for "reuniting" with Taiwan — possibly by force — is running high. Hu Xijin, former editor of state-run nationalist tabloid the Global Times and a prominent hawkish voice in Chinese online punditry, has suggested the Chinese Liberation Army's warplanes should "accompany" Pelosi's aircraft to Taiwan and fly over the island. That would be a significant infringement of Taiwan's autonomy. As cross-strait tensions soar to their highest level in recent decades, China has sent record numbers of warplanes into Taiwan's self-declared air defense identification zone, with Taiwan scrambling jets to warn them away — but so far the PLA jets have not entered the island's territorial airspace. "If Taiwanese military dares to fire on the PLA fighter jets, we will respond resolutely by shooting down Taiwanese warplanes or striking Taiwanese military bases. If the US and Taiwan want an all-out war, then the moment to liberate Taiwan is coming," Hu wrote. While Hu's belligerent remarks toward Taiwan have long resonated with China's nationalist circles, they do not represent the official stance of Beijing (and some of Hu's previous threats made against Taiwan have turned out to be empty). But as Thompson points out, the fact that Hu's statements have gone uncensored in China's tightly controlled media shows "a certain degree of support among the Communist Party" — even if it's only for propaganda value. Pelosi's reported trip would come at a sensitive time for China. The PLA is celebrating its founding anniversary on August 1, while Xi, the country's most powerful leader in decades, is preparing tobreak conventions and seek a third term at the ruling Communist Party's 20th congress this fall. While the politically sensitive timing could trigger a stronger response from Beijing, it could also mean that the Party would want to ensure stability and prevent things from getting out of control, experts say. "Honestly, this isn't a good time for Xi Jinping to provoke a military conflict right before the 20th party congress. It's in Xi Jinping's interest to manage this rationally and not instigate a crisis on top of all the other crises he has to deal with," Thompson said, citing China's slowing economy, deepening real estate crisis, rising unemployment, and constant struggle to curb sporadic outbreaks under its zero-Covid policy. "So I think whatever they do, it will be measured, it will be calculated. They'll certainly attempt to put more pressure on Taiwan, but I think they'll stop well short of anything that's particularly risky, or that could create conditions that they can't control," he said. Shi, the professor at Renmin University in Beijing, agreed that tension between the US and China is unlikely to escalate into a full blown military conflict. "Unless things got out of control by accident in a way that no one can predict, there is no chance of a military conflict between US and China," he said. But Shi said right now it is hard to predict what China will do. "It is a very difficult situation to deal with. Firstly, (Beijing) must resolutely take unprecedented countermeasures. Secondly, it must prevent military conflicts between the United States and China," he said. "We won't know how things will turn out until the last minute." Link to comment
Randy W Posted July 30, 2022 Author Report Share Posted July 30, 2022 Why Pelosi’s Proposed Taiwan Visit Is Raising U.S.-China Tensions Beijing has issued strongly worded warnings implying that China might use military force if Nancy Pelosi moves forward with a planned trip to Taiwan. from the NY Times Ms. Pelosi at Tiananmen Square in Beijing in 1991.Credit...Associated Press Link to comment
Randy W Posted August 2, 2022 Author Report Share Posted August 2, 2022 (edited) I'm hearing that Pelosi's plane is expected to land in Taipei right about now. Confident superpower or insecure?’ Beijing’s reaction if Pelosi goes to Taiwan may be telling Potential visit comes at a politically sensitive time, and President Xi Jinping will ‘want to appear in control’ of what is seen as a provocation, observer says While the situation is tense, it is not expected to turn into a military conflict and stability is seen as a priority for the party ahead of its congress from the SCMP “[A Pelosi visit] will not endanger Xi’s plan [to stay on for a third term] as long as a war doesn’t break out,” she said. “It is embarrassing for him, but instability will be a bigger risk factor for him at this point.” If the trip does go ahead, Beijing could react by firing missiles in Taiwan’s direction and sending more warplanes near the island, according to Gal Luft, co-director of the Washington-based Institute for the Analysis of Global Security. But he said there was no reason for China to overreact. “Xi is the most powerful leader since Mao – why would he have to even react to this?” Luft said. “To be sure, the party apparatus will try to capitalise on such a visit, but an overreaction to a visit of an octogenarian who will soon be kicked out of her job as speaker … will only be a sign of insecurity, inviting more of the same,” he said. “Self-confidence is the ability to exercise restraint in the face of provocations and disrespect. The world knows the purpose of the visit is provocation. What it is yet to determine is whether China is a confident superpower or an insecure and easily rattled wannabe.” Edited August 3, 2022 by Randy W (see edit history) Link to comment
