Miscellaneous News

I don't think shooting down Craft's aircraft would be the objective. China would start shooting down Taiwanese fighters escorting her in and any other Taiwanese fighters in the air which would've started the war because it's Taiwan that would be blamed for allowing it to happen. The US military in panic because China wasn't talking on the hotlines is good enough to believe it's serious to them. No communication and a lot of accidents that can happen during that time to which seem China was willing to risk and go that far. Because really why was the trip cancelled at the last moment? It makes complete sense that Pompeo cancelled his trip to Europe to cover up that the US backed down. When you don't admit to making mistakes, you would spin anything to make it as if one didn't.

Its good too see Chinese leadership setting and communicating the redlines and willing to go to war over it.
Should make western powers thing twice or even three times before trying stuff and stepping over those red lines.

Extremely important for Taiwan' Independence movement. This more or less showed them that when US finds it not on its interest then it will turn its back on Taiwan without caring about their opinions.

This is why in the past month you have seen Taiwan gov take a conciliatory tone towards China. This shows to me that US is not 100% commited to fighting a war for Taiwan which might send worrying signals for its influence in the Indo-Pacific region

AssassinsMace said:

I don't think shooting down Craft's aircraft would be the objective. China would start shooting down Taiwanese fighters escorting her in and any other Taiwanese fighters in the air which would've started the war because it's Taiwan that would be blamed for allowing it to happen. The US military in panic because China wasn't talking on the hotlines is good enough to believe it's serious to them. No communication and a lot of accidents that can happen during that time to which seem China was willing to risk and go that far. Because really why was the trip cancelled at the last moment? It makes complete sense that Pompeo cancelled his trip to Europe to cover up that the US backed down. When you don't admit to making mistakes, you would spin anything to make it as if one didn't.

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I think if it actually came that far that shots are fired in angry, China will make sure Craft’s plane was killed.

The whole point would have been to send an unequivocal message to America that Taiwan is absolutely off limits, and if they are moronic enough to place stupid games over Taiwan’s sovereignty, they will win stupid prizes. Anything less would risk America drawing the wrong conclusions.

Remember China’s primary objective is to avoid having to invade Taiwan if at all possible. Craft would be killed to demonstrate to America the cost of even threatening that most fundamental of Chinese red lines. The side benefit is to deal a hammer blow on Taiwan Independence forces. Because if America is unwilling to go to war with China when China kills a plane full of Americans, they would have to be delusional to think America would go to war for them. The hardcore traitors might not care of be in denial, but the writing would be in the wall for everyone else in Taiwan to see.

plawolf said:

I think if it actually came that far that shots are fired in angry, China will make sure Craft’s plane was killed.

The whole point would have been to send an unequivocal message to America that Taiwan is absolutely off limits, and if they are moronic enough to place stupid games over Taiwan’s sovereignty, they will win stupid prizes. Anything less would risk America drawing the wrong conclusions.

Remember China’s primary objective is to avoid having to invade Taiwan if at all possible. Craft would be killed to demonstrate to America the cost of even threatening that most fundamental of Chinese red lines. The side benefit is to deal a hammer blow on Taiwan Independence forces. Because if America is unwilling to go to war with China when China kills a plane full of Americans, they would have to be delusional to think America would go to war for them. The hardcore traitors might not care of be in denial, but the writing would be in the wall for everyone else in Taiwan to see.

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Absolutely not. Even on the above article, it mentioned that China warned that it might fire on Taiwanese fighters but said nothing on Craft.

If China would fire and killed Craft then Biden would immediately open a champagne and probably go to Church to thank for this gift lol. Nothing would unite the US more than this and Republicans and Democrats would jump to an opportunity to "unite" and direct the people's anger from the political and economical disorder the US is facing to a new yellow peril towards China. (And i wont even start talking about other countries' responses)

It's a good thing that Xi can see the big picture and keeps a mature and diplomatic view on the general geopolitical implications of these issues. This is not the time to respond like this, maybe in 2035 this action you suggested could happen but i still think it wont be worth it even by then

Let's also remember how a country can tell something militarily serious is happening is when they see heavy movements of enemy assets. Their boards must've been lighting up like a Christmas tree to get Pompeo to turn tail and run. Kelly Craft's plane was circling over Joint Base Andrews where it took off loitering for four hours before landing back... What did they see moving around China...?

AssassinsMace said:

Let's also remember how a country can tell something militarily serious is happening is when they see heavy movements of enemy assets. Their boards must've been lighting up like a Christmas tree to get Pompeo to turn tail and run. Kelly Craft's plane was circling over Joint Base Andrews where it took off loitering for four hours before landing back... What did they see moving around China...?

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That part of the story, her cancelled trip, with Craft's plane circling aimlessly near the same airport, made no sense.

