Senior U.S. diplomat warns of risks of accidental conflict sparked by China's moves

Just imagine how much better the region would be if China had a responsible, democratic government that respected international law, instead of an aggressive, totalitarian clique that constantly threatens others and steals things.

The Chinese people, and the world, deserve much better than the CCP.

saying only the island's people can decide their future.

The above should in fact be the reality, but the word of the CCP would have to be trusted.

The CCP meddled in the last Taiwanese presidential election, but could not sway a majority of Taiwan's voters, which said to me that most Taiwanese people want to continue to make decisions for themselves, not have a handful of upper caste Chinese in Beijing decide what Taiwanese people do and think. Xi and the CCP should focus their attention on the array of problems within China's borders, leave Taiwan and the rest of the world alone, plus stop supporting their partner Russia's war in Ukraine.

Hard to be accidental around your own country and regions which one owns.

Always important to keep in mind Taiwan is a non-UN recognised state and has historically been part of China.

JJEToday 04:47 pm JST

Hard to be accidental around your own country and regions which one owns.

Always important to keep in mind Taiwan is a non-UN recognised state and has historically been part of China.

Always important to keep in mind that there is no legal justification for Taiwan being part of China.

It won’t be ACCIDENTAL if china is concerned

Yes, there is. It's a breakaway region of China as a result of civil war. It has no UN recognition. It needs to be reunited and integrated with mainland China like Macau and Hong Kong, peacefully if possible, but reunited one way or the other. Anyone can look at a history book and a map to establish this basic reality.

"Because provocative actions are almost by definition dangerous. They run the risk of a miscalculation or an accident that could spark a broader conflict."

.

There is nothing more that the US establishment likes than killing and destroying in far flung places….

Yes, there is. It's a breakaway region of China as a result of civil war. It has no UN recognition. It needs to be reunited and integrated with mainland China like Macau and Hong Kong, peacefully if possible, but reunited one way or the other. Anyone can look at a history book and a map to establish this basic reality.

When the article is about Taiwan: "Borders must be respected, breakaway regions must be reunited, the United states must not interfere."

When the article is about Ukraine: "Borders are meaningless, breakaway regions must be allowed to break away, Russia must be allowed to interfere."

Hard to be accidental around your own country and regions which one owns.

You mean like when the hot dog pilot cut across the PC3, hit it and killed himself IN INTERNATIONAL AIRSPACE?

The U.S. crew had to make an emergency landing in Hainan. Like that time?

Yes, there is. It's a breakaway region of China as a result of civil war.

Which the CCP has never governed, is a fully functioning democracy (oops can’t have that or the poor citizens of the PRC might want to know why THEY can’t choose their leaders…), and which the world will punish the CCP mightily if it gets too big for its britches.

There will certainly be conflict as both Taiwan and China assert that the other is part of its territory. Let's see which one can impose its claim

ianToday 07:10 pm JST

There will certainly be conflict as both Taiwan and China assert that the other is part of its territory. Let's see which one can impose its claim

No, that was the historical position of Taiwan, but the current government does not assert this now, so it will not try to "impose" any "claim."

The government has stated many times that Taiwan is a sovereign country that is independent of the PRC:

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/19/asia/lai-chingte-taiwan-president-inauguration-intl-hnk/index.html

And before any CCP acolytes trot out the old "Well, why doesn't Taiwan change its constitution, then?" line, you already know the answer: because Emperor Xi had said he would invade if so.

isabelle

Today 07:30 pm JST

ianToday 07:10 pm JST

> There will certainly be conflict as both Taiwan and China assert that the other is part of its territory. Let's see which one can impose its claim

> No, that was the historical position of Taiwan, but the current government does not assert this now, so it will not try to "impose" any "claim."

> The government has stated many times that Taiwan is a sovereign country that is independent of the PRC:

> https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/19/asia/lai-chingte-taiwan-president-inauguration-intl-hnk/index.html

> And before any CCP acolytes trot out the old "Well, why doesn't Taiwan change its constitution, then?" line, you already know the answer: because Emperor Xi had said he would invade if so.

