| Submit your comments on this article |
| China-Japan-Koreas |
| StrategyPage: Taiwan Corruption and Preparedness |
| 2005-10-24 |
| October 24, 2005: Retired Taiwanese military officers have gone public with a long ignored scandal. The former officers detailed the extent of corruption in the military, and how it wastes money and degrades the military capabilities of the armed forces. Such corruption is an ancient problem in Chinese culture, and it's impact on the Communist Chinese military has long been openly discussed. But the Taiwanese, because they have been trained and influenced by the Americans, were believed immune to the "disease." But in reality, there are all manner of shady Taiwanese deals involving kickbacks and theft. Can you say Lafayette frigate scandal, boys and girls? But most of the Taiwanese corruption is done quietly, and in ways that are hard to detect. But U.S. military advisors have been urging, for decades, that the Taiwanese military increase their efficiency and readiness. Like stockpiling more than a 10 day ammo supply and having a full AAM loadout for their fighters. Forget about buying new subs. No country is willing to risk Commie Chinese anger and the US doesn't make them anymore. Spend that money on antiship and antiaircraft/antimissile systems. Aquire the capability to attack mainland airfields. The Taiwanese, however, have come to believe that, no matter what they do with their own military, the Americans will rescue them. Taiwanese believe that their economy, especially the production of electronic components, is too critical to the American economy, for the Americans to risk allowing a Chinese invasion to succeed. If the quantity of electronic imports defined who are America's allies, then we would already be rooting for the Commies, not thinking about how to destroy the PLAN and PLAAF. The Taiwanese better get their rears in gear before Americans come to believe they are just another self indulgent people who think they are entitled to American treasure and lives to keep them free, therefore not deserving of such support. October 14, 2005: A Chinese oil drilling platform, in disputed waters halfway between China and the Japanese island of Okinawa, is producing natural gas, and maybe oil, despite ongoing negotiations over who owns what in that patch of ocean. The Chinese have spent two years building that platform, in waters claimed by Japan. A second platform is almost finished, as is an underwater oil pipeline for both platforms. China regularly sends groups of warships to patrol the area, to underline their belief that this bit of water is under Chinese control. Negotiations have gone nowhere, and now Japan has been holding talks with the U.S. over military options. Japan is apparently ready to use force, for they have given a Japanese company a license to drill for oil in the same area the Chinese are operating. Japan would provide armed escorts for the Japanese drilling and construction teams. |
| Posted by:ed |
| #2 Phil, The AMRAAM deal (stupid ass Clinton era deal kow-towing to the Commie Chinese) to store the missiles in the US was contingent on the Chinese not introducing a comparable missile. Now that the Chinese have the SU-27/R-77 combo, the contingency is no longer valid. I am not sure if the Taiwan have received their production yet, but it should be about the right time. Rergardless of that, the Taiwanese do not have enough Sidewinders/Sparrows to even load all their fighters once. That's suicide, but the Taiwanese faith in the (US) Force must be strong. Another item the US should consider selling to the Taiwanese are the Aegis, instead of the Kidd class, destroyers. It is the only ship capable of operating in the heavy air/missile threat of the Taiwan Straits and if armed with Tomahawks, give Beijings generals real heartburn. I don't know that Washington trusts the Taiwanese enough to that all the Aegis tech will not be leaked to China. But I read that China has supposedly already spied much of the Aegis during Clinton's term. |
| Posted by: ed 2005-10-24 14:08 |
| #1 Ed, we're the guys who decided we'd sell them the air-to-air missiles but keep them in the US until the war actually started because otherwise it would be Too Destabilizing. |
| Posted by: Phil Fraering 2005-10-24 08:52 |