i do not believe the chinese leadership nor the US and all other asian countries would want to see themselve getting into a military showdown given the proximity, size and the densely populated region.
I am not sure whether nationalism is really unchecked. I'd say its only as "unchecked" as the Central Government wants / allows it to be. And fortunately, the populist has no control over the military.
I do not believe that the Chinese wish to seek immediate reunification with Taiwan, but rather the status quo to remain. It will of course, constantly remind the world that Taiwan is rightfully a part of China, but is willing to be patient with it.
There has been friction with North Korea, especially with regards over the Nuclear issues. I sincerely doubt the Chinese want the peninsular to plunge into war again since it had paid a heavy price in securing it. They are probably more interested in reining in Great Kim's ambitions in order to maintain the status quo.
The Spratly's have toned down over the years though IMO it remains a potential flashpoint with over-zealous claimants. However, most of the contesting countries hardly have the military capability to stand up to a PLAN SAG in the near future. Again, the status quo benefits China currently, and they have no reason to change that. OTOH, with some of these claimants acquiring advanced submarines, they will do well to exercise restraint in their deployments to the Spratly's and not antagonise the Chinese with their new "capabilities".
In a way, it seems to me that the Chinese believe that "if it ain't broken, don't fix it." If the status quo is still beneficial to them, or does not pose a threat to its national interests, it probably will not pursue any potentially volatile courses of action to change it.
Of course, these are just my opinions.
China justs wants a stable card that it can lean on lar...
to be prepared for war is the best way to preserve peace... or smth liddat....
Sort of.
More like, we have a stable "status quo" simply because China's military is sufficiently credible that everyone thinks twice about antagonising her.
Taiwan will not unilaterally declare independence because the threat of a missile storm is real.
North Korea will remain leashed because it has the PLA sitting on its borders.
The Spratly's will remain contested but unclaimed because unilateral military actions to claim them will be met by an equally weighted response from China.
The chinese want a big part of world to be theirs.May be one day they wud claim here too after getting Taiwan.
on chinese maritime maps, the spratley islands and most of the south china sea is already marked as chinese territorial waters ....
judging by the invasion of tibet, and the way they have been moving in the spratleys, it's disturbing ... they promised never to use force in any case other than to maintain "territorial integrity"... but the disturbing thing is that it is they who defines what's in "their" territory ....
would we be dragged into flashpoint spratley ? ......
here's my take.
i am not sure the present gov behavior would take any action if the map of South China Sea turn Red, The PRC would negociate bilaterally for safed passage with non claimed nations to minimizes the impact of alliance.
For SG given the long term economic interest in the region, and survivor of the island, Sg would opt for non intervention and urged restraint. Our role if any would be for escort purposes.
Remember how SG reacted to Myanmar we turn to back door dealing and retreat and than silent.
LHL already specified that if ROC declared independent and resulted in PRC attacking ROC than SG does not share the responsibilities. Infact i would simply assumed if ROC was invaded for whatever reason. SG atitude would be a Bridge too Far.
I don't think the old school works anymore.
What's there to be scared of the PRC? They mind their own business and we mind our own business and the USA minds their own business, everyone is safe and secure, period.
Like what FDR said when he was elected in 1932 as USA's president and to quote from To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee: 'The only thing we have to fear is fear itself'.
Thus let us work towards global peace, who the hell cares about the PRC, their nurses treat our S'pore hospital patients like dirt, when my mum was hospitalised at SGH, a nurse from the PRC asked her to bathe by herself when my mum was still recovering from her surgery wounds, imagine how much indignity i felt!
I don't exactly like Americans hegemony either, but they are a counter to the devils from the PRC, so there's nothing to worry about the PRC.
Dude-- if the USA minded its own business since WWII, the world would be a very different place. Like it or not, US meddling has made the world we see today-- Good points would be the reconstruction of Germany and Japan, and the stop of the spread of Communism(debatable), bad points would be most of the middle east, africa, and other assorted parts of the world. The fact remains that big countries can, and will meddle in small countries. Why? Because it will further its own national interests. China is not bankrolling all the coastal african nations for nothing, you know. They do it because having Chinese-friendly ports there will help China keep track of the Indian and South Atlantic oceans.
Middle East and Affrica is debatable as well. US involvement with them prior to WW2 paled when compared to UK's. In a way, what we see today is a legacy of UK's meddling rather.
I don't exactly like Americans hegemony either.
You sure American Hegemony?
did you look at the map where some of the pacific island still showed that it belongs to viva France.
Or you would prefer the Russian in Central Asia.
Just because of iraq you would call it Hegemony? which do u prefer.
Originally posted by Shotgun:Middle East and Affrica is debatable as well. US involvement with them prior to WW2 paled when compared to UK's. In a way, what we see today is a legacy of UK's meddling rather.
Haha very true indeed.
Arapahoe I'm not sure who you are referring to, but I'm pretty sure no one mentioned an American hegemony?
Anyway, I'm pretty sure the adage: "Large nations do what they will, and small nations do what they must", apply here. There is not much we can do anyway, other than assert our national sovereignty and not get into an abang-adik relationship with China.