The Chinese professional acknowledged that if China asserted control over the disputed islands by attacking Japan, America would have to stand with Japan. And he acknowledged that China did not want to provoke America.
But then he said that many in China believe that China can accomplish its goals — smacking down Japan, demonstrating its military superiority in the region, and establishing full control over the symbolic islands — with a surgical invasion.
In other words, by sending troops onto the islands and planting the flag.
All will depend on the need for distraction.
h/t Harry K, Melinda R.
Danes and Canada over Hans Island…
If Japan and China go at it, the best strategy for us in North America is to sit back and laugh.
China is afraid to provoke the US ? That’s a laugh! In Obama’s America the only reaction would be to send Kerry to China who would come back a couple of weeks later and announce that China had apologized, but not in public nor would China be required to give the islands back. Another Obama Victory in International Relations would be the American MSM headlines.
over the last couple of years there has been “rumors” of Japan wanting to increase their “defensive” capabilities. They could also go nuclear by getting every thing to a point were they need 24 hours to “arm” the puppy, and thusly staying within the non-proliferation agreement. I think china is pushing their luck as Japan has a much more advanced industrial base and get up to speed making military gear very quickly. Japan & Taiwan are considered to be able to go nuke in less than 1 year, with S Korea not far behind, China really wants to be carefull. Beer and popcorn time for sure!!!
Don’t worry, Japan – ‘bama is standing right behind ya, three feet away…make that eight feet…I mean twenty-two….
Open conflict between China and Japan would likely draw Korea into the vortex.
It should also be remembered that China has been making incursions into Indian territory, so the possibility that China would be biting off more than they can chew by openly provoking Japan is fairly high.
Sounds like a perfect opportunity to bring manufacturing back to the rest of the world. Boycott the buggers if they won’t follow the rule of international law.
Which is why a new pan-Asian “NATO” is so important.
Japan is already at that point. It might be longer than 24 hours to assemble the nuclear armaments but it is a lot shorter than a year.
This news may be new to the MSM but it isn’t to Japan.
A war between the two of the top three world economies would disrupt the world economy and serious drop in the standard of living far outside the Pacific Rim.
Rebuilding would be onerous. Areas contaminated by nuclear fallout or contamination from breached nuclear power plants alone, (a prime economic target,) would devastate Japan’s and China’s agriculture. Areas affected are depending on the wind direction at the time of the attack (e.i. Chernobyl’s massive nuclear reactor breach in the 1980s contaminated long term 25 percent of the arable land in Belarus).
It would be the greatest of ironies, if Pres. Obama, who received a “Nobel Prize” for peace within two weeks of taking office. If his policies led to 2 nuclear wars. One war involving Iran and a second involving China and Japan.
Yes, China is afraid of provoking the U.S. They might overcome their fear and risk it, but it’s a factor in their calculations. The interest the U.S. pays China (on loans China made to the U.S. pays for the People’s Liberation Army. Those payments won’t continue if they are at war. Guess how many minutes of P.L.A. payroll can be covered with the plunder from those disputed rocks in China, Japan, and Taiwan.
China has already used the ‘surgical invasion’ technique with India last year.
Larry, my point was that Japan, and about 20 other countries could make and shelve all components necessary to make a nuke, and then assemble them in 24 hours. The article I read on this originally was about 10 yrs ago. The # of nations that could at the time work in this time frame was about 12, with 8about 8 mentioned as almost there, so were they are actually at today is a good question. You are probably rite in that the 1 yrs time frame is on the long side. One has to ask about the delivery system and Japan has the F-15 which could be effective as a delivery system, but Taiwan and S Korea are another question as to delivery.
Yes U are correct on the financial/business impact of such a war, especially if it results in a nuke exchange or nuke facilities bombed.
smacking down Japan, demonstrating its military superiority in the region, and establishing full control over the symbolic islands — with a surgical invasion.
The Chinese are too smart to do this.
I fully expect the chinese to act upon Japan when their credit bubble bursts. There are hundreds of years of animosity between them, and fresh (within the previous century) wounds that haven’t healed.
They have nothing to lose in a way. What do you do with a crumbling economy and too many men, as well as hatred of the Japanese and an empire you want to build? I think China might try it.
China will land troops there.
Meanwhile Obama will be finishing a “big fat one” PLUS will not “Know about it….” till at least another year.His people are that good…
“….that many in China believe that China can accomplish its goals”
Why would China worry about the US?
The US can’t handle a few musket bearing camel jockies hiding in the mountains of Afganisthan, much less a multi million man semi-modern army with no wives.
Lybia? Puleeeeze.
It’s not like China would ever need to invade the US, thier already there, in every nook and corner of the US. Many just walked across the wide open border and settled in the nearest San Fan Sicko Noodle House.
Naw, China dosen’t give a damn what the US thinks, especially it’s bow down and kiss the feet Affermative Action figurehead.