Is China planning a Military Strike beyond its borders?

Mr T

Senior Member
Well, even if the underlying grievances are domestic, sometimes an external authority is needed to oversee and organize demonstrations on this scale, and if we are to believe Chinese authorities, this was the case here.

Err, why should we believe the Chinese authorities? Quite apart from the fact that they always seem to blame foreigners for non-Han unrest (I can't remember the last time they admitted their own policies might play a bit role in it), what hard evidence have they provided that there was some sort of international conspiracy?

As far as I can see it's the usual "trust us because we're Chinese and our critics are foreigners who don't understand/hate China" position.

The question is not where, but who, and I believe that anyone who took part in organizing the riots will die of freak accidents.

Putting aside for a moment the fact that it's highly unlikely the Chinese authorities would ever get comprehensive proof of that, it would be highly stupid to do such a thing. If their agents were ever discovered it would blow back something terrible in China's direction, especially given that it has little international sympathy over this matter.

we have a senior and very experienced Chinese diplomat using the words "Terrorist" External" and "Counterstrike" in context in the same statement. Diplomatic language is very circumspect in this matter (protocol) and you do not use "counterstrike" in the context of Internal security.

Over the years I've noted that China is very good at talking big, but when it comes to firm action it rarely lives up to the hype.

A military operation is out of the question due to lack of capability and a clear target/objective. That would leave a propaganda/diplomatic offensive, but given that the Chinese government has shown so little ability to reflect on its own failings, temper its views in a way that the key foreign administrations here can sympathise with and has such little credibility on matters such as those raised by the Uighur opposition groups, I'm not sure what it can accomplish.
 
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bladerunner

Banned Idiot
Does anyone have any REAL information on why Kadeer was jailed for in the first place.?

I remember reading sometime ago that she was jailed for revealing state secrets or something of that nature, by way of newspaper clippings she sent to her husband.

If true, it makes the charges rather absurd doesn't it?.
 

Engineer

Major
Err, why should we believe the Chinese authorities? Quite apart from the fact that they always seem to blame foreigners for non-Han unrest (I can't remember the last time they admitted their own policies might play a bit role in it), what hard evidence have they provided that there was some sort of international conspiracy?
In a similar logic, what hard evidence is there that says it isn't?

Putting aside for a moment the fact that it's highly unlikely the Chinese authorities would ever get comprehensive proof of that, it would be highly stupid to do such a thing. If their agents were ever discovered it would blow back something terrible in China's direction, especially given that it has little international sympathy over this matter.
China gets no sympathy from the west for protecting innocent lives, while the killers do for killing. Such morally incorrect sympathy would be of no concern.

Over the years I've noted that China is very good at talking big, but when it comes to firm action it rarely lives up to the hype.
There is no reason why a country needs to prove anything to an individual.

A military operation is out of the question due to lack of capability and a clear target/objective. That would leave a propaganda/diplomatic offensive, but given that the Chinese government has shown so little ability to reflect on its own failings, temper its views in a way that the key foreign administrations here can sympathise with and has such little credibility on matters such as those raised by the Uighur opposition groups, I'm not sure what it can accomplish.
Failings? Defined by who? The west? The Uighur opposition groups?
After showing sympathy to murderers who kill innocents, not once by twice, they don't have any credibility or moral standing left to define what is right and wrong.
 

SampanViking

The Capitalist
Staff member
Super Moderator
VIP Professional
Registered Member
OK Calm down. We all know that there is deep resentment, but is it enough and is there a precise overseas target that it can realistically attack?

The rights and wrongs of who said what to who etc, need not be discussed, as we already know the history and have our own views.
 

bd popeye

The Last Jedi
VIP Professional
Mods, this has become a political post, not a military discussion. It should be closed.

Correct. Read what Sampanviking posted above^^. Cool down and discuss the military merits of this subject.

Such as;
How would China conduct such an attack?
What sort and how many forces would be needed?
Who would they attack?
What would be the objectives of such an attack?

