When will the climate boondoggle end?  It's just one giant wealth transfer and these zealots are backing up plane loads of our money to give away.

Couldn’t remember if this was posted yet so here it is again if it was.

66% of Americans believe Taiwan should invest more in defense, poll says
30% say US should use its military to defend Taiwan from China at any cost

https://taiwannews.com.tw/news/5917181

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-08-28/thai-air-force-to-replace-old-f-16s-with-swedish-fighter-jets

https://breakingdefense.com/2024/08/thailands-air-force-supports-buying-gripen-fighters-over-f-16/

https://amp.scmp.com/news/china/article/3276321/us-policy-undercuts-taiwans-ability-defend-against-mainland-china-lobbying-group-says

https://amp.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3276339/jake-sullivan-meets-senior-chinese-military-official-zhang-youxia-beijing

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2024/08/29/2381282/chinas-top-diplomat-warns-visiting-us-official-over-support-philippines/amp/

Why does it seem that we would rather shoot it out with China than simply stop giving them money?

We have fucked up priorities.  We could dramatically reduce our trade with China, support our like minded friends with that trade, reduce the economic base that the PLA can draw resources from and strengthen the base of allies...Likely forestalling an armed conflict like we haven't seen in 80 years...but instead we do the opposite.  

Am I the only one seeing this?

https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2024/08/29/prepare-for-ukraine-war-bill-china-tensions-if-trump-wins-carl-bildt

https://www.thedefensepost.com/2024/08/29/taiwan-accuracy-anti-tank/

Before they fired them in a big exercise you would think they there would be lots of training beforehand.  The way the article is written this doesn’t seem to be the case.  Hopefully the missiles we gave them didn’t have that high of failure rate, cause if they did that’s a huge liability going into a real conflict.  But I am going with it’s mostly operator error from lack of training.

I believe even US training found operator error to be the primary contributor to failure but we’ll see

China state news https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-08-28/Special-Envoy-China-deeply-values-ties-with-Pacific-Island-countries-1wrjOhcleJG/share_amp.html

There were people on this site that said nah never happen China will never be competent enough so we can keep using them to build our shit.

Absolute free traders live in a utopia that assumes everyone is rational  and that every act will be based on an economic outcome.  


Some of us said but national security and free trade are some times at odds.   We were called all kinds of things communists protectionist Smoot Hawley lovers etc.    Funny I don't see many libertarians beating thier chest over China trade any more.  

To your point china trade is dropping off but it's too little too late they're already enriched emboldened  and now desperate.  Much of it because of our money and technology.  

https://amp.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3276471/china-tells-philippines-immediately-withdraw-contested-south-china-sea-atoll

https://amp.abc.net.au/article/104291322

https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/aug/30/pacific-islands-forum-communique-taken-down-after-chinese-envoy-calls-taiwan-reference-unacceptable

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/30/world/asia/south-korea-spy-leak-china.html

https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International-relations/China-condemns-support-for-Taiwan-at-Pacific-leaders-forum

https://www.stripes.com/branches/navy/2024-08-30/navy-recruiting-sailors-enlistment-requirements-15022812.html





https://www.navytimes.com/news/your-navy/2024/08/28/navy-recruiting-rebounds-but-falls-short-of-boot-camp-goal/

https://abcnews.go.com/amp/US/wireStory/navy-recruiting-rebounds-miss-target-sailors-boot-camp-113212163

https://www.reuters.com/world/pacific-leaders-remove-taiwan-communique-after-china-complaint-2024-08-31/

https://amp.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3276618/100-days-job-taiwans-new-leader-cutting-mainland-ties-reframing-history

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/08/31/asia-pacific/politics/china-taiwan-pacific-leaders-statement/

Whoa, do I have a lot of catching up to do!!!

Score Cards!!!
Taiwan tracks 13 Chinese military aircraft, 10 ships
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This pattern will make more sense with the next flight tracker.

Taiwan tracks 25 Chinese military aircraft, 9 ships
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It looks like they're practicing stacking up waves to the South. PLAAF aircraft are gound controlled. It's not just the pilots that need the practice. It's the entire controller force as well. Nobody in the lower levels can make a decision. They can only choose from pre-determined choices, and there had better be good reason to do that.

