China launches largescale military "deterrence" operation around Taiwan

[27monster27 15,864]

4 hours ago, PartySick said:

I don't really understand the conflict at its core I fear.

Why would China (or any country for that matter) want to retain a portion of territory populated by people who view themselves as disloyal or separate from that nation? 

Would it be so damaging to allow the people of Taiwan to be their own country and forge their own way separate from China? 

Trampling on the sovereignty of individuals, communities, and larger populations is just something I never understood. From Ukraine to Palestine to Venezuela to Taiwan or anywhere else.

This dates all the way back to WWII and the second half of the Chinese Civil War. The civil war was put on hold due to Japanese expansionism, and that war ruined the ruling party of the Republic of China (AKA Nationalist China), the Kuomintang (KMT). The Chinese communist launched a strong guerilla war and gave land rights to the peasent class, while the KMT held strong and did (reasonably) well until Operation Ichi-Go.

This operation in 1944 was last successful major Axis offensive of the war, and although it wasn't perfect it set the stage for the end, especially when the USSR launched operation August Storm and took over Manchukuo (the Japanese puppet in Manchuria). The Chinese communists were in a perfect place to win as the KMT was struggling, and the civil war ended in a People's Republic of China (PRC) victory. The KMT under Chiang Kai-shek fled to Taiwan. The lack of a Chinese navy at the time prevented this from escalating into a naval invasion. On a technicality, similar to the Korean war, the Chinese Civil War is not over. Many communist nationalists in China, which essentially includes the entire government, consider taking Taiwan back to be the end of China being humiliated by Western Powers. The only way for this to be stopped is for the communist nationalist ideals in China to be removed by force, which seems to be a loooong ways off.

[Bronco 25,129]

1 hour ago, Lord Mayhem said:

2026 isn't looking to be a great year...it's looking more like this might be the year the camel holding up the earth will finally break its back and send everything into chaos...

Honestly, 2026 is shaping up to be the year the ongoing restructuring of global politics hits a crescendo. 

But I currently think it may be *less* violent than the years preceeding it.

The most likely conflict is the very obvious Venezuela invasion, but beyond that all other existing conflicts look near to their end.