this post was submitted on 10 Jan 2024
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China has said it will "never compromise" on the issue of Taiwan, in its first military talks with the US since 2021.

It urged the US to "stop arming Taiwan" and take its concerns "seriously".

This comes just days ahead of pivotal elections in Taiwan, which could push the island further towards - or away - from Beijing.

China claims Taiwan as part of its own territory, but the island sees itself as distinct from the Chinese mainland.

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[–] Buddahriffic 33 points 10 months ago (2 children)

I think they are taking China's concerns seriously. That's why they are arming Taiwan.

I'm tired of this idea that the people of a region shouldn't have the choice of whether or not they are a part of a country. This applies to Taiwan, Ukraine, Chechnya, Palestine, Catalan, Tibet, or anyone else that wants to break off from a country people other than them decided they were a part of.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 10 months ago (2 children)
[–] Buddahriffic 12 points 10 months ago

Some of the states suceeding might actually be a relatively peaceful way to get beyond the current political divide in the US. Though both of those states (and most of the others) are more purple than red or blue, so it's complicated and would probably require a mechanism to separate from the separation, kinda like West Virginia breaking away from Virginia when it broke away from the USA. All or nothing referendums probably aren't a great way to do something like this.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 10 months ago (1 children)

That's not gonna go the way they think it will, and I doubt there's enough public support for it to ever happen.

[–] UnderpantsWeevil -5 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

Honestly, I think the closest parallel to Taiwan in the 2020s is Cuba in, say, 1980s.

Their biggest sponsor is retreating from the world globally and can no longer really afford to support a full military detachment there indefinitely, especially after fucking up in Afghanistan for the last decade. There's a ton of economic reasons to just drop this bullshit and be normal, but they're too prideful to let the issue go. All their neighbors are increasingly hostile to the jilted-ex attitude their neighbor is displaying, but when you've got nukes who is really going to argue with you?

So the US perpetuates a blockade of the island for the next 40 years out of spite, hoping that one day the Cuban government will just kinda collapse and let the Americans back in.

And the Chinese will continue to economically love-bomb Taiwan, while picking fights with the US by running military drills around the island's edges, hoping against hope that they'll eventually get a better reception in Taipei than they did in Hong Kong.

[–] [email protected] 30 points 10 months ago

The way it’s been compromising for the last several decades?

[–] [email protected] 11 points 10 months ago (1 children)
[–] 100_percent_a_bot 2 points 10 months ago

The last one, this time for real or something

[–] Doorbook 10 points 10 months ago (3 children)

When US support a genocide in the middle east under the statement "Isreal have the right to defend itself by attacking others" It is amazing that China still haven't rolled in with their military in Taiwan.

[–] chakan2 17 points 10 months ago (1 children)

They're waiting to see if Trump is in office. He can be bought for fairly cheap.

[–] UnderpantsWeevil 2 points 10 months ago

Yeah, but bought by whom? Modi's India and Meloni's Italy and Yoon Suk Yeol's Korea all want a slice. Hell, the US is overflowing with NatSec types who are eager for a loss cannon like Trump to take office.

I don't think Trump siding with China is in any way inevitable. He could just as easily be baited into starting a shooting war purely thanks to some Beautiful Generals massaging his ego.

[–] SkyezOpen 7 points 10 months ago

They already know we don't care about genocide of middle eastern people, they're worried we'll support them with military equipment like Ukraine. They're even using Russia's playbook. "Stop helping them prepare to defend against an invasion or else."

[–] wanderingmagus -3 points 10 months ago

China knows about the Commander of the Join Chiefs of Staff's priorities and the contingency Global Campaign Plans for INDOPACOM if they fuck around too hard. Give STRATCOM and SOCOM a good reason to let loose. The Fast Attacks need the target practice anyways.

[–] Gradually_Adjusting 7 points 10 months ago

If they'll never compromise, they've already chosen war. They are just waiting for the right moment. US policy should focus on keeping that at bay.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 10 months ago

Bold talk for someone armed with water rockets

[–] badbytes 6 points 10 months ago (2 children)

And the US, doesn't give a damn.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 10 months ago

Or anyone else, really. This is hardly newsworthy

[–] [email protected] 5 points 10 months ago

Womp womp. Cry harder, Winnie.

[–] AlijahTheMediocre 5 points 10 months ago

Too bad, so sad

[–] [email protected] 0 points 10 months ago

This is the best summary I could come up with:


"China expressed its willingness to develop healthy and stable military-to-military relations with the United States on the basis of equality and respect," said the defence ministry readout.

In 2022, China refused to resume talks as a protest move after then US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan in August 2022.

Their resumption early this week follows a deal struck by Chinese president Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Joe Biden during a meeting in November.

Separately, Taiwan has said it does not consider the launch of a Chinese satellite over the island's southern airspace on Tuesday an act of election interference.

Chinese state media said the satellite, named the Einstein Probe, is used to "observe mysterious transient phenomena".

The island's main opposition party the Kuomintang (KMT) criticised the "arbitrary" use of an islandwide alert as fear-mongering.


The original article contains 375 words, the summary contains 136 words. Saved 64%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!

[–] [email protected] -5 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I don't understand how they think arming Taiwan will make China less aggressive about this? How would the US react if China had a military base in Cuba like the US has in Taiwan? Of course China is being aggressive about this, it's a threat

Also Taiwan doesn't exactly see itself as distinct form the mainland in the way the article implies. Taiwan insists that it is the real china and the mainland is their territory while the mainland believes it is the real china and Taiwan is it's territory. It's a strange situation.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 10 months ago (1 children)

China's being aggressive because Xi is throwing a tantrum over not getting what he wants. It's nothing new, nor is it anything we haven't heard before from him. I don't know why this is considered news.