More indiginous weapon systems news!
Taiwan Navy plans budget for 6 rapid mine-laying ships

Got an update on the story about the publicized meeting between the US and the PRC:
China's top general tells US to stop 'military collusion' with Taiwan
You may recall that Jake Sullivan was supposed to meet with Wang Yi. Didn't happen that way.

Now, that the pleasantries are out of the way:
Then China said:
You guys may not remember (I'll look for a video of the news story if the media hasn't hidden them) way back when at the beginning of the Harris-Biden Administration, Blinken met with whoever the "wolf-warrior" diplomat was at the time. Blinken just kind of sat there while being lambasted by some clown who came in the room looking for a fight.

The US complained about the treatment, and the PRC diplomat was removed from high level talks with US statemen, but then the PRC countered with charges that Blinken was not just as bad, but way worse, so they will not be meeting with him any longer either. Hence, this is why Jake Sullivan is doing this.

Here are links to the readouts of what the US says happened and to what the PRC says happened during the meeting.
Readout of National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan's Meeting with Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission Zhang Youxia of the People's Republic of China

CMC Vice-Chairman Zhang Youxia meets US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan

Here's Taiwan's response to it all:
Taiwan slams Chinese military expansion after Sullivan-Wang talks

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/chinese-navy-survey-ship-entered-japanese-waters-japans-defence-ministry-says-2024-08-31/

Second incursion in less than a week, and the Chinese Ambassador does not even talk on the phone; it's merely a Chinese embassy official.

Gentlemen, Japan has China's response.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Tech/Semiconductors/China-s-chip-capabilities-just-3-years-behind-TSMC-teardown-shows

Second to last Score Card for August:
Taiwan detects 30 Chinese military aircraft and 11 ships
Attached File

This is the second time in as many weeks as a full encirclement of Taiwan took place. It might be the first aircraft entered this pattern at 1550 hrs, and the last aircraft cleared it at 2308 hrs.

The big things that have gone on in the area were the two PLAN ship incursions into Japanese waters, the US-China meeting, or bait and switch meeting where Sullivan met a PLA General instead of a Foreign Ministry person, and in Taiwan a number of TPP party officials including the leader of the party are being arrested, invesitigated, charged and we've already covered the convicted party personel all for political corruption. Plus, they all have the same excuse in that underlings made accounting mistakes. It's very bad for the Party on the one hand, but on the other, it couldn't have happened to nicer people.

The Taiwan's People Party largely attracts young voters. The Party itself is attracted to the KMT and is rather a junior partner to it. So, this is bad for the KMT in the long term as you may remember when we covered the KMT trying to increase its power in the Legislative Yuan at the expense of the Executive Branch of Gov't. Huge Protests and we covered it.

You may also remember that we've been covering the KMT with the outlook that they are now co-opted by the CCP, their once mortal enemies. Politics being a zero-sum game, as the KMT loses political power, the DPP will only increase in political power. I'm assuming this is going to shift time-tables upward.

I'll get off my ass soon enough and catch up to it all. (as soon as my stupid ear stops bleeding.)


Another Hope Springs Eternal purchase!!
Taiwan to purchase additional Stinger missiles to bolster deterrence

Ah, Brother xd341, please allow me to offer you a different outlook or perspective on what's going on and what's going to happen.

First and foremost ignoring and shunnning an ideology and its adherents will not make them go away.

These people cannot be "bought off" nor even be expected to hold to the agreements they make. This 2.5 year thread has shown that what ever agreements made back then are now being incrimentally dismantled.

You can't even surrender to them!! The won't allow that as they think you're just trying to pull a "fast one" on them. Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge, if that bit of human history serves no other point, it's the lesson that even if you surrender and submit, they'll still kill you. They didn't break you!! Killing you is the only way to make sure!!!

And why is all this happening?? They believe in an ideology that says it all has to happen in a specific way. We're not talking about a religion; we're not talking about any form of rationalism. This is an ideology, and we cannot escape its consequences.

Every time we use the word "capitalism", we're talking Marxism. Our entire system has now been defined in this manner. We no longer speak of the "free Market" where individuals or goups can meet, agree to a price without coercion etc. We are at a point where a complete idiot can running for President can openly suggest a plan where pricing will be controlled. We've already lost much, not all, but much.