Sampanviking is the mod in charge of this discussion. I'm out.


bd popeye super moderator
 

Obcession

Junior Member
Putting aside the politics that several of the members touched on:

No, military action is neither feasible nor what China wants. Several of the Central Asian countries are somewhat aligned with China in the SCO, to which China borders. China does not want to, and indeed has no reason to strike Turkey as they're not the ones that're funding and training the Uighurs.
 

Finn McCool

Captain
Registered Member
How would China conduct such an attack?
What sort and how many forces would be needed?
Who would they attack?
What would be the objectives of such an attack?

1. In my personal opinion, the best way to conduct retaliatory operations for the Xianjiang incident outside of China would be by using plainclothes intelligence officers from the MSS and/or Special Forces troops out of uniform to assassinate or kidnap those deemed responsible for the incident, much like the Israeli campaign of retaliation for the 1972 Munich Olympics hostage taking. This targets only the individuals overseas, not the nation they are in, and is deniable.

2. Secrecy is vital since this is basically agents of the Chinese government being ordered to commit murder on foreign soil by the highest decision makers. Therefore secretive organizations, like China's intelligence agencies and the military's Special Forces would be useful. I envision using all available intelligence resources to identify people who are targets, and then infiltrating teams of operatives, most likely disguised as civilians, by whatever means necessary into the places the targets are located (Europe, Turkey, Central Asia, perhaps not the US that's really too risky). The teams will kill their targets in any variety of ways (shooting them to make it look like a mugging, planting bombs, poisonings, whatever each particular target requires). If infiltrating Chinese operatives to do the killing is too difficult or dangerous, the intelligence services can hire locals to do it, although this is not preferable because it leaves a trace that can be tracked back to the Chinese government. The amount of assasinations should be kept small to avoid too much notice, but it is desirable that people notice that prominent militant Uighurs are dying, since this provides deterrence, shows that China is serious and can please domestic public opinion. I'm thinking around 10-12 targets.

One of the greatest assets in the Israeli assassination campaign was the Mossad's existing network of safe houses, contacts and prepositioned weapons (when I say weapons I mean basically handguns, and they managed to use their networks to get explosives into modern-day EU nations) throughout Europe. The Chinese government would have to get something similar going, although with the vast amount of freight moving from China to the target nations, and the large Chinese expatriate/ethnic communities and Chinese business interest worldwide it shouldn't be difficult.

3. The targets for assassination would be, whenever possible, those who are actually responsible for the Xianjiang incident. Failing that, important members of Uighur militant and dissident organizations should suffice.

4. The objectives of this campaign will be to damage the worldwide Uighur exile network that (according to the Chinese government) made the Urumqi riots possible. It was also force terrorist groups that want to target China to realize there will be a deadly response to their actions. Lastly preventing any non-deniable links to the Chinese government from surfacing should be a priority. It doesn't matter if the police suspect it was China, as long as they can't prove it. Hell you basically WANT them to suspect China. It aids in deterrence.

I'm not saying that I necessarily support this sort of action, or that it's moral, or that China's claims that everything was organized by foreigners are true, I just think it's the best option as far as use of force goes.
 

flyzies

Junior Member
Over the years I've noted that China is very good at talking big, but when it comes to firm action it rarely lives up to the hype.

When a spy network carries out its mission, whether itll be gathering information or assinations or whatever, we will most likely never hear about it if it succeeds. We will hear conspiracy theories and suspicious whisperings aftereards, but never the details.
When the mission fails and the spy or its network get exposed, thats when the news flows out through the media like a river.

So the point im making is this; it is true when it comes to firm action China rarely lives up to the hype, but that doesnt mean China hasnt succeed in ultra secret spy missions in the past. It's just that there is nothing to hype about as you and me dont hear about it when they do put it off...
 

AssassinsMace

Lieutenant General
Simple solution and no violence involved. Do the very thing they don't want to see happen. Flood the hell out of Xinjiang with Han Chinese and give the Uighurs a one-way door out if they want to leave. Uighurs have no legitimate claim to Xinjiang since they have origins in other parts especially Mongolia. If their claim is due to population size... well China can easily now claim and use the same excuse.
 
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