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The coming conflict over Taiwan

  • 22-10-2021 12:25pm
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23,899 ✭✭✭✭Kermit.de.frog


    As China becomes ever more assertive in the Asia Pacific and determined to protect and enhance it's sovereignty and interests in the region it seems inevitable that an attack is coming sooner rather than later on the small democracy of Taiwan.

    With China having recently snubbed out democracy in Hong Kong the United States is going to have a major decision to make as to what to do when China invades the island.

    Currently they don't have an official defence pact however the US continues to provide military aid and other assistance to Taiwan in what is a defacto defence arrangement if not an official one.

    So the question for the west is does it have the stomach to fight a defensive conflict against China? If it doesn't it will be appeasement as another democracy falls.

    This story has been written before and it didn't turn out so good.

    Should the west defend democracies in the region?

    I really don't see a good outcome whatever way we choose to go but it's on balance probably better having a confrontation, should they continue aggression, happen sooner rather than later.



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Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,381 ✭✭✭Yurt2


    I wouldn't bet against something happening in the next couple of years. The scale of it and what countries get dragged into it will decide a lot.

    Taiwan really is a wonderful place though and well worth a visit - a vibrant democracy, great food and the people are extremely gracious and well educated. One of the few true democracies in the region along with Japan and South Korea and a place worth defending for a whole host of reasons.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 18,189 ✭✭✭✭Dohnjoe



    Looks like a chess move to re-highlight the aggressive stance of China towards Taiwan to a worldwide platform. Whether the US would actually step into that conflict if it were to happen, I don't know. Perhaps it's also a pretext to supply Taiwan with better defensive tech.

    China has such a hardcore nationalist base and comprehensive propaganda system it would be relatively easy for the country to start a conflict with Taiwan in order to invade the country, even as the aggressor, but of course it would be completely condemned by the rest of the world, which could have serious economic implications for China. A conflict to take the island just wouldn't make any sense for China.



  • Registered Users Posts: 12,716 ✭✭✭✭TheValeyard


    Taiwan is important economically and technologically. Not just the fact its a free state and have a successful democracy.

    We need their semiconductor factories. These cannot be allowed to fall into Chinese hands.

    Also let's not forget the people of Taiwan do not want to put under the Communist totalitarian boot.

    All eyes on Kursk. Slava Ukraini.



  • Posts: 0 [Deleted User]


    From Finbarr Bermingham via Twitter:


    NEW: European Parliament adopts first ever report calling on EU to ramp up relations with Taiwan. 

    580 for

    26 against

    66 abstentions

    Landslide.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,113 ✭✭✭timmyntc


    Will the EU now formally recognise Taiwan as an independent state?



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  • Posts: 0 [Deleted User]


    Who knows but the EU and Americans along with Australia and Japan are really going after China on a whole list of things now from forced labour to WTO breaches etc.



  • Registered Users Posts: 12,716 ✭✭✭✭TheValeyard




  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 302 ✭✭Piollaire


    Taiwan is the new Czechoslovakia, I don't see the Western alliances doing anything about it. There is just too much risk in a hot war between nuclear armed nations.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 40,291 ✭✭✭✭Gatling


    They recently increased US forces on the island marines and navy seals are currently training the Taiwanese military ,

    But invading Taiwan is no easy task , the Taiwan strait is quite a dangerous passage weather wise for a few months at a time , China would need a huge force naval and aerial wise while attacking a very well defended country ,

    They need to be recognised as a sovereign state and publicly supported by the UN



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,495 ✭✭✭XsApollo


    Taiwan was a founding member of the UN if I remember correctly.

    Its every other country that enables this,

    by bending over to them.

    any mention of Taiwan by any country or any sort of university or any official body is met with a rebuke from China.

    ideally the rest of the world needs to start removing its reliance on Chinese manufacturing and moving it somewhere else .

    its amazing the world is standing idly by also as to what happening with the Uyghurs in xinjinag, it’s like our generations Holocaust and everybody is standing by watching it.



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 16,803 ✭✭✭✭Loafing Oaf


    Whatever happens over Taiwan China and the United States will agree in advance they won't fire their nukes at each other. Won't they?