A war is coming. It cannot be stopped. The Idelology states it must happen. The Adherents will simply obey. They've been doing it their whole lives to get to the positions of power they control now and will not be stopped simply because the US isn't buying products. It's not what they're interested in. It's simply a means to an end. Nothing more. They "romantize' nothing.

That's their side of the equation. Our side of the equation goes like this: we're in this position because of the political opportunism of a dedicated political party. They get elected to become rich. How many millionaires has being a member of Congress created over the decades?

China is paying and is paying well. These politicians are not going to give that up for the sake of an historical anomaly called the United States of America. They'll leave for elsewhere and remind anyone that will listen how they did all they could, but the People let them down.

As for us, we don't get to claim "innocence." It would do us no good. The adherents only see that as both a lie and an attempt to evade their righteous punishment.

The table was set before we came of age. There is no way to avoid it. Surrendering Taiwan or the Philippines only postpones it. If we're smart, we pick the battlefield. If we're not smart, maybe God will have mercy on us as we won't get that from the Chinese.

Have a great Labor Day!!!!
Seriously...LOL...I mean it. And the rest of you guys as well!!!!!!!!

https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International-relations/South-China-Sea/U.S.-decries-China-s-escalatory-acts-against-Philippines-in-South-China-Sea

https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/world/asia/australia-joins-us-to-condemn-china-s-aggressive-coast-guard-tactics-20240901-p5k6z5.html

I agree with everything you stated here. My thinking is that ww3 including a nuclear exchange between Nato and the sino-russian alliance is a possible outcomes here. We are clearly heading for a world war and I do not see how this ends with a strategic nuclear exchange.

I agree with everything you stated here. My thinking is that ww3 including a nuclear exchange between Nato and the sino-russian alliance is a possible outcomes here. We are clearly heading for a world war and I do not see how this ends with a strategic nuclear exchange.

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3276784/eu-condemns-dangerous-actions-china-against-philippines-ship

For those keeping score at home, the shoal is 90 miles from Palawan, over 500 to Vietnam, and something like 700 to Hainan Island.

The PRC will keep pushing, up to and including Corregidor as a 'historically Chinese possession', if not stopped.  We care because the Philippines is an ally, and we'd prefer keeping it that way.

Agree with xd341.  My own guess as to why, is that a decent chunk of our leadership has been bought off, and thinks they'll still be in charge, even after any revolutionary changes in the Sino-US relationship.  Moreover, the course of United States conflicts of the last 80 years have been limited wars that did not cause widespread social strife, effects on US citizenry or destruction in the US.  "Demonstrations" such as those in 1968 aren't significant on this scale.  I wouldn't be surprised if US leadership thought they could manage and control a WestPac conflict, even one with significant naval losses.  Manage and control here meaning keeping it limited in scope to the Western Pacific, and in any event, without material damage to the NoVa/DC area.

Restricting Chinese trade before now, would have cost the donor class too much money.  So it wasn't done.  Even now, significant domestic industrial sectors have yet to meaningfully decouple from China.   (Pharmaceutical precursors come to mind.  I'm sure you all can think of others.)

It's going to be profoundly ugly.

https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2024/09/02/2003823135

It's behind a paywal that the wayback machine can't handle, and neither can I!!
And again as a reminder, the Sabina Shoal is clearly in the Philippines Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

This post and Carmel's post below cover the same meeting.
Title:
The long and the short of it is that for over 30 years the Pacific Islands Forum has always included Taiwan's name as a partner since the PRC was granted Taiwan's status the "CHINA" through a UN resolution. That's how it happened. It was certainly nothing that the PRC accomplished in and of itself.

And that only happened because of the Nixon Admin wanting to divide up the ComBloc World.

In the original story, they increase the font size of the quote to make sure we all understand how pissed off Qian Bo is. I'd do that here, but I don't know how much of this his little bladder can take.

They also did this at the meeting:
This is actually good. As stated here a couple of years ago, and apologies for not putting in the "reminders", these nations don't have an Army or even a Coast Guard. They have Police. The PRC is slowly adding Chinese para-military police to the Countries that will accept them.

This is Carmel's second story on the same topic.
Title:

Here's a fun fact!!!!