Randy W Posted August 3, 2022 Author Report Share Posted August 3, 2022 (edited) I think the "paths" shown here are simply straight lines drawn from the launch sites to the strike zone. Edited August 5, 2022 by Randy W (see edit history) Link to comment
Randy W Posted August 3, 2022 Author Report Share Posted August 3, 2022 Mainland China conducts military live-fire drills as tensions soar over Pelosi visit to Taiwan Beijing has ordered live-fire drills, as well as naval and aerial exercises, in response to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan. The drills were expected to be held from August 4-7, 2022, after Beijing warned of “grave consequences” over Pelosi’s visit to the self-ruled island. Beijing regards Taiwan as a renegade province to be reunited by force if necessary. Mainland Chinese officials have warned the US against official ties with Taiwan, which most countries don’t recognise as a sovereign state. Washington acknowledges the one-China principle, but opposes moves to take Taiwan by force. from the SCMP Link to comment
Randy W Posted August 4, 2022 Author Report Share Posted August 4, 2022 The People's Liberation Army conducted a long-range strike exercise on Thursday afternoon that bombarded a designated area in eastern parts of the #Taiwan Straits. https://bit.ly/3vGlTdn from China Daily on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/chinadaily/posts/pfbid02oHNjHHD34uNwKdk8qoRVUwrhYj1CenoGENZ3JCAH6DJ1Z6MYbLhVSgfwx3cZSbPBl PLA conducts live-fire exercise in eastern Taiwan Straits Quote The People's Liberation Army conducted a long-range strike exercise on Thursday afternoon that bombarded a designated area in eastern parts of the Taiwan Straits. The live-fire exercise took place at around 1 pm and was carried out by the ground force of the PLA Eastern Theater Command, the command said in a news release. Precision munitions were launched, and the operation achieved its planned goals, it noted without elaborating. Information about previous PLA Ground Force exercises in the straits shows that long-range artillery units equipped with multiple rocket launchers would usually be involved in such events. Link to comment
Randy W Posted August 4, 2022 Author Report Share Posted August 4, 2022 Chinese Missiles Strike Seas Off Taiwan, and Some Land Near Japan A day after Nancy Pelosi’s trip, China has begun military drills near Taiwan. They appear to be designed as a trial run for sealing off the island. Five landed in Japanese waters. Chinese military helicopters off the shore of Fujian Province, just across the strait from Taiwan, on Thursday.Credit...Hector Retamal/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Quote At least 11 Chinese missiles struck seas north, south and east of Taiwan on Thursday, less than 24 hours after Speaker Nancy Pelosi celebrated the island as a bulwark of democracy next to autocratic China. The People’s Liberation Army declared its missiles “all precisely hit their targets,” even as five landed in Japanese waters. . . . But tensions could dangerously escalate, especially if something goes wrong. The Japanese government on Thursday said that five Chinese ballistic missiles had fallen into its exclusive economic zone. . . . It remains unclear how close Chinese forces will come to Taiwan during the exercises, which are scheduled to end on Sunday. In one possible sign of what to expect, China’s Eastern Theater Command, which encompasses Taiwan, said that it was mobilizing more than 100 fighter planes, bombers and other aircraft, as well as more than 10 destroyers and frigates, to “carry out joint closure and control operations.” The Chinese military could also test Taiwan’s responses by firing into the territorial waters directly off its coast. Three of the exercise zones have corners jutting into those waters. . . . Global Times, a swaggeringly nationalist Chinese newspaper, raised the possibility of missiles being fired from the mainland into that eastern zone, arcing over Taiwan. But Mr. Hart said China was unlikely to fire missiles over Taiwan. “That would be extremely escalatory,” Mr. Hart said. “They will more likely fire ship-based or air-launched missiles into that area without flying missiles over the island.” Link to comment
