Well... and so it begins. China quitting talks and just going for it...

http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/716822....

Quote:

Sansha new step in managing S.China Sea

China's Ministry of Civil Affairs announced last week the establishment of Sansha city, which will administer Xisha, Zhongsha and Nansha islands.

They don't seem to care about the other countries disputing the islands...

Quote:

The idea of establishing Sansha city emerged as early as 2007, but was shelved due to protests by Vietnam. Now China has taken a concrete step, signaling its determination to administer the Nansha Islands and related sea areas. The new level of management carries more weight than the law of Vietnam.

China's actions concerning South China Sea disputes have been forced by Vietnam and the Philippines. Their provocations will meet with strong reactions from China, and push China to systematically strengthen related management.

If the South China Sea disputes turn into a power contest, there will be little doubt about the result.

China's options for resolving maritime disputes in the past have been restricted by worries such as being isolated and sanctioned by the West. These worries have diminished after several rounds of recent conflicts with Vietnam and the Philippines, and countering Washington's intervention in the South China Sea disputes. The public and government both have a firm determination and confidence to protect the country's sovereignty there.

And apparently they won't stop there.

Quote:

The establishment of Sansha city should be followed by more initiatives. How Vietnam and the Philippines react to them is not our top concern. The two countries have escalated the South China Sea disputes, and the situation in the area cannot return to how it was.

And last week, Vietnam passed a law saying that 2 of those 3 islands (The Paracels/Xisha Islands and The Spratlys/Nansha Islands were within VIETNAM sovereignty...

Quote:

The decision is more than just a response to Vietnam's maritime law, approved Thursday.

So..................... it's gonna get real hot in the pacific...

And what exactly would vietnam do about it? Throw rocks at them?

If you follow generational dynamics, it certainly feels like we are seeing events that will eventually lead to the next crisis war. In terrible economic times, an expansionist China going against neighbors, Sunni/Shiite fighting, the European Union beginning to unravel with countries turning against each other.

got to know when to pick your battles

Quote:

If you follow generational dynamics, it certainly feels like we are seeing events that will eventually lead to the next crisis war. In terrible economic times, an expansionist China going against neighbors, Sunni/Shiite fighting, the European Union beginning to unravel with countries turning against each other.

How right you are. The headlines read like a future history book about the early 21'st century conflicts.
Hitler did not start WW2 by invading Poland and western Europe. It was a slow gradual escalation of hostilities. Here we go again.

Expire
Let's not forget that the Russians also invaded Poland with their buddies the Nazis

Yep.

China needs serious pushback right NOW. Appeasement only ups the price you'll pay to stop them later. That's a lesson we learned the hard way 60 years ago.

Sushi the flaw in your thesis is that you assume that anybody is in any position to stand in their way. You think the US can do it?

http://www.emptywheel.net/2012/05/27/us-....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_Ma....

http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/50-n....

http://www.manufacturingnews.com/news/co....

Yeh, good luck with that. Half our crap might not even work, not to mention the monetary leverage that China has over the US. It is game, set, match for the US era of dictating to the world and acting unilaterally.

No flaw.

Not only can China be stopped but they can be stopped quite easily - if we act soon. They are incredibly vulnerably economically as they cannot supply even the industrial needs of their economy from internal and secure external sources. Every sea lane that they need to supply oil, coal, iron ore and much more is dominated by land and at a great distance from the Chinese homeland.

If it came to a war, China would be SOL in very short order because the shipping could be cut off far, far beyond any possible aircover based in China. The straits near Singapore and passing between the Japanese mainland and Okinawa are the jugular that would be slashed open with them bleeding to death economically and there's not a damn thing the Chinese could do about that.

Unlike the US or many other countries, China doesn't even have the option of coal liquefication to supply military fuel. They are already using all the coal they can produce and importing a bunch more besides. They have the same oil vulnerability as the US with far fewer naval assets to protect that weakness and no domestic options to offset it.

They've wanted vietnam for thousands of years--still don't have it.

In 50 years they could buy it with OUR money--I don't understand the rush to Chinese aggression on this.

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CRPT-112srp....

Yeh well take a look at this. I am not at all convinced that our military will be full functional if it really comes down to it. I think we are a paper tiger at this point. We are over-indebted and our military capability has some serious vulnerabilities. I am saddened to see what has happened to the US over the last decade or so, but nor am I going to ignore the reality. And the reality is that China has played the game masterfully. They have us in checkmate in 5 moves.

I particularly like this part:

Quote:

Conclusion 2: The Chinese government has failed to take steps to stop counterfeiting operations that are conducted openly in that country.

So let me get this straight, you outsource the procurement of important and sensitive components to an economic rival who has a strong national interest in subverting and weakening your military capabilities. That nation (China)then acts on that national self-interest. Makes a profits, screws and weakens its competitor (The US). The purchasing nation (the US) then acts surprised and gets mad. PUHLEASE. If you people put your faith in such stupidity (or more probably just corruption) then we are well and truly screwed beyond redemption. And from the read of this report, it is not at all clear to me what systems and products can be trusted. From simple equipment all the way up to the nuclear arsenal. I also would not be willing to try and test China using military means, because it may very well be the last (fatal) mistake we ever make. No thanks.

Best move the US makes (re: China) is to leave well enough alone. Work out its domestic problems (debt, corruption, entitelments, etc.) and do not to attempt to "contain" the burgeoning superpower.