Geo Political Risk

[Davexl]

8m ago05.13

Taiwan’s top diplomat in the US has said the self-governing island has been “ bullied, marginalised and isolated from the world” for too long and maintained its people would not surrender their freedom.
In an interview with PBS NewsHour, Bi-khim Hsiao said:

For too long, Taiwan has been bullied, marginalised and isolated from the world and banned from international organisations. We don’t take our democracy for granted and we don’t take our friends for granted.

The scope and the range of the current exercises do demonstrate that this has long been in the coming. China’s escalation is unreasonable and unnecessary. We think it’s important that they understand such engagements between the people of Taiwan and the people around the world are consistent, with decades of practice.

There is no reason for them to escalate. Are we worried and concerned? Yes. That’s why we are also committed to investing in our own self-defence, in fortifying our asymmetric capabilities, in reforming our reserves, in better integrating civilian support in our homeland defence.

But I have to make clear that we don’t want war. We want peace. We will do anything we can to de-escalate. But we will not surrender our freedom.”

[GTM 3442]

Oooooh. . . . oooooooohhh. . . oooooooohhhhhh. . . . this is what it looks like from over there. .

https://i.stuff.co.nz/world/asia/129...-john-key-says

[Waltzing]

Could be video of more HIMARS strikes ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_br8YpK0kJI

https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidax...h=70747cf86b50

https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russ.../31971622.html

[kiora]

Ukraine: The New Satellite War - Digital Eye
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahbnVYro1G8

[Davexl]

Analysis: With Taiwan drills, Xi tries to salvage Pelosi crisis

https://www.reuters.com/world/with-t...is-2022-08-07/

[Davexl]

Pelosi’s ‘reckless’ Taiwan visit deepens US-China rupture – why did she go?

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/aug/07/nancy-pelosi-taiwan-china-visit-military


"Larry Diamond, a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution thinktank in Palo Alto, California, wrote in an email: “Pelosi wanted to convey our commitment and resolve. I respect her for that. However, I still think the trip was a mistake. It provoked a serious escalation of Beijing’s military intimidation without really doing anything to make Taiwan more secure.

“What Taiwan really needs now is more military assistance, especially a large number of small, mobile, survivable and lethal weapons, like anti-ship missiles. To paraphrase [Ukraine’s Volodymyr] Zelenskiy, they don’t need more visits, they need weapons. And they have to do a lot more themselves to prepare for a possible attack.”"

[Davexl]

Oooooh. . . . oooooooohhh. . . oooooooohhhhhh. . . . this is what it looks like from over there. .

https://i.stuff.co.nz/world/asia/129...-john-key-says

John Key is pretty much an apologist for anything destabilising China does - he only sees $$ signs in everything they do and conducts his foreign policy opinions accordingly. I guess that is one definition of pragmatic, but it's not the full picture is it...

[Balance]

John Key is pretty much an apologist for anything destabilising China does - he only sees $$ signs in everything they do and conducts his foreign policy opinions accordingly. I guess that is one definition of pragmatic, but it's not the full picture is it...

Note that the South Korean President refused to meet Pelosi?

Guess he is an apologist for the China government as well.

John Key is exactly right - Pelosi did the trip for selfish reasons and it was reckless, provocative, irresponsible and for what purpose?

[clearasmud]

Pelosi’s ‘reckless’ Taiwan visit deepens US-China rupture – why did she go?

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/...visit-military

Because they are pro union and therefore anti (Chinese) competition.

[BlackPeter]

Pelosi’s ‘reckless’ Taiwan visit deepens US-China rupture – why did she go?

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/...visit-military

Good question, and the answer might be more than just "her last hurrah".

Actually - I think the little Chinese tantrum was an amazing learning opportunity for Westerns military:

1) We now know that the current Chinese chief seems to think with his lower dangling extremity - mental age not higher than the previous US president (hey, this is a relief, not only the West hires idiots),

2) Amazing opportunity to observe China's strategy to attack Taiwan if and when they plan to do it;

3) Amazing opportunity for the West to monitor from some of the best places which capabilities the Red Chinese Armada might have ... how many ships do they need to block the island ( a simple extrapolation from the exercise might do)? How often do these sheeps need resupplies (It was a typo, but I think a Freudian one)? How many rockets before they need refuelling? How good are they in manuevring these ships close to enemy lines (sounds like ... not that good)?

What better opportunity for Taiwan to plan and prepare for the day? ... and the Red sheeps gave them all this information for free!

So - I don't know, maybe Pelosi and Biden are not just two pretty faces, but hey, we never will know for sure, won't we?