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,189 ✭✭✭Brucie Bonus


    IMO, we should not be doing any business with China or Russia until they clean up their act domestically.

    Plenty of non-violent ways to take China to task. Hong Kong was left and I can see Taiwan going the same way. It seems the west is only interested in fair play and democracy if it makes them money.

    Is there much difference between China and North Korea?



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,495 ✭✭✭XsApollo




  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 302 ✭✭Piollaire


    We might see the first large scale use of paratroopers since WWII. Taiwan is vulnerable to its air defense systems being disabled through hacking and electronic warfare. China probably has an army of sleeper agents already in place. China won't be concerned about any losses it takes as long as it is successful.

    The US has backed off from China both in North Korea and in Vietnam. I don't see that changing.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,375 ✭✭✭Indestructable


    As China's economy begins to crumble under its own heft in the next few years a war would be an ideal distraction. I'd say it's almost inevitable.



  • Registered Users Posts: 247 ✭✭Perseverance The Second



    If the USA allowed Taiwan to return to hands of China it will act as a signal to the world that US Hegemony is at an end. You would expect various Asia-Pacific countries like South Korea to begin winding down ties with the US as their safety is not guaranteed.

    The US has to defend Taiwan should they wish to remain the hegemon.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 302 ✭✭Piollaire


    The US is not the hegemon it once was. China has become the hegemon in the South China Sea area through its military colonisation of uninhabited islands and also through the belt and road initiative. The US ability to project naval power across the Pacific has been diminished by missile and drone development. China could even go so far as lob nukes into the ocean around Taiwan to keep the Yanks at bay.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 40,291 ✭✭✭✭Gatling




  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 302 ✭✭Piollaire


    The Taiwanese see these as real possibilities:

    "The Han Kuang exercise, held every year since 1984, spans Taiwan's main island as well as outlying islands, incorporating ground, sea and air forces. It envisions a wide range of avenues of potential attack -- not only missiles, but also landing operations, electronic warfare, cyberattacks and bioweapons"

    https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International-relations/Taiwan-simulates-Chinese-biological-and-electronic-attacks-in-war-game



  • Posts: 0 [Deleted User]


    Just to add that the deputy prime minister of Japan Taro Aso recently stated that were an attack on Taiwan to happen, Japan would consider this an 'existential threat' to themselves and would retaliate.

    Should the west help any democracy that is fighting oppression from an authoritarian regime? Absolutely. What better thing is there to fight for. Too many people in this world live under authoritarianism and its only growing.



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,790 ✭✭✭Hande hoche!


    Imagine if an invasion took place, you would see Japan with a nuclear weapons capability in about six months.



  • Registered Users Posts: 468 ✭✭Shao Kahn


    The yanks will always being looking for the next big conflict, in perpetuity, as you cannot justify maintaining such an incredibly powerful industrial military complex without creating or finding a reason for it all to exist.

    I'm not suggesting there is no need to maintain military forces (I wish there was), or that someone doesn't need to lean on an increasingly aggressive CCP. But one would certainly be worried about the exact motivations - and the depth of those motivations - when the Americans are involved. It's never straight forward or completely transparent.

    "Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It's perfect when it arrives, and it puts itself into our hands. It hopes we've learned something from yesterday." (John Wayne)



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 40,291 ✭✭✭✭Gatling


    So China claiming the whole of the south China sea as their sovereign territory , right up to the coastline of every other country in the the area and the near daily threats to Taiwan and elsewhere,

    But somehow it's all a conspiracy



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 16,803 ✭✭✭✭Loafing Oaf


    My sense is the Chinese would be too cautious to push the button on an invasion. Could there be another gameplan here, a blockade/slow strangulation the way the the Spanish have been trying to do with Gibraltar?



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,495 ✭✭✭XsApollo


    is Their anything that can be done if China invades Taiwan? Taiwan can defend itself but obviously wouldn’t last long.

    will the US step in? 2 nuclear powers going at each other is highly unlikely.

    will Japan defend taiwan? Seeing as Okinawa is a boat ride away

    if the US does something then Japan will.

    will the US join in if Japan does something?

    don’t really see the US and China going to war.

    the rug really needs to be pulled from under China.

    most Of the west really has the ability to do it without a war.



