China had at least some respect for the Trump administration. They realized, after testing him, that President Trump would not let them get away scot-free with their actions, but would call them out and impose retaliatory measures if necessary.
They haven’t taken long to demonstrate decisively that they don’t have the same respect for President Biden. Within days of his taking office, they renewed their saber-rattling over Taiwan. They flew many more incursions than usual into Taiwan’s air defense zone, and their pilots exercised an attack on a US naval force in the area. I expect military action there within a few months, if events continue along their present course.
Then we have this week’s military coup in Myanmar. Larry Lambert (who knows what he’s talking about) points out:
All it took was President Trump leaving office and the Chinese moved.
To be fair about it, China has been dumping lots of money into Myanmar. They dropped US$ 100 billion last summer in a country with a GNP of $US 76 billion, as part of the Belt Road Project. Not all of it was official national money. A lot of the money arrived by way of cut-outs, and some of it was “soft money” but China bought the coup.
The military coup is said to be anti-Chinese, but it’s not. Just the opposite is true.
There’s more at the link.
In so many words, China is daring the Biden administration to oppose them. As each successive challenge doesn’t generate an appropriate response, they’ll grow bolder and more aggressive. It won’t take long for China to decide that the USA is so focused on its internal divisions and politically correct policies that it won’t respond to foreign threats. If they become sure of that, then Taiwan is toast – and that’s just the start.
I have no confidence whatsoever that the Biden administration is up to the challenge. Japan, India and Australia should be getting nervous. Very nervous. If they have any sense, they’re probably already thinking about the fate of another abandoned US ally in the region . . . namely, South Vietnam.
Peter
China is getting a good return on the money paid to the Biden family.
"If they have any sense, they're probably already thinking about the fate of another abandoned US ally in the region . . . namely, South Vietnam."
What was it someone said? My one big mistake was trusting the United States, or something like that?
Biden's not going to do anything to upset his (pay)masters.
They don't call him 'China Joe' for nothing.
And I was telling anyone who'd listen as soon as CJ 'won' the nomination that if he were elected, an independent Taiwan, uh, Republic of China would be a thing of the past.
Expect Japan to publicly announce that they have a nuclear deterrent, once China takes Taiwan.
The thing about calling into question any democrat manhood is they have none and so will eagerly leap to sacrifice the Army and Air Force to any stupid battle they think will show us how manly they are. In bidet's case I suspect it will be nothing at all but he might pop some TLAMs at the SLORC. It's one of the things his master did so I'm sure all the retreads from obamas era will leap on the idea as a show of obdurate idiotic strength, kind of like with kadaffi.
So where will the Taiwan agreement be signed? Munich has a penchant for that kind of thing.
South Korea, Taiwan, and Japan all have the resources and knowledge to become nuclear powers any time they choose to; if China keeps pushing, I wouldn't be surprised to hear any or all of them announce they have nuclear weapons.
If I had to guess, my suspicion is that japan would be the last to do it. It would not surprise me to find out that South Korea and Taiwan already have covert programs either underway or completed – though South Korea is more likely than Taiwan due to their larger military and economy…
Let fly the white flag of war!
– Zhao Bai Den