Breaking News China-US War?

Bogeyman 

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In the coming days, the Speaker of the US House of Representatives will visit Taiwan. Chinese journalists interpret Nancy Pelosi's visit as an invasion. And they're betting on shooting down US warplanes. Therefore, I think it's time to follow a possible Sino-US war under a different heading.
 

xizhimen

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Shooting down US airplane is very unlikely, China is against Pelosi's visit and believes she just wants to stir up more trouble and prod the mainland China to fight Taiwan so both mainland China and Taiwan would be greatly weakened, but I don't think China will fall for this trick. Her possible visit is nothing but a political ploy, which won't achieve anything but tension.
 

xizhimen

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US seeks to dampen China fury on Pelosi’s potential Taiwan trip

July 30, 2022

President Joe Biden’s administration tried Friday to defuse heated Chinese warnings against a possible trip to Taiwan by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, as Beijing announced live-fire military drills in the Taiwan Strait.


Pelosi is reportedly about to leave on an Asian tour that would include Taiwan — although she pointedly refused to confirm Friday that she would visit the self-ruled island citing travel security considerations.

China sees any such stop by the speaker as a provocation, upsetting the tense status quo under which Washington formally recognizes China’s sovereignty claim over the island — while backing the democratic Taiwanese government.

“We have many differences when it comes to Taiwan, but over the past 40-plus years, we have managed those differences and done it in a way that has preserved peace and stability and has allowed the people on Taiwan to flourish,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.

“It would be important as part of our shared responsibility to continue to manage this in a wise way that doesn’t create the prospect for conflict and keeping open lines of communication on this issue.”

The temperature has been steadily rising in Beijing over the prospect of a Pelosi trip.

A day after Chinese leader Xi Jinping told Biden in a lengthy phone call that the United States shouldn’t “play with fire” when it comes to Taiwan, the communist country’s state-run media announced drills in the region Saturday.

“Live ammunition will be fired… between 8:00 am and 9:00 pm (0000-1300 GMT) and any entry (into these waters) will be prohibited”, said a government statement.

The statement did not mention Pelosi. Also, the location of the exercise is just off mainland China’s shore, rather than out at sea in the straits nearer to Taiwan.

However, there appears to be little doubt in the messaging.

While US officials often make discreet visits to the island in a show of support for its democratic self-ruling government, Pelosi is second in line to the US presidency and one of the country’s most powerful politicians.

Pelosi, who would be traveling on US military aircraft during her Asia tour, told reporters Friday that she planned the trip because of the Biden administration’s “strong emphasis” on the Asia-Pacific region.

But she continued to refuse to confirm or deny plans for a stop in Taiwan. “I don’t ever talk about my travels, because some of you know, it’s a security issue,” she said.

– ‘Shoot them down’ –

What China might actually do remains unclear.

A spokesman for the Chinese foreign ministry said “a visit to Taiwan by Speaker Pelosi would challenge China’s red line, and any challenge to our red line will no doubt be met with resolute countermeasures.”

In his comments to Biden, reported by Chinese state media, Xi made an equally heated, but vague statement, saying “those who play with fire will eventually get burned.”

The area where Saturday’s Chinese maneuvers are set to take place is located on Pingtan island, which is in the Taiwan Straits, but about 120 kilometers (75 miles) from the actual Taiwanese coast.

However, a commentator for the state-run Global Times newspaper urged intercepting Pelosi’s plane.

“If US fighter jets escort Pelosi’s plane into Taiwan, it is invasion. The PLA has the right to forcibly dispel Pelosi’s plane and the US fighter jets, including firing warning shots and making tactical movement of obstruction. If ineffective, then shoot them down,” wrote Hu Xijin.

John Kirby, spokesman for Biden’s National Security Council, played down what he called “bellicose rhetoric.”

“We’ve seen no physical, tangible indications of anything untoward with respect to Taiwan,” he said.

Stressing there was no change in the US policy of acknowledging Beijing’s legal sovereignty over Taiwan, Kirby also said “there’s no need” for China to react so harshly.

While Pelosi is a close political ally of fellow Democrat Biden, her diplomatic foray has put the president in a tricky position as he tries managing an increasingly high-stakes relationship with China.

Despite the tension, however, Biden and Xi agreed in their call Thursday to set up a first in-person summit at a still to be decided date.

“The president believes it’s really important to keep open lines of communication,” Kirby said.

 

Blackbeardsgoldfish

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Either Pelosi will end up as Soleimani 2.0, or Hu is going to stare at her so hard that her head explodes.

However it's always interesting to see just how much Beijing buzzes, just at the possibility of a visit.
 

xizhimen

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It won't cause a war by just a token visit, but China just needs to make her point. Pelosi's visit is indeed unprecedented for the past 40 years, it's just designed to destablise this region and created more mood for conflict, nothing else can be achieved by this childish provacation.
 

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Swiss set to match EU sanctions if China invades Taiwan - agency chief​



The head of the Swiss agency that implements economic sanctions expects the neutral country to adopt any punitive measures the European Union launches against China if it invades Taiwan, she said in a newspaper interview.

China has been stepping up military activity around Taiwan seeking to pressure the democratically elected government there to accept Chinese sovereignty. Taiwan's government says only the island's 23 million people can decide their future, and while it wants peace, it will defend itself if attacked.

Asked by the Neue Zuercher Zeitung paper if Switzerland would adopt EU sanctions against China in that case, State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) Director Marie-Gabrielle Ineichen-Fleisch said: "I strongly believe that we would adopt such sanctions.

"However, sanctions in the case of China would be far more drastic (than sanctions against Russia) because the economic relations are much more important. Therefore, there would probably be greater discussions in the EU and the United States as well as in Switzerland than there were in Russia. But I hope it will never come to that."

