Chewkw. You heard it here first…

If there’s even 10 operational by 2050 I’d be impressed.

Given that how long it took them to create all this – vid, they could probably have all 70 churned out in 6 months.

It was a number chewk plucked out of his imagination. No basis in any sort of reality.

Yup. There’s a reason why I ask Chewk to provide citations from his sources to support his statements.

The Chinese Navy has advanced anti-ship missiles designed to counter US aircraft carriers, perhaps their doctrine isn’t about competing like-for-like with the US Navy.

Good call to the poster who reminded us that the US is looking to entice semiconductor manufacturers back to the US in the medium term.

Good call to the poster who reminded us that the US is looking to entice semiconductor manufacturers back to the US in the medium term.

The EU is doing the same.
EU also has the advantage of being the place where the kit to build the semiconductors is built (AMSL).

The Chinese Navy has advanced anti-ship missiles designed to counter US aircraft carriers, perhaps their doctrine isn’t about competing like-for-like with the US Navy

PLA/CCP will never have 70 aircraft carriers because you’d need some 400 other ships to make the strike groups up. Even if they have 35 in port and 35 at sea they have to rotate enough ships to make the groups up, maybe 250-300 others? The US has almost as many carriers as the rest of the world combined but only has 11 strike groups
There’s a debate going on around the future of the aircraft carrier in “western” military circles; force projection, first response, etc v. vulnerable to both missile and submarine attack. The German U24 (they still call them that) “sank” USS Enterprise on exercise in 2001 and the Swedish navy’s Gotland took pictures of Ronald Reagan’s bottom in 2006
I don’t see the PLA having the need for either force projection or first response, they tend to sit back and work behind the scenes

Holy thread resurrections!  Apologies if anyone is getting fed up of me posting links to Peter Zeihan videos (mainly on the Ukraine thread), but I thought this one on China/Taiwan was interesting.  Nothing earth shattering – the idea that Russia’s debacle in Ukraine will make the Chinese completely rethink their approach to Taiwan.  Though others have said similar and indeed it seems fairly obvious, Zeihan does a good job of articulating why in a bit more detail.  It’s a rare bit of optimism, the likelihood of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan any time soon has been severely reduced.  Worth 5 minutes of your time IMO, if you’re interested in that part of the world.

… the likelihood of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan any time soon has been severely reduced. …

China won’t invade because they are not ready. I doubt their real strategy is to send the troops in, better to just follow the American strategy on Cuba should do the job. Not even need to fire a single shot. To succeed China needs to have many aircraft carriers rather than the current few. China’s knowledge of sea battles, with aircraft carriers, subs etc, is limited but they are learning fast but not fast enough.

On another note. China’s influence is also gaining grounds in the Pacific Islands but their (China) inability to understand the pacific cultures will be their undoing. If China can only improve their understanding etc the Pacific Islands will be under Chinese influence. For years the USA, Aussie and NZ have not provided the necessary support needed for the Islanders (they have asked but not much been done). If China can only have an ounce of understanding the Islanders, they will be on board immediately. China Must understand the environment concerns/impacts of the Islanders especially when it comes to fish, but this is wishful thinking because there are too much greed in China. Basically, they lacks basic understand of the Islanders need. The Islanders do not need high rise buildings or stadium but they need the basic infrastructures such as health care and roads. If the West want to win the heart of the Islanders then go do more rather than treating them as non-entity.

Personally I want all large fishing trawlers ban in the world because they are practically destroying the fish stock all over. (was watching one trawler catching red snappers, I mean they practically scooped/netted all of them in one large scoop/net. I mean how on earth are red snappers going to reproduce if all the adults fish are gone? This is just one trawlers but if all the trawlers with their radar detected the school of fish, how long before we see fish extinction? Fish in the ocean is free but mankind does not deserve the free fish if they overstep their boundary)

This is a major change in Japan’s defense posture. Japan has a well-equipped military, but it’s officially a “defense force” and they have been careful to only buy weapons that give them plausible deniability that they are defensive weapons. Buying land attack Tomahawks that can hit targets in China (or North Korea) is a major shift in policy, clearly in response to China’s constant provocations.

Alarmed by increasing security threats and the risk of war in the Indo-Pacific, Japan will move forward on purchasing hundreds of U.S.-built Tomahawk cruise missiles as part of a major defense buildup. From me & @nakashimae https://t.co/CxWFZCZty4

— Michelle Ye Hee Lee (@myhlee) December 12, 2022

Taiwan – part of China but they want freedom to decide their own destiny.

The world backs them, the US might even supply Taiwan with military aid.

.

Scotland- part of the UK, but they want freedom to decide its own destiny.

Taiwan – part of China but they want freedom to decide their own destiny.
The world backs them, the US might even supply Taiwan with military aid.
Scotland- part of the UK, but they want freedom to decide its own destiny.

Taiwan is a lot further along that road than Scotland.
Taiwan is a member of the WTO (and other Asian economic organisations) and it was a member of the UN (as the ROC) until the UN voted to recognise statehood of the PRC in 1971.
It has a different currency to PRC and by GDP is 21 in the world and has its own military, etc.