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,597 ✭✭✭tdf7187


    China will roll all over Taiwan whenever it feels like it. The US has shown that its promises are confetti in the market.



  • Registered Users Posts: 468 ✭✭Shao Kahn


    Where did I say it was all a conspiracy?

    I said you can never be completely sure about the exact motivations of the Americans.

    They live in a society that has an unnerving propensity to use violence as a means to solve problems. And this attitude very often permeates right to the very top of their leadership and command structures in both politics and the various military branches.

    You have countless American families, and even entire communities, who grow up with stories about the heroics of what their dad or granddad etc did in various military conflicts. American kids joining the military, desperate to have their own experiences and stories to tell. Very often itching for a fight basically.

    They are a dangerous group of people to be putting forward as some sort of world police force, keeping other nations in check.

    None of this, should be construed as any kind of tacit support for China or the CCP. I do not think they are a force for good in the world. But I would prefer if we had a group of more emotionally and mentally stable nations taking them on and holding them to task.

    I do not think the Americans are really fit to take on a leadership role in these strategic global issues anymore.

    "Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It's perfect when it arrives, and it puts itself into our hands. It hopes we've learned something from yesterday." (John Wayne)



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,552 ✭✭✭✭Varik


    I think people underestimate Taiwan, they were the ones to inherit the navy and most of the air force during the civil war with experience built up during WW2 and living under threat they've invested a lot in it.

    So while China could just out gun and out number them, It's not a case of this being easily won for china without US involvement.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 16,803 ✭✭✭✭Loafing Oaf


    They'd surely overrun it in a couple of days wouldn't they, if they had their forces funneled effectively?

    And any American 'intervention' in that case would be more like the Normandy landings than helping France beat back the Germans in 1940.

    Would America really risk that sort of conflict with a major nuclear power?



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 25,644 ✭✭✭✭Timberrrrrrrr


    The Spanish tried that with Gibralter and for 13 years kept the border closed, it didn't work then and wouldn't work now. The only way China could do a blockade is to set an exclusion zone around the island (like Britain did with the Falklands) and threaten to shoot/bomb any aircraft or Sea vessels that enter it.


    After that it would be a case of who blinks first, would America and other countries send a flotilla of boats through the zone? Would China dare fire on those ships especially if they were cargo ships and from many different countries?



  • Posts: 13,688 ✭✭✭✭ Avalynn Dead Garter


    Have you not been around the last 18 months to see the stranglehold that China has on world supply chains?

    Russia and the EU are currently in a stand off regarding the supply of gas to keep us ticking over this winter.

    And you think we should just cut them both off?



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,495 ✭✭✭XsApollo


    That’s my point , what can actually be done if the do decide to invade?

    Dunno about over running in a couple of days, the west of Taiwan is densely populated, all the major cities are that side.

    Taiwan are prepared, there are regular drills over there. They are waiting for the day and are always ready. But yea it wouldn’t take long.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,811 ✭✭✭joe40


    I'm far from an expert on these matters but why did western countries including EU and America allow ourselves to become so economically dependant on a country like China. Ireland is far too small to rock the boat but did we (as in the west) sell ourselves out for cheap manufacturing.

    Did unbridled capitalism sell us short?



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 40,291 ✭✭✭✭Gatling


    The Chinese apparently Said they were planning to degrade the Taiwanese airforce by making daily incursions into their airspace so they can wear out the ageing Taiwanese aircraft ,due to the fact China has prevented Taiwan from buying new aircraft for last 30 years ,

    China hasn't currently got the ability to mount a full on invasion of Taiwan ,it's not so easy crossing the Taiwan strait ,it gets even more difficult when you have a a decent military who have prepared since day one trying to stop you ,Ans it's not a simple case of flying in paratroopers



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,118 ✭✭✭Melanchthon


    To my mind the UN betrayed Hong Kong. More concerned with concepts such as decolonisation than with what the actual inhabitants wanted. I can see the same thing happening to Taiwan on the UN stage too.



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,495 ✭✭✭XsApollo


    Taiwan was abandoned by the UN 50 years ago or whenever that was.

    even tho they were a founding member.

    you even have to look at the last couple of years, with the WHO and the coronavirus to the depths China goes to pretty much remove any acknowledgment Taiwan even exists.