Ineichen-Fleisch defended Switzerland's record on adopting EU sanctions against Russian individuals and companies over Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February, which Moscow describes as a "special military operation".

Pressure has mounted on Switzerland -- a popular destination for Moscow's elite and a holding place for Russian wealth -- to more quickly identify and freeze assets of hundreds of sanctioned Russians.

As of this month Switzerland has frozen 6.7 billion Swiss francs ($7.04 billion) worth of Russian financial assets and 15 properties, and Ineichen-Fleisch said this figure was unlikely to change much.

"We at SECO have no indication that there are many assets of sanctioned persons that have not yet been found," she said.

($1 = 0.9514 Swiss francs)
 

xizhimen

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Everyone knows a war is coming over Taiwan except for the people from mainland China and Taiwan. The power of western media.
 

Bogeyman 

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Link for those who want to watch the aircraft activity live in Taiwan airspace

Link for daily GPS jamming maps in Taiwan airspace
 

Sami1234

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China's foreign policy is very weak, all they do is trade. Russia is much weaker than China, but it plays better. For America, if China lets it play in its backyard, the consequences will be dire. America has interfered in many internal Chinese issues and China has not responded yet!!!
 

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U.S. House Speaker Pelosi begins Asia tour; no mention of Taiwan​

PUBLISHED SUN, JUL 31 2022

KEY POINTS
  • U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi starts a tour of four Asian countries on Sunday, her office said, without mentioning Taiwan amid intense speculation she might visit the self-ruled island claimed by China.
  • "Speaker Nancy Pelosi is leading a Congressional delegation to the Indo-Pacific region, including visits to Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan," her office said in a press release.
  • President Xi Jinping warned his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden on Thursday that Washington should abide by the one-China principle and "those who play with fire will perish by it."
U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi starts a tour of four Asian countries on Sunday, her office said, without mentioning Taiwan amid intense speculation she might visit the self-ruled island claimed by China.

"Speaker Nancy Pelosi is leading a Congressional delegation to the Indo-Pacific region, including visits to Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan," her office said in a press release.



The release said the visit would include those countries, but did not specify whether Pelosi, who is number 3 in the line of presidential succession, might make other stops.

"The trip will focus on mutual security, economic partnership and democratic governance in the Indo-Pacific region," it said.

Gregory Meeks, chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, was among the delegation listed.

China views visits by U.S. officials to Taiwan as sending an encouraging signal to the pro-independence camp in the island. Washington does not have official diplomatic ties with Taiwan but is bound by law to provide the island with the means to defend itself.

President Xi Jinping warned his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden on Thursday that Washington should abide by the one-China principle and "those who play with fire will perish by it."


Biden told Xi U.S. policy on Taiwan had not changed and that Washington strongly opposes unilateral efforts to change the status quo or undermine peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

Chinese air force spokesman Shen Jinke was quoted by state media as saying on Sunday that Beijing will "resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity," referring to Taiwan.

Shen said at a military airshow that the air force has many types of fighter jets capable of circling "the precious island of our motherland". He said China's "air force has the firm will, full confidence and sufficient capability to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity."

A People's Liberation Army unit said on the Twitter-like social media Weibo on Friday: "Prepare for war!"

Prominent Chinese commentator Hu Xijin said on Saturday he deleted a tweet warning of military retaliation should U.S. fighter jets escort Pelosi on a Taiwan visit, after Twitter blocked his account.

White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said on Friday the United States has seen no evidence of looming Chinese military activity against Taiwan.

 

xizhimen

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US Speaker Pelosi confirms Asia-Pacific tour, silent on Taiwan​

31/07/2022

Washington (AFP) – US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi will lead a congressional delegation to the Asia-Pacific region, her office confirmed on Sunday, with stops in Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan.

The statement made no mention of whether the six-member delegation would visit Taiwan, a flashpoint in conversations between China and the United States in the run-up to the trip.

"The trip will focus on mutual security, economic partnership and democratic governance in the Indo-Pacific region," Pelosi's office said in a statement.

The all-Democrat delegation includes Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Gregory Meeks and members of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the House Armed Services Committee.

"Our delegation will hold high-level meetings to discuss how we can further advance our shared interests and values, including peace and security, economic growth and trade, the Covid-19 pandemic, the climate crisis, human rights and democratic governance," said Pelosi in the statement.

Singapore's foreign ministry confirmed Pelosi's delegation would visit the city-state August 1-2, with meetings scheduled with President Halimah Yacob and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Tensions over Taiwan​

For weeks, US-China tensions had heightened over reports that Pelosi may visit the self-ruled island of Taiwan, which China sees as part of its territory to be reunited by force if necessary.
On Thursday, President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping held a tense phone call.
The two leaders agreed to schedule their first in-person summit but disagreements over Taiwan clouded the conversation, with Xi making an oblique warning to the United States not to "play with fire" over the island.

The United States maintains a policy of "strategic ambiguity" over whether it would intervene militarily were China to invade Taiwan, and while it recognises Beijing's claim to the island, it also backs the democratic Taiwanese government.

In the latest warning from Beijing, Chinese air force spokesman Shen Jinke on Sunday said defending China's territory was the military's "sacred mission".

"The air force has firm determination, full confidence and sufficient capabilities to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity," Shen said, according to the state-run People's Daily.

Over the last two years, China has ramped up flights by fighter jets, bombers and other aircraft into Taiwan's air defence identification zone as a way to signal displeasure and keep Taipei's own military stretched.

"The air force's multi-type fighter jets fly around the motherland's Taiwan, practicing to enhance its ability to maintain national sovereignty and territorial integrity," Shen said.

 

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