Randy W Posted August 5, 2022 Author Report Share Posted August 5, 2022 I'd swear I heard this on CGTN - "The West treats us like we're a petulant child. We'll show them!" Link to comment
Randy W Posted August 5, 2022 Author Report Share Posted August 5, 2022 Because how better to illustrate childish petulance than to lob missiles and imprison those who disagree? China detains a suspected Taiwanese separatist following Nancy Pelosi’s trip Yang Zhi-yuan, 32, is held in custody in Wenzhou, Zhejiang province, on suspicion of endangering national security, state media reports Charges come amid several actions Beijing takes in response to the US house speaker’s visit to Taipei, including new military exercises and sanctions In an image provided by China Central Television, Yang Zhi-yuan, 32, being taken into custody in Wenzhou, Zhejiang province, on suspicion of endangering national security. Photo: CCTV Quote Yang Zhi-yuan, a 32-year-old man born in the Taiwanese city of Taichung, was held in custody on suspicion of endangering national security by the National Security Agency of Wenzhou, Zhejiang province, state media reported. Yang was accused of being a long-time advocate of “Taiwan independence” and having founded a “Taiwan Nationalist Party”, which is illegal according to Chinese law. If convicted, he might face punishment up to a death penalty. . . . The goal of Yang’s political party is “promoting Taiwan to become a sovereign and independent country and join the United Nations” and advocating a “referendum on independence and forming a state”, according to the statement. Yang was accused of pursuing a “hasty independence” in a high-profile manner, planning and implementing “Taiwan independence” activities. It said he had been investigated under the charges of secession and instigating secession. Link to comment
Randy W Posted August 6, 2022 Author Report Share Posted August 6, 2022 I’m Taiwanese and I Want to Thank Nancy Pelosi Taiwan Presidential Office, via Reuters from the NY Times Quote We are bracing for more pressure now after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s whirlwind visit to Taipei. China often reacts furiously when any U.S. official visits Taiwan, but this time feels different. Beijing has a special loathing for Ms. Pelosi because of her frequent criticism of the Chinese Communist Party’s political repression and human rights violations, and President Xi Jinping of China, in a call with President Biden, had earlier warned the United States not to intervene in Taiwan. We are not afraid. After years of constant threats by Beijing, Taiwan’s people do not panic easily. But we also cannot stand alone. Ms. Pelosi’s visit was a welcome expression of U.S. solidarity with Taiwan and I, for one, am deeply grateful to her for shrugging off Beijing’s threats of retaliation. But other democracies must also summon the courage to stand with us. . . . In fact, it is precisely for these reasons that China threatens Taiwan: because China is afraid of us. Each of Taiwan’s 23 million people is a living, breathing rebuttal of the Communist Party’s insistence that its repressive, authoritarian model is superior to democracy and the only mode of government suitable for Chinese society. Seizing Taiwan would not only fulfill Mr. Xi’s nationalistic goal of annexing the island but would also destroy the evidence that glaringly disproves Beijing’s Communist propaganda. These critical points are often overlooked. Taiwan is usually treated as a marginalized pawn on the chessboard of the big powers and portrayed as such by the global media. Ms. Pelosi’s trip was a perfect example. Most media coverage focused on the tension that her trip created between the United States and China. Rarely does anyone bother to ask what the Taiwanese want. The answer: to live our democratic way of life without outside interference, just as any democracy would. . . . We watched with shock and sadness as Beijing cracked down on Hong Kong’s freedoms — a disturbing glimpse of our own possible future. And Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has prompted fears that China could do the same to us. Beijing insists that there is no comparison between Taiwan and Ukraine, repeating its tired old gospel that Taiwan is an ancient and inseparable part of the Chinese motherland. But we have never been ruled by Communist China for a single day. A majority of Taiwanese are pragmatic. We do not want a war with China. But we are ready to protect our home if attacked. There are now discussions of defense reform and extending the military conscription period from four months to one year. Some reservists are attending weapons boot camps to refresh their combat training. Others share information on how to pack an emergency kit and on where to shelter if the island is shelled. A poll in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine showed that 73 percent