China/Taiwan fight. (1 Viewer)

[DaveXA]

The miraiam webster definition of ambiguity is using both hand equally. Taiwan and mainland China will never accept
this agreement. There are few threads that come on the EE board where I can give an expert opinion. This is one of them.

I'm not sure that strategic ambiguity is an agreement to anything. It's more of a matter of policy that the US hasn't made it clear to China what their response would be in the event that Taiwan is attacked. I don't think the WH would want to give their position away in whatever approach China takes. I think being flexible and responding at needed is the prudent approach. Would rather keep China, and Russia for that matter, guessing.

 

[HoustonSaint68]

The miraiam webster definition of ambiguity is using both hand equally. Taiwan and mainland China will never accept
this agreement. There are few threads that come on the EE board where I can give an expert opinion. This is one of them.

We are still talking past one another. As Dave points out, we aren't talking about a Webster's definition but rather a real world policy.

Try this as a starting point to understand what we're referring to:

What is America’s policy of “strategic ambiguity” over Taiwan?

Joe Biden’s aides rush to clarify his apparent disavowals

www.economist.com

You can disagree with the effectiveness of the policy but, as our recently departed fearless leader would say, "it is what it is".

EDIT: Also, and I think this may be where the misunderstanding is, we're not referring to what China and Taiwan might respectively accept as an alternative to reunification but rather what U.S. policy currently is today. Apples and oranges.

 

[baarbogast]

 

[ChrisinNOLA]

No surprise here. Didn’t they find some near PF Changs in San Francisco?

 

[baarbogast]

 

[Tapxe]

Response to the balloon's (AKA unknown flying objects) and new bases?

Philippines accuses China of shining laser at boat - BBC News

The "military-grade" laser temporarily blinded the Filipino crew in the South China Sea, it says.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[bclemms]

Good stuff. And, don't forget water resources as well.

This is where I think we need to learn the lessons of WWII relative to the predicament of the Japanese and what led to their decision to expand militarily to secure resources and strike the US first.

And, I think what we've learned from Ukraine vis-a-vis Taiwan is to stop with sending the shiny new military toys to them and insist that they recast their military in a grittier, attrition-heavy way that prods the PRC to reconsider the cost of taking Taiwan by force. Also, I'm far from educated on the specific subject but my gut tells me that if Taiwan doesn't reconsider its all-volunteer approach to military service, I'm tripling down on my view that we shouldn't put major elements of our own military (necessary for keeping other bad guys at bay) in harm's way in the event of a conflict.

With my humongous broad brush out now, I think the PRC is MUCH different than, say, the Russians in their preferred approach if not in their eventual endgame. They'll happily go the peaceful route to secure those needed resources and, to a MUCH greater degree than for Russia, war is not in their strategic best interests. But, as I said before, Taiwan is personal to them and a very large portion of their populace and I don't trust them to make completely logical decisions when it comes to a tussle over Taiwan as opposed to, say, fishing rights in the South China Sea.

I think the Chinese are trying to make it personal but it is really all about silicone for both sides. The balance of which would likely determine everything for the next century or more.

 

[Sailorsaint]

Response to the balloon's (AKA unknown flying objects) and new bases?

Philippines accuses China of shining laser at boat - BBC News

The "military-grade" laser temporarily blinded the Filipino crew in the South China Sea, it says.

www.bbc.co.uk

"Aside from flashing laser light twice, the Chinese ship also made "dangerous manoeuvres" about 150 yards (137m) from the Filipino ship's starboard side, authorities said."
For those of you that aren't sailors/ex-sailors, I cannot stress just how close and scary 150 yds is when you are at sea. That close, it looks like you can reach over and touch the other vessel. We would get nervous when it was a friendly vessel, I wouldn't want to be that close to a hostile vessel.

Edit: Also, there were reports that a Chinese satelite was shooting laser beams down over Hawaii recently. It was chalked up to just atmospheric testing, topographical ranging, etc. though. There wasn't any real threat/danger.