China and the US resume military contacts

There is more significance to the resuming of military ties than people think.

China and the U.S. aren't on the best of terms right now given how things are developing in the South and East China Sea. Recent sanctions imposed by the Congress on China and China's retaliatory economics measures are only making things worse. This is one small but important step to reinject balance in Sino-American relations.

Yeah while I doubt this is permanent, it is nonetheless a good thing in relation to all the tensions recently in S.E. Asia and the Diaoyu Island dispute. I think it is a sign that both parties want to show observers that they are still in control and to try to cool tempers between hawks by having them meet each other.

Obcession said:

Did the 6 billion arms package ever get through/delivered?

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I find it rather strange that China opposes it.

There is big, albeit hidden, opportunity there. If, eventually, Taiwan decides to join PRC .... all those sophiticated weapons from USA will be in PRC's hands.

PRC has otherwise no chance of laying it's hands on such sophiticated stuff. Once the sophisticated weapons are in hand ..... obviously, reverse engineering is the way to go.

bingo said:

I find it rather strange that China opposes it.

There is big, albeit hidden, opportunity there. If, eventually, Taiwan decides to join PRC .... all those sophiticated weapons from USA will be in PRC's hands.

PRC has otherwise no chance of laying it's hands on such sophiticated stuff. Once the sophisticated weapons are in hand ..... obviously, reverse engineering is the way to go.

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By the time that happens, those weapons will be obsolete.

Did you really think the US would sell Taiwan cutting-edge stuff?

bingo said:

I find it rather strange that China opposes it.

There is big, albeit hidden, opportunity there. If, eventually, Taiwan decides to join PRC .... all those sophiticated weapons from USA will be in PRC's hands.

PRC has otherwise no chance of laying it's hands on such sophiticated stuff. Once the sophisticated weapons are in hand ..... obviously, reverse engineering is the way to go.

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China can indigenously manufacture most of the weapons the US is willing to sell Taiwan, they won't risk giving them an advantage in any hypothetical combat scenario just so they can look at some obsolete missiles and planes.

bingo said:

I find it rather strange that China opposes it.

There is big, albeit hidden, opportunity there. If, eventually, Taiwan decides to join PRC .... all those sophiticated weapons from USA will be in PRC's hands.

PRC has otherwise no chance of laying it's hands on such sophiticated stuff. Once the sophisticated weapons are in hand ..... obviously, reverse engineering is the way to go.

Click to expand...

Its more about being symbolic. As the RoC according to the PRC's view is part of its territory, it is refusing to recognize the mainland's authority and circumventing it by directly dealing with the RoC government. So in essence, they refuse to see PRC sovereignty over RoC. The weapons themselves PRC probably could careless as military conflict at this point is almost null...its just the gesture, saying, "we will continue to assert our authority in the Taiwan strait."

bingo said:

I find it rather strange that China opposes it.

There is big, albeit hidden, opportunity there. If, eventually, Taiwan decides to join PRC .... all those sophiticated weapons from USA will be in PRC's hands.

PRC has otherwise no chance of laying it's hands on such sophiticated stuff. Once the sophisticated weapons are in hand ..... obviously, reverse engineering is the way to go.

Click to expand...

The problem is that the U.S. is sending weapons to Taiwan as a political stance. Most of the equipments being sent are old and outdated anyways. I doubt that the PLAAF will be interested in F-16A/Bs a decade or so later when reunification happens.

Actually, I was sort of expecting a more practical reason.

$ 6 Billion is not a small amount. It will be stupid if Taiwan were to buy obsolete weaponry for such a huge price.

The key is that Taiwan is not getting the weapons for free .... unlike Pakistan.

So, like it or not, but the profits from this $ 6 Billion sale is going to support the US Defense-Industry complex.


Otherwise, if the US was giving free weapons ..... well, why not

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However .. still .. PRC is not paying those $6 Billion .. it's Taiwan. And Taiwan earned those $6 Billion mostly from exports to US.

So, they are really exchanging Acer computers with military weapons.

China is not known to oppose trade relations with Taiwan. In fact, it itself has trade relations with Taiwan.

Any purchase of weapons is useless ..... as nobody expects any war.
And if at all a war happens, nobody wins.

bingo said:

Any purchase of weapons is useless ..... as nobody expects any war.
And if at all a war happens, nobody wins.

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That's not true. Nobody expects a war for now, because the KMT are in power. If the crazy DPP gets voted into power again, who knows what might happen. It wasn't that long ago when Chen Suibian was making a series of gestures that edged Taiwan closer to a unilateral declaration of independence.

solarz said:

That's not true. Nobody expects a war for now, because the KMT are in power. If the crazy DPP gets voted into power again, who knows what might happen. It wasn't that long ago when Chen Suibian was making a series of gestures that edged Taiwan closer to a unilateral declaration of independence.

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The DPP are crazy but not stupid..... right?