Article

2005-03-22 China-Japan-Koreas

Chicoms: Sell us weapons even though weâre going to attack Taiwan

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Posted by AzCat 2005-03-22 6:10:19 AM|| || Front Page|| [3 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Article: The passage of the anti-secession law is an effort to ease tensions across the Taiwan Straits. ... The key to ease tensions is to check Taiwanâs secessionary forces and to stop all secessionist activities.

Pre-war Germany's annexation of Czechoslovakia certainly eased international tensions with that country. No nation, ergo no international tensions.

Posted by Zhang Fei 2005-03-22 10:24:15 AM|| [http://timurileng.blogspot.com] 2005-03-22 10:24:15 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 "Linking these two issues is unreasonable," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao.

I wonder if he said this with a straight face?

Posted by Bomb-a-rama 2005-03-22 10:41:45 AM|| 2005-03-22 10:41:45 AM|| Front Page Top

#3 Brilliant diplomacy. Send 'em to Dale Carnegie.

Posted by Mrs. Davis 2005-03-22 10:44:03 AM|| 2005-03-22 10:44:03 AM|| Front Page Top

#4 Unreasonable linkage! APOLOGIZE! They seem to prefer the modified "school of charms" approach these days.

Posted by Tkat 2005-03-22 10:54:02 AM|| 2005-03-22 10:54:02 AM|| Front Page Top

#5 watch out when Army First guy starts moonlighting for Liu

Posted by Frank G 2005-03-22 11:10:45 AM|| 2005-03-22 11:10:45 AM|| Front Page Top

#6 I waiting for them to bang their shoes on the table.

Posted by ed 2005-03-22 11:41:02 AM|| 2005-03-22 11:41:02 AM|| Front Page Top

#7 Tree hut scholar Liu is easily offended.

Posted by Kee 2005-03-22 11:49:47 AM|| 2005-03-22 11:49:47 AM|| Front Page Top

#8 MD: Brilliant diplomacy. Send 'em to Dale Carnegie.

The point of diplomacy is to let other people have it your way. Will the Euros not lift the embargo simply because of the Taiwan announcement? I doubt it - there will be a flurry of activity to indicate reconsideration, but the embargo will be lifted. No doubt about it - if France will sell to Iraq, it will sell to China.

Note that the point of the Taiwan pronouncement was multi-faceted - (1) to cow the Taiwanese into surrendering without a shot, (2) to warn what China considers outside interlopers that war is coming and (3) to prepare the Chinese public for future confrontation. Note that diplomatic sticks can be brandished for years and years without any cost to China. If one tack doesn't work, they can always try another. Winning without war is the name of the game - and they are pushing it as far as they can with a mix of bluff and bluster. Any invasion would cost the lives of tens of thousands of Chinese troops. I can't really blame them for trying - if I were in their position, I'd do the exact same thing - as Churchill once said, if you can afford to (i.e. you're not actually under attack), jaw-jaw is generally less costly than war-war.

Posted by Zhang Fei 2005-03-22 6:56:38 PM|| [http://timurileng.blogspot.com] 2005-03-22 6:56:38 PM|| Front Page Top

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