Something happened.

voyager1 said:

Absolutely not. Even on the above article, it mentioned that China warned that it might fire on Taiwanese fighters but said nothing on Craft.

If China would fire and killed Craft then Biden would immediately open a champagne and probably go to Church to thank for this gift lol. Nothing would unite the US more than this and Republicans and Democrats would jump to an opportunity to "unite" and direct the people's anger from the political and economical disorder the US is facing to a new yellow peril towards China. (And i wont even start talking about other countries' responses)

It's a good thing that Xi can see the big picture and keeps a mature and diplomatic view on the general geopolitical implications of these issues. This is not the time to respond like this, maybe in 2035 this action you suggested could happen but i still think it wont be worth it even by then

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Have you been living under a rock? Blame China is precisely what Trump and Biden have been doing.

America doesn’t care or understand anything other than raw power. What did they do when Iran struck their airbase in retaliation for Soleimani again?

Talk is cheap when there are no consequences or costs, but going to war with China will absolutely not be cost or consequence free for America.

If China killed Craft’s plane in the scenario describe above, Biden will blame Trump and Pomp-pig as much, if not more than China. That, more than anything else is what I think is the key reason for Pomp-Pig to do a 180 course change, as he would have been completely finished politically had his stupid, last-day-on-the-job stupid stunts directly resulted in American deaths and risked pitching America into direct war with a nuclear power. He will absolutely be thrown under the bus and made the scapegoat, because America doesn’t want such a war with China, because there is a very high likelihood they will loose that fight, because of Chinese raw hard power.

You may even see a reduction in negative reporting on China in the US MSM, because they will be wry about whipping up public sentiment to uncontrollable levels where they would be forced to start a war they could not win.

plawolf said:

It does, and I thought something like this happed at the time, just need to vet the source before I decide if I can trust this story.

I was expecting maybe something along the likes of a drone strike on Craft’s vehicle once she lands Soleimani style, as that would have been a much more elegant and proportional response compared to shooting down an entire airliner of Americans. Which is why the pentagon response was cartoon villain level retarded and one-dimensional.

Sending a fighter escort, especially a ROC one, would give China the perfect cover to shoot her plane down and claim it was just caught in the crossfire. America will have none of it, but it will create enough plausible deniability that no one else will feel much pressure to do anything beyond issuing copy pasta condemnations and calls for calm.

Had the US had the balls to send her plane in unescorted and broadcasting loudly on all channels that they are an unarmed diplomatic mission, it would make China look infinitely worse to still shoot them down, as they will absolutely not follow Chinese fighter orders to divert, so that will be their only realistic option.

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Had Craft continued on her trip, her plane would've been intercepted by PLAAF before she reached the island. All countries have the right to deny aircrafts entry to their airspace. China would have declared Taiwan to be Chinese airspace, and would certainly have opened fire should Craft ignore their warnings.

Should Taiwan send their own fighters as an escort, the PLAAF would have had orders to shoot them down. Should the US have sent their own escort, it would have been a direct violation of Chinese sovereignty and undoubtedly an act of war.

It wouldn't matter how that makes China look, because China would have immediately began the armed reunification process, right there and then.

voyager1 said:

Absolutely not. Even on the above article, it mentioned that China warned that it might fire on Taiwanese fighters but said nothing on Craft.

If China would fire and killed Craft then Biden would immediately open a champagne and probably go to Church to thank for this gift lol. Nothing would unite the US more than this and Republicans and Democrats would jump to an opportunity to "unite" and direct the people's anger from the political and economical disorder the US is facing to a new yellow peril towards China. (And i wont even start talking about other countries' responses)

It's a good thing that Xi can see the big picture and keeps a mature and diplomatic view on the general geopolitical implications of these issues. This is not the time to respond like this, maybe in 2035 this action you suggested could happen but i still think it wont be worth it even by then

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Said nothing does not mean do nothing. Firing cannon shots across the path ahead of the aircraft being intercepted is common practice. Besides that, clipping the non-obedient aircraft is another option that China has done before to the Americans. Yes a kill will unite the two camps in USA, but China does not have to care much about that. Last time in Korean in 1950s the US were united but did not stop Mao to send PVA in after the red line was crossed. There is always a bottom line, after that line being crossed China won't care what US feel or think or do.

A kill is always the last resort, but it is always on the table just like what US leadership keeps on saying "everything is on the table". This is the time that China says so.

The big picture is NOT only China's big picture. If the US does not share and care for the same big picture, why should China care? Also the big picture CHANGES even in the eyes of China. Chin's big picture during Deng, Jiang and Hu's time was to gain the time by staying low. Now China's big picture is push back something that was impossible with increased strength. The picture will keep changing.