    I had a taiwanese friend here for a few weeks just as the virus was becoming known worldwide,

    we were shopping and gathering the receipts for VAT reclaim, when you are getting a vat receipt the shop asks for your country, in every shop , the shop assistant struggled to find Taiwan on the list of countries, after a few shops I pretty much said to them to type it in to find it to speed them up.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,381 ✭✭✭Yurt2


    The US completed a deal to sell about 80 advanced new F16s to Taiwan last year. The F16 deal was on the table in the W Bush era, but it was actually the governing KMT that nixed the deal not the PRC.

    Could be a precursor to an F35 sale to Taiwan if the PRC turn up the heat further.



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,118 ✭✭✭Melanchthon


    Don't know how true this is but have read that the US is wary of their best equipment being sold to Taiwan due to there being loads of Chinese spies in military/politics



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,381 ✭✭✭Yurt2


    Trump signed off on it. The American aerospace industry and Dep of Defence always wanted the sale but elements in the KMT blocked it in case Beijing spat the dummy. The DPP realizing the looming threat were more amenable to the sale.

    *The actual number of F16s in the deal is 66, not the 80 as I previously stated. Significant air defence platform nonetheless and the Taipei is trying to bring forward the delivery of the planes.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,553 ✭✭✭Fiery mutant


    Like another poster said, I feel China will try wear them down slowly, before trying anything, and it will have to be meticulously planned. But even then, it would not be easy. The Taiwan army are well armed, and well trained, in my opinion better trained than the Chinese.


    It definitely wouldn't be over in a few days. Can see the Chinese though throwing waves at the Taiwanese forces, as they won't care about loses.


    My only fear is that western politics can do absolutely nothing swiftly, so the help Taiwan might need could be slow coming, which would be disastrous. Intervention would need to occur before the island falls, as there is no way the west would risk the civilian casualties that could occur if they had to try retake the island.

    We should defend our way of life to an extent that any attempt on it is crushed, so that any adversary will never make such an attempt in the future.



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  • Posts: 0 [Deleted User]


    In this case, they don't need to be what they once were. People are blowing China's military power out of proportion, and lessening the military of their neighbors too much.

    The invasion of Taiwan would alter the balance of power in Asia, which means that both S.Korea and Japan would involve themselves, along with Australia (who would love any excuse to hit China). Japan has an excellent Navy, far more modern and effective than China. S.Korea has a very good Airforce, and their own lesser navy capable of taking on Chinese invasion forces aiming to maintain an invasion of Taiwan. And then there's the US forces already based in Taiwan, S.Korea, and Japan. And on top of that, India could easily decide to join in, as it would be an excellent chance to hurt China without a fight on their own borders.

    Sure, I do believe an invasion of Taiwan is likely before Xi dies, and the Chinese economy buckles.. both of which are likely over the next few years. However, China suffers from a wide range of problems both with it's technology, and the range of hardware that has been produced, over the outdated equipment still at hand. Might as well add in the weakness of their national infrastucture, and the amount of corruption which causes the usual inefficiencies.

    TBH Even without the US, I suspect China would have a hard time invading and maintaining control over Taiwan. The quality of most Chinese troops is dubious. They have some well trained well equipped forces, but the majority lag far behind them. They have had problems with issues like poor eyesight, and changing body types, which has affected their ability to provide pilots, and tank operators, along with the other specialist units that require better physical characteristics.

    Lastly, China has been having real problems internally with social unrest, and their propaganda machine hasn't been as effective as before. The younger generations aren't quite as gung-ho for China as the older generations, and are more likely to question the state of things. Yes, if China was attacked, the vast majority of Chinese people would support the government.. but any invasion of Taiwan, while gaining a lot of support for reunification, wouldn't be considered a defensive war, and so, would cause social problems, and avoidance of military service... especially once the economy further declined, and the mainland started being hit by "allied" air forces.

    Nah. Taiwan will be China's swan song.. the retarded gesture that ends their dominance in the region.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,189 ✭✭✭Brucie Bonus


    We are so reliant on China because we use them so much. We take advantage of the slave cheap labour. We could move operations elsewhere but that would mean less profits and we don't do that.