Facts does not change according to the interpretation of idiots lol

The US is just getting ready to prepare itself for a false flag operation. US military bases surrounding China, pointing guns at China, and suspicious American 'experts' on the island of Kinmen, 3 miles away from Xiamen city, and somehow China is the threat? China is a threat to American world hegemony, that's for sure. But that's also down to America's colonial and imperialistic ambitions, as laid out by Morning Joe's father-in-law. Read it for yourself. Is it any wonder the Global Majority have had enough of the western colonialists. USA and France have both been sent packing in west Africa. USA will not have military bases there any more, and France will no longer have access to uranium and other resources in return for peanuts.

During the last two elections in Taiwan, the DPP have seen their share drop and drop. And the vast majority of Taiwanese want the status quo, not indepence and certainly not to become yet another US vassal state.

And the vast majority of Taiwanese want the status quo, not indepence and certainly not to become yet another US vassal state.

They also know that economically they are totally dependent on trade with China.

I can still remember that CNN journalist on board that American jet maybe last year, and was shocked that a Chinese jet was following them as they flew by the coast of mainland China. The temerity of Chinese fighter jets flying along the Chinese coast. How dare they. And how dare China position its country so close to American jets and military.

Pukey2Today 07:47 pm JST

US military bases surrounding China

There 100% legally, at the request of the host nations. Unlike China's 100% illegal South China Sea bases.

pointing guns at China

China has thousands of missiles pointed at everyone in the region. It'd be rude not to respond in kind.

suspicious American 'experts' on the island of Kinmen

There at the request of the Taiwanese. And why? Because China is threatening to invade their peaceful country.

China is the threat?

Yes.

Mr KiplingToday 07:52 pm JST

They also know that economically they are totally dependent on trade with China.

You're living in the past.

They used to be, but Tsai's New Southbound Policy has been, and continues to be a success, along with Taiwan's ties with other free world partners like Japan and the US. Taiwan has greatly diversified.

Just look at Taiwanese FDI into China, for example. It is now only 11.4%, dropping from 83.8% in 2010.

https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2024/02/19/2003813752

Sorry, but it is now China that wants Taiwan's (and everyone else's) investment, since Xi screwed its economy so badly.

There will be a Eurasian security system. The presence of external countries, in particular the United States, in this region will be limited, otherwise an armed conflict cannot be avoided.

Just like all manufacturing, production of US arms and other military equipment were severely affected during the pandemic by supply chain problems. Those are now unwinding," Oudkirk said.

That's bs

The deliveries were already late before the pandemic even started.

Sorry, but it is now China that wants Taiwan's (and everyone else's) investment, since Xi screwed its economy so badly.

Taiwan is part of China and they both have major investments with each other

The USA is getting played.

China has been part of Taiwan for hundreds of years

Ain't none of your business anyway and nothing can be done to change a civil war by America because that's exactly what it is a CHINESE CIVIL WAR !

Taiwan was a founding member of the UN while the CCP was still killing 50M people. History.

No group in the world as killed more people than the CCP and unnaturally prevented more births. https://www.hudson.org/human-rights/no-government-has-killed-more-people-through-incompetence-communist-china This is not a govt the world needs in power and certainly Taiwan will choose their version of govt over whatever the CCP may desire.

In the long term, the Chinese people all deserve for a Taiwanese-like govt to provide governance.

There is a stable govt in Taiwan that the mainland would be lucky to emulate and become. That's obvious to everyone except the 2M CCP members grasping at power over the welfare of Chinese people being held back for the ruling CCP political goals over all else.

I wish there were a Chinese leader who actually wanted what was best in Chine for the Chinese people instead of how he can retain power as long as possible over all else.

JJEToday  04:47 pm JST

Hard to be accidental around your own country and regions which one owns.

Always important to keep in mind Taiwan is a non-UN recognised state and has historically been part of China.

Let's clarify this for you. Taiwan does NOT belong to the CCP. Just like the UK didn't have to let go of Hong Kong as the agreement was to return Hong Kong to the previous governing body before the CCP even existed. Taiwan belongs to the ROC... NOT the CCP.

