"Will a Failing China Attack America?" Topic

""That's an especially disturbing possibility now that belligerent Chinese officers are convincing themselves they can launch surprise attacks on the U.S. Navy and kill thousands of Americans."

"The United States is most afraid of death," said Rear Admiral Luo Yuan on December 20, 2018, to an audience in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen. "We now have Dong Feng-21D, Dong Feng-26 missiles. These are aircraft carrier killers. We attack and sink one of their aircraft carriers. Let them suffer 5,000 casualties. Attack and sink two carriers, casualties 10,000. Let's see if the U.S. is afraid or not?"

Luo, who has a history of bellicose statements, is nonetheless seen as reflecting thinking in the senior ranks. He was the second Chinese military officer in December, just days before the fortieth anniversary of America's recognition of the People's Republic on January 1, to publicly urge an unprovoked attack on American vessels….."
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Amicalement
Armand

They will recall investments in America before considering more violent policies.

The Chinese should recall the history of how the US responds to surprise attacks.

9/11, Pearl Harbor, etc.

One thing to get into a shooting war with a declaration, or a statement that "we are going to have to fight about [item]." The US will likely take that as a statement of irreconcilable differences, trade blows, and work it out that way.

But a surprise attack, well, that's grounds for an epic whupping.

If they did something as stupid as that, their submarine fleet alone would be gone in 2 days…

They'll have to get a lot more desperate to do something like that.

Targeting, targeting………..

I wonder which type of drone and warhead has this guy's name painted on it?

Never get involved in a land war in Asia. Ask the Japanese.

I don't think it will end up a ground war, it's going to be a lot of missiles and air strikes. I don't want to get all biblical, but it does seem like things are lining up for the last days, sooner rather than later.

But, why?

Because it stirs up the masses and deflects attention from other problems. Pretty standard fair.

Thank you stryderg. So simple.

"The National Interest". All one needs to know.

'The National Interest' has some interesting articles from various perspectives, but Gordon Chang has been its most ardent Taiwan independence advocate and China basher.

The quote by the Chinese Rear Admiral is pretty provocative, but I guess all rhetorical gloves are off after Pence's speech at The Hudson Institute last October.

Will a failing USA atack China, or corner it?

Actually, China is in more trouble than is commonly thought. They are losing the trade war, not only with the US but worldwide. And for those who believe demographics are destiny:
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@StoneMtnMinis: Ouch. China is looking at suffering a Lost Decade, then.

That could push the government towards a military distraction.

Cornered animals are the most dangerous.

My worry has also been the aging, and mostly male, Chinese population.

Yes, the Chinese economy is slowing significantly (tanking according to some), so time to trot out a strawman to distract the masses.

Well, China is expanding, at least in the SCS, so I wouldn't say it is really "cornered" yet.

Sure, we lose a carrier or two, then what? "Ooh, those Chinese are nasty, we better let them alone." No. We scour the oceans of their ships, cut off oil and LNG tankers and shut off their access to international banking. And default on all those US bonds that they hold.

Unlikely to happen as both sides have nuclear weapons. Far too easy to escalate.

The more wicked idea is to trade the US debt the Chinese hold for the Chinese debt that the US holds.

China insists that it doesn't owe any debts from previous governments, though everyone else (and I do mean EVERYONE else) insists that they do.

So the US can destroy a hold the Chinese have on us in a way that the rest of the world will recognize.

It's all theoretical when it comes to Chinese military planners. They haven't been in a war for decades. When they were, it was with a far different military. We know for a fact that the United States can flatten a nation in under a month and sustain an occupation for decades.

Given how they performed against the Japanese, I suspect they still have a lot to learn.

Of course, they did better in NK, but then again, the US never attacked them, or the Nork forces north of the Yalu back then either.

Bravado at its max.

(smile)

Amicalement
Armand

No, the title of this thread should be, "Will a failing America attack China?". Because that is the reality. You folks have it sadly backwards. So, so backwards. But, denial is a wonderful thing.

China isn't "failing"…they have problems like any nation has problems. But "failing"? Give me a break. They own half of Manhattan and half of our country for that matter. Their economy is slowing but still growing faster than ours is. EVERY country on earth is experiencing a slowing economy. But oh, when it's China we act like spoiled six year olds making fun of another kid on the playground.

The real question is, will America wake up in time to realize that China is a super power that we don't have the right to treat like a toy in f'n sandbox.

Some of you John Bolton/Dick Cheney "the world is our pet project" wannabes need to take it down a few notches.