The peoples we call "polynesians" originated from the island that is now called Taiwan. Why no one opens up a history book from time to time is beyond me.

This story is an amazing story!!

For this reason: the PRC/CCP is telling the US what it can and cannot do with its foreign policies.
Title:



We have always been on the target list.

Title:
I have to come back to this one later as I just got locked out of the website.

The important take away from this article is that the US has failed in stopping hardware and IP from getting to China.

And, no, the PRC also being able to develop chips on par with TMSC will not stop the PRC from taking over the South China Seas.

This afternoon, the Chinese Coast Guard vessel deliberately rammed and collided with the BRP Teresa Magbanua three times, despite no provocation from the Philippine Coast Guard. pic.twitter.com/jYnrXKpY3W

Jay Tarriela  (@jaytaryela) August 31, 2024

Looky here! The EU actually makes a statement:
Here it is, the statement:
After a 2.5 year wait, yeah, it's worth it.

Here’s the article,

TOKYO -- An analysis of China's current semiconductor technology revealed that the country is approaching a level three years behind industry leader Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., showing the limitations of U.S. efforts to stem Beijing's development of cutting-edge chips.

Hiroharu Shimizu, CEO of Tokyo-based TechanaLye, a semiconductor research company that disassembles 100 electronic devices a year, told Nikkei about China's capabilities.

Shimizu showed semiconductor circuit diagrams for two application processors, the brains of a smartphone: one from Huawei Technologies' Pura 70 Pro, released in April, and one from a top-of-the-line Huawei smartphone from 2021.

The Kirin 9010 -- the newest phone's chip -- was designed by Huawei subsidiary HiSilicon and mass-produced by major Chinese contract chipmaker Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. (SMIC). The 2021 phone's Kirin 9000 chip was also designed by HiSilicon, but mass-produced by TSMC.

SMIC, which is subject to U.S. measures to suppress advanced chip technology, is capable of producing 7-nanometer chips. TSMC supplied 5-nm processors to Huawei for the 2021 phone.

Generally, the smaller the nanometer size, the higher the performance and the smaller the chip. However, SMIC's 7-nm mass-produced chip is 118.4 square millimeters, while TSMC's 5-nm chip is 107.8 sq. mm. The two chips have similar areas and performance levels.

Although a difference in yield still exists, SMIC's capabilities are approaching a level three years behind TSMC, based purely on performance of the chips that were shipped. HiSilicon's design capabilities have also improved, as shown by its ability to produce chips with comparable performance as TSMC's 5-nm products, despite their wider circuit width.

Huawei's Pura 70 Pro is equipped with a total of 37 semiconductors that support memory, sensors, cameras, power supply and display functions. Of these, 14 were from HiSilicon, 18 from other Chinese manufacturers and just five from foreign manufacturers, including South Korea's SK Hynix for DRAM and Germany's Bosch for motion sensors. Some 86% of the phone's chips were made in China.

"In effect, the only semiconductors subject to the U.S. regulations are cutting-edge server chips for artificial intelligence and other applications," Shimizu said. "As long as the chips do not pose a military threat, the U.S. is probably allowing their development."

Chinese players made 34.4% of global chipmaking equipment purchases in 2023, roughly double the figure for South Korea and Taiwan, according to industry group SEMI. The country is expanding its mass-production capabilities by focusing on equipment that is not targeted by export restrictions on cutting-edge technologies.

Given this trend, the fact that SMIC's 7-nm chips now rival TSMC's 5-nm chips in processing capability could have major implications for the industry. TSMC also faces growing hurdles to stay ahead of Chinese rivals technologically as miniaturizing circuits become increasingly difficult.

"The U.S. regulations so far have only slightly delayed Chinese innovation, while sparking efforts by the Chinese chip industry to boost domestic production," Shimizu said.

Thanks, GoldenMead!!! (It's my favorite beer!!)
Attached File

You said that before.  So I ordered some last week and it arrives this week.  I’ll let you know what I think of it.

I am standing by.

It's a "bottled live" beer, so there's sediment in the bottom. Some like it as it has a nutty taste, some don't. Most pour the beer into a large enough glass to hold it all first time, so as not to stir up the sediment. Hope you like it!!!