The Government of China is a global pariah.

Start from this point.

So US/UK can, I suggest, must assist Japan Government a deterrent capability, offshore, independent.

Whether the Japanese people will live with that is another matter altogether.

The government of china won't cease hostilities until so.

For most of its history, China did not "own" Taiwan.

Why the sudden interest in Taiwan, while ignoring the lands stolen by Russia in the 19th century? If Xi decided to take back Vladivostok, no one would come to the aid of a much weakened Russia.

kurisupisuJune 14 05:35 pm JST

"Because provocative actions are almost by definition dangerous. They run the risk of a miscalculation or an accident that could spark a broader conflict."

.

There is nothing more that the US establishment likes than killing and destroying in far flung places….

And yet the US isn't trying to obliterate Ukraine and Taiwan.

Mr KiplingJune 14 07:52 pm JST

And the vast majority of Taiwanese want the status quo, not indepence and certainly not to become yet another US vassal state.

You don't know that as we've never seen a poll not under the influence of Bully China. The majority do NOT want to be called to Chinese.

They also know that economically they are totally dependent on trade with China.

Then why doesn't China cutoff all trade and bring Taiwan to it's knees? Because China's popularity is worse than used bathroom tissue and they would lose that struggle, that's why.

What the government of china wants, it takes, pure and simple, by force.

Taiwan, the South East China sea, anything it points its finger at.

Hong Kong remaining hope of democracy have been brutality harshly repressed.

When faced with total annihilation?

Such a prospect, the chinese government will politically disappear down the hole it crawled out from.

Pukey2June 14 07:47 pm JST

The US is just getting ready to prepare itself for a false flag operation.

The false flag we've been preparing for 75 years without troops present?

China is a threat to American world hegemony, that's for sure.

It's a threat to world peace and stability, that's for sure.

But that's also down to America's colonial and imperialistic ambitions, as laid out by Morning Joe's father-in-law.

Last annexed land in 1898.

Read it for yourself. Is it any wonder the Global Majority have had enough of the western colonialists.

They're not going to invite in dictatorship brigade troops, either, though.

USA and France have both been sent packing in west Africa. USA will not have military bases there any more, and France will no longer have access to uranium and other resources in return for peanuts.

Whatever will we do without Niger? We'll have to source Uranium from the dozens of other countries that have it I guess.

Again the world's drama queen playing the world's victim.. 

Bunch of decadent clowns.. 

LOOOOOL

And yet, it's China that has meltdowns when people catch its fingers in the cookie jar. Why so sensitive if you're not guilty of any wrongdoing?

Imagine that, an American "ambassador" to Taiwan (read Republic of China) lecturing China on how it should behave in its backyard.

Oudkirk, who ends her three-year posting next month

再見. Enjoy your retirement working at the Hudson or Hoover Institute.

deanzaZZRToday 02:31 am JST

Imagine that, an American "ambassador" to Taiwan (read Republic of China) lecturing China on how it should behave in its backyard.

Oudkirk, who ends her three-year posting next month

再見. Enjoy your retirement working at the Hudson or Hoover Institute.

She is just pointing out that China better not touch that hot coal, just as China likes to warn.

Imagine that, an American "ambassador" to Taiwan (read Republic of China) lecturing China on how it should behave in its backyard.

It's always strange when you see someone learn how the world works and getting angry about it, like it hasn't always been that way in both directions.

I suppose some day in the future they'll look at other ignorant people having the same realization, and also feel pity towards those people, like we do to them.

Just on Hong Kong, and in reply to a poster above...

Hong Kong ceded to British colonial powers following the Opium Wars.

When Britain fought China to retain the right to sell opium.

Anyway, Britain kept it's word and released Hong Kong when the 99 year agreement expired.

A lot of today's "problems " regarding sovereignty and land can be found originating in past colonial decisions imposed on weaker countries.

We see this in the ME today, and elsewhere ,in Africa , for example.

I dont have an answer only to say wars usually are involved.

GuruMickToday 06:38 am JST

I dont have an answer only to say wars usually are involved.

Yeah, like the war on Ukraine.