of Taiwan’s people were willing to take up arms to defend against a Chinese invasion. Our determination to safeguard our beloved homeland should not be underestimated. . . . China’s militaristic menacing of Taiwan is a threat to freedom everywhere. Drawing a line in the sand here will require genuine, meaningful support from like-minded democracies, including signing bilateral economic agreements with Taiwan, allowing it to join regional trade organizations to diminish Taiwan’s economic overreliance on China, supporting Taiwan’s participation in international organizations and more gestures like Ms. Pelosi’s visit. Not all these gestures will be easy, and they carry great risks, often because of China’s infliction of economic pain. After Taiwan opened a representative office in Lithuania last year, for example, China used its economic clout to retaliate with a severe boycott of Lithuanian products. China applies “divide and conquer” tactics to isolate countries that oppose it. But when democracies, including Taiwan, band together economically, diplomatically and militarily, they stand a better chance of holding their ground against China’s capricious retribution, which is not cost-free for itself either. Freedom is worth fighting for, and all democracies will be strengthened by standing with Taiwan. Link to comment
Randy W Posted August 6, 2022 Author Report Share Posted August 6, 2022 (edited) from China Xinhua News on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/XH.NewsAgency/photos/a.446942328709816/7623478997722744 佩洛西竄訪台灣六宗罪 Six deadly sins of Pelosi's visit to Taiwan 佩洛西竄訪台灣六宗罪 Six deadly sins of Pelosi's visit to Taiwan 背信棄義 treachery 踐踏法治 trample the rule of law 破壞和平 break the peace 干涉內政 interfere in internal affairs 政治操弄 political manipulation 以權謀私 use power for personal gain 必將受到更公正的非拘和清算 will be subject to a more just justice arrest and liquidation although I think 清算 means more like disposition or settlement (than liquidation). Edited August 7, 2022 by Randy W (see edit history) Link to comment
Randy W Posted August 9, 2022 Author Report Share Posted August 9, 2022 PLA drills near Taiwan continue Beijing has extended its military drill around Taiwan beyond the 4 days originally announced. No location or end date has been specified. Read more: sc.mp/7hux from the SCMP on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/scmp/videos/561480115768005/ Developing | Mainland China declares military drills will continue around Taiwan after unprecedented live-fire exercises PLA Eastern Theatre Command says upcoming drills will prepare for operations of joint defence and joint blockade of island Announcement comes just hours after US President Joe Biden says he is ‘not worried’ about the PLA increasing pressure Quote Beijing’s Maritime Safety Administration also issued a navigation warning, restricting entry into the eastern waters of Zhanjiang’s Nansan Island in the South China Sea from 8am to 6pm for three days starting today, as shooting training starts. . . . Former editor-in-chief of the nationalist tabloid Global Times Hu Xijin said military drills had become a “new reality” in the Taiwan Strait. “Truthfully, the military drills are more like the beginning of the PLA’s normalisation of new elements in their actions in the Taiwan Strait,” Hu wrote on Weibo, China’s Twitter-like platform. “Sealing off the island has become a reality that can be staged at any time, and the lifeblood of Taiwan is clearly in the hands of mainland China. “Taiwan independence leads to a dead end, and there is no force that can stop cross-strait reunification. After this past week’s match, the whole world is seeing this more clearly,” he added. . . . “The Taiwan Strait has become a quasi-war zone, which will affect surrounding regions in East Asia and the South China Sea, with continued military crises and intensified volatility of regional security,” Yue said, adding that geopolitical relations had been “reshuffled”. “Washington and Taipei will not stop their provocation of the mainland, so the PLA will not stop its heavy countermeasures. The scale of the drills is dependent on the level of provocation from Washington and Taipei.” However, Yue said the ongoing drills would not be repeated frequently. “More economical and cost-effective modes [of drills] will be implemented to undermine the Taiwanese military’s resolve to deter combat with force through ‘salami’ tactics.” Link to comment
Randy W Posted August 10, 2022 Author Report Share Posted August 10, 2022 Announcing the Successful completion of 'Operation Fishkill'. Breaking | PLA announces ‘completion’ of Taiwan sea and air drills Eastern Theatre Command says joint military tasks were successfully completed Command says it will continue to monitor changes in the Taiwan Strait Link to comment
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