Why doesn't The Republic of China have any submarines?

AndrewS said:

What would be the reaction if the US provided nuclear warheads to Taiwan?

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The cry of "HYPOCRISY" would shatter Windows in Beijing, Moscow, Havana, Karachi, Tahran, Pyongyang and New York. As in Washington DC both the house and Senate in bipartisanship demand the President explain this one.
In their graves Kennedy, Nixon and Reagan's remains spontaneously flip over 540*.and the Ghost of George Bush senior face palms.

The floor of the U.N. basically breaks down into a riot as in one short move the U.S. has effectively undone 60 years of anti nuclear proliproliferation.

A new game show is announced on CCTV "Who wants to be a Nuclear armed State?" Where in retaliation the PRC gives away nuclear weapons and missile systems as game prizes before a live studio audience. Hosted by Xi jinping and special guest host Vladimir Putin with there Plucky side kick Kim Jung un....

No not happening. The shift in security of Asia would be disastrous.

Biscuits said:

It would be an instant war declaration and the transport vessel sunk/shot down,

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American one?

Gloire_bb said:

American one?

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The one with the nukes on it regardless of nationality.

No nation would ever commit an act of nuclear terrorism. It would open them up to disasterous retaliation.

gelgoog said:

The easiest way to get a place like Taiwan is like the Chinese did with Tibet. Fund an internal coup and take it over.
A lot of the large Taiwanese business leaders have close ties with Beijing as it is. The hardest ones to convince would be small business owners and the general population.

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Tibet was a feudal society with a small Aristocracy that owned 90% of the population as illiterate serfs.

In comparison, Taiwan is a literate middle-class society.
You have 10% of the population who support reunification.
Then 70% which say they would fight an invasion.

But that is a manageable issue, as long as China can pour in men and materials.
Then it becomes a choice between:

1. a HK type arrangement where Taiwan retains autonomy
2. a longer campaign which leaves Taiwan completely destroyed and then subjugated

There's only one logical choice.

Biscuits said:

The one with the nukes on it regardless of nationality.

No nation would ever commit an act of nuclear terrorism. It would open them up to disasterous retaliation.

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I don't remember the US sinking soviet cargo ships with actual nukes in 1961.
And, btw, remember what China can't win a war against the US for now, simple as that, but easily can loose one.
Not just everyone can be a trigger-happy cowboy. Become strong enough first.

Gloire_bb said:

I don't remember the US sinking soviet cargo ships with actual nukes in 1961.
And, btw, remember what China can't win a war against the US for now, simple as that, but easily can loose one.
Not just everyone can be a trigger-happy cowboy. Become strong enough first.

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Because those ships turned around?

Stationing nukes in a sovereign ally is FAR less controversial than giving them to a non state actor.

China can’t invade the US but the US has also been unable to invade China since Korea.

This sort of action would take the “might makes right” factor to the extreme. It would make Washington look horrible internationally. The sanctions would crush them. Worst case, China/Russia sends a nuke back to US, maybe under the guise of another armed group.

Use some common sense.

To get back to the topic. Even if nukes were machined without Beijing knowing about it, there would be no useful delivery platform save for perhaps a spec ops kamikaze mission using the sub to deposite guys with the nuke on China’s coast.

A SSB(N) is far beyond their technical capability. A cruise missile/bomber would be shot down and so would a crude land based ballistic missile.

Biscuits said:

To get back to the topic. Even if nukes were machined without Beijing knowing about it, there would be no useful delivery platform save for perhaps a spec ops kamikaze mission using the sub to deposite guys with the nuke on China’s coast.

A SSB(N) is far beyond their technical capability. A cruise missile/bomber would be shot down and so would a crude land based ballistic missile.

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Off topic but since this is brought up. What really stops terrorists or hostile regime to secretly smuggle a nuke through one's border and detonate (or threat to) it in one of populous cities or strategic important facilities like in Sum of All Fear. The current border control seems not efficient enough especially for those has long land borders.

kriss said:

Off topic but since this is brought up. What really stops terrorists or hostile regime to secretly smuggle a nuke through one's border and detonate (or threat to) it in one of populous cities or strategic important facilities like in Sum of All Fear. The current border control seems not efficient enough especially for those has long land borders.

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Miniaturizing nukes is not easy. Major nuclear powers can just use ICBM if they need to nuke someone. Smuggling a nuke provides more chances for interception.

To stay OT, ROC should be able to covertly make “dirty” bombs, I.e. normal bombs with radioactive shrapnel without Beijing catching wind of it and bombing the facility.

Assuming the Balao class can be copied, it can carry attackers with a dirty bomb. Theoretically, if they build enough of them, resupply won’t matter because they’ll only be going a one way trip anyways. These subs can sail into harbors and irradiate them.

It would provide some sort of nuclear deterrent

Learned gentlemen

There is no country called Replublic of China. Only ignorant few, including the neo Hawks term it. The proper name is .....Taiwan!