US sells $6 billion dollars of arms to Taiwan

[Ironza]

BBC News - China halts military exchanges with US over Taiwan deal

Quite interesting I think. Considering China has ALOT of firepower pointing in the direction of the island.

[Hunt3r]

Well, if the US was really going to defend Taiwan against Chinese invasion then we'd wisen up and build heavily fortified air bases in Taiwan.

[charliegrs]

Originally Posted by Hunt3r

Well, if the US was really going to defend Taiwan against Chinese invasion then we'd wisen up and build heavily fortified air bases in Taiwan.

maybe so, but we have to strike a very precise balance between our important trade ties with china {#1 trading partner} and our legal obligation to defend taiwan and help them defend themselves. Building airbases in Taiwan would be a serious provocation, but selling arms to taiwan basically just pisses china off but it usually blows over. This is basically just more of the same, we sell arms to taiwan, china protests, we sell them anyway, china cuts off military relations for a little while, maybe tests some missiles in the taiwan strait, after a little while military relations are restored and everything is back to the status quo. Only this time china feels its in a little more powerful position and is making more of a fuss than usual. But I still think the outcome will be the same.

I like to think china and the US have what I call an "economic MAD" {mutually assured destruction} Similar to the MAD of the cold war that kept the US and USSR from blowing each other to smithereens. We are the number 1 consumber of chinese made goods and should we ever go to war with each other it would really damage both of our economies and both countries know this which sort of keeps our retoric in check.

[[EC]DR.NOobFragger]

I don't see why China is so upset about this, it seems all the equipment the US is selling are defensive.

"The arms package includes 114 Patriot missiles, 60 Black Hawk helicopters and communications equipment for Taiwan's F-16 fleet, the agency said in a statement."

[gx]

Originally Posted by [EC]DR.NOobFragger

I don't see why China is so upset about this, it seems all the equipment the US is selling are defensive.

"The arms package includes 114 Patriot missiles, 60 Black Hawk helicopters and communications equipment for Taiwan's F-16 fleet, the agency said in a statement."

Because then its slightly harder to invade. duh.

[anglomanii]

it's fairly obvious why, the PLA plan that was in the 1996 australian defence review, mentioned, the first strike of a conventional attack on taiwan, would include the use of missile's with chemical weapons, the patriots basically nulify the key to a invasion plan on taiwan, and the airdefence upgrades, mean the PLA will find it hard to gain local air cover wich is needed for any invasion.

[BloodBane611]

The PRC could buy Taiwan, I really don't think they're actually considering invading. Certainly, it's a very old political issue in China, but it's not meaningful, just politics.

[charliegrs]

Originally Posted by [EC]DR.NOobFragger

I don't see why China is so upset about this, it seems all the equipment the US is selling are defensive.

"The arms package includes 114 Patriot missiles, 60 Black Hawk helicopters and communications equipment for Taiwan's F-16 fleet, the agency said in a statement."

Thats true. What taiwan REALLY wanted was more f-16s, which we refused to sell them. Although we are selling them patriot missiles, which is sure to tick off china because using ballistic missiles is a key part of any invasion plan that china has as anglomanii said. However, I dont know how much of a difference those patriots would make, Ive read that china has thousands of missiles pointed at taiwan, Im sure they can probably overwhelm however many patriots taiwan has.

Again, I think this has more to do with china trying to flex its new muscles than any concern they have over their ability to invade taiwan.

[paracowboy]

The PRC has the firepower to level Taiwan but they are more interested in their future than that. They have 5 year plans and generally meet their goals.

[paracowboy]

Originally Posted by [R-COM]BloodBane611

The PRC could buy Taiwan, I really don't think they're actually considering invading. Certainly, it's a very old political issue in China, but it's not meaningful, just politics.

I don't know that they have the manpower to invade and hold. It would be close to impossible to hide an invasion force preparing in the age of google earth.