| Submit your comments on this article |
| China-Japan-Koreas |
| U.S. Walks Fine Line With China, Taiwan |
| 2006-08-13 |
| (AP) - The weaponry is heavily American - F-16s bombarding a simulated Chinese flotilla, Cobra helicopters targeting invading ground troops, Patriot missiles streaking across the azure Asian sky. The annual war games are Taiwan's way of showcasing its readiness to repel an attack by neighboring China, and they also serve as a reminder that the island's back-up muscle comes from Washington, long its major supporter. The exercise highlights a rivalry between democratic Taiwan and its giant communist neighbor that potentially could draw the United States into a conflict with a China that is fast emerging as a global heavyweight. Talk is tough on both sides of the 100 mile-wide Taiwan Strait separating the island and the mainland. But as with Korea, Asia's other unfinished civil war, this one reflects a complex set of priorities that range from domestic politics to international economics, regional rivalries to global strategic interests. China and Taiwan split in 1949, and since then Beijing has never abandoned its position that the island is part of its territory, to be recovered by force if necessary. |
| Posted by:Slenter Hupavins5895 |
| #4 DV - that's the difference between confrontation with China vs. confrontation with Islam - the Chinese are likely to be following similar rational thought patterns to ours, unlike Islam. In the Cold War the philosphy was MAD - mutual assured destruction (by nuclear war); with China it could be called MAED - mutual assured economic destruction. We are economically dependent on each other, for now. Perhaps not for too much longer though, if the Chinese internal market and Asian trade gets strong enough to make the US economic component a small enough fraction to be willing to sacrifice. |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2006-08-13 12:08 |
| #3 Just remember too, that 25%+ of China's GDP comes from the US. Cut that off and instant depression. Both the US and China have a LOT to loose by going to war and I doubt one would be taken lightly by either party. |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2006-08-13 10:50 |
| #2 The cumulative trade deficit with China is $1 Trillion. Though some of that comes back because, until very recently, China had a trade deficit with the rest of the world (minus US). In effect China's development has been wholely funded by the buying habits of the US consumer. |
| Posted by: ed 2006-08-13 10:00 |
| #1 Just for thought....how much in Chinese-held T-bills could be defaulted on in a shooting war in Asia? The Chinese have an interest in seeing that we feel like continuing our payments. |
| Posted by: whitecollar redneck 2006-08-13 09:53 |