    Russia has us on gas etc. yes. Ireland could stop laundering money for Putin's oil pals for example.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 40,291 ✭✭✭✭Gatling


    Seen that not sure they would get f35s ,it would actually suit them to have them it's not exactly a fighter in the traditional sense but would give them a great stand off option in contested areas , China is already flying exact clones of the f35 and other US designed aircraft ,

    There have been rumors for several years that Japan was being helped develop its own stealth aircraft based off the YF23 which was the only competition to the YF22 which became the F22 ,the YF23 was apparently better and more capable in every sense ,it may suit Taiwan having an involvement in developing such a new and capable stealth aircraft that can be produced locally



  • Posts: 0 [Deleted User]


    Can see the Chinese though throwing waves at the Taiwanese forces, as they won't care about loses.

    Don't be too sure about that. Times have changed. Education and improved standards of living have altered the perception of many people, so I'm doubtful that the Chinese people themselves would be too interested charging fixed emplacements with an apple. Those days are gone. Party indoctrination and national pride can only go so far when you've decided to uplift your own population.

    Yes, the government won't care about losses... until they can no longer hide/alter the casualty reports coming back. Any war now will be well covered in private/public media, and that means that they won't be able to hide severe casualties, and that will affect morale both in the military and at home.

    Now, if Mao was in control, I'd agree with you... but it's not the 60s/70s anymore. The average Chinese people is far different from what the general population was like back then.



  • Posts: 0 [Deleted User]


    It's already happening with businesses/manufacturing moving to Vietnam, and Africa. There are plenty of low cost nations out there as an alternative to China. It'll take time for it to happen, but it will happen. Fact is, it was already happening before covid, due to tightening restrictions by the CCP on foreign business, the increased corruption, and the rising operating costs.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,553 ✭✭✭Fiery mutant


    I'd agree with some of what you say, but in China, there is little to no public or private media. The CCP controls all narratives.


    True, much bigger or massive losses may be harder to hide for most cases, but the censorship in China is unsurpassed and on a scale not seen anywhere else in the world. Any conflict breaking out, will have a narrative based around one premise, and one alone.

    We should defend our way of life to an extent that any attempt on it is crushed, so that any adversary will never make such an attempt in the future.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,189 ✭✭✭Brucie Bonus


    I remember during the boom years Fianna Fail trumpeting a FF delegation and young entrepreneurs who went on a beano to China.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,078 ✭✭✭joseywhales


    Not sure if that level of escalation would happen. As soon as a blockade happens then a new trade war(one where perhaps zero trade occurs between us and china) happens and you have millions of middle class on both sides going apeshit about declining standards of living. The greed of the middle class will be what saves us from the futility of major wars.



  • Posts: 0 [Deleted User]


    It was one of their better ideas then.. because Ireland has done very well from their relationship with China. I know a variety of Irish companies who got their start with the Chinese market, and are now truly international. Then, there's all the trade agreements that Ireland has managed with China.

    Economically, China has been good for most smaller EU nations that don't rely on manufacturing to support their own economies.



  • Posts: 0 [Deleted User]


    The CCP controls all narratives.

    That's only true from a published media perspective... although even then, there's a variety of media outlets that started in HK and GZ, and have since moved their operations abroad, to maintain their independence from the CCP.

    There's no need for alternative media. The range of social media options in China is varied, and impossible to completely monitor/control. My own wechat feed has loads of posts which contains information that the CCP wouldn't want posted on a website. What happens on peoples personal feeds tends to be ignored, whereas what is made openly public is slammed hard with censorship.

    True, much bigger or massive losses may be harder to hide for most cases, but the censorship in China is unsurpassed and on a scale not seen anywhere else in the world. Any conflict breaking out, will have a narrative based around one premise, and one alone.

    Untrue actually. A number of Asian countries, and others strictly control their Internet... and anyway, most Chinese people have access to VPNs which while not perfect in avoiding the censorship, is still a very viable option. The Chinese great firewall was never as comprehensive as many people thought anyway. I could see RTE the whole time I was in China (12 years), same with boards, or a variety of BBS type sites. It was only the big nations that were blocked, along with the main sites....

    People have some rather unrealistic views about what it's like in China... you're simply swallowing the propaganda (both Chinese and foreign) yourself.



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