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Chinese report warns of possible armed conflict between the US and China in wake of coronavirus


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BEIJING (Reuters) - An internal Chinese report warns that Beijing faces a rising wave of hostility in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak that could tip relations with the United States into confrontation, people familiar with the paper told Reuters.

 

If there was an armed conflict between the two countries, how do you suppose it would start and play out?  My assumption is that it would be almost entirely with naval and air forces in the Pacific and in the contested seas off the coast of China.  No land forces or nuclear weapons would be involved unless it spiraled out of control.

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8 minutes ago, mclumber1 said:

BEIJING (Reuters) - An internal Chinese report warns that Beijing faces a rising wave of hostility in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak that could tip relations with the United States into confrontation, people familiar with the paper told Reuters.

 

If there was an armed conflict between the two countries, how do you suppose it would start and play out?  My assumption is that it would be almost entirely with naval and air forces in the Pacific and in the contested seas off the coast of China.  No land forces or nuclear weapons would be involved unless it spiraled out of control.

 

We have an entire video game series about this.

 

Spoilers, it doesn't end well.

 

War never changes. 

  • Shocked 1
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I can't see why it would spiral out of control, the crisis is not affecting any actual physical things between the two countries, just public perceptions. Obviously those perceptions can fuel political decisions should actual problems arise, but I can't see that happening at the moment. Then again, I didn't see a lot of the current situation occurring...

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I want to know who commissioned and wrote the report and what side of the political spectrum they inhabit. 

 

Quote

The report, presented early last month by the Ministry of State Security to top Beijing leaders including President Xi Jinping, concluded that global anti-China sentiment is at its highest since the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, the sources said.

The report was drawn up by the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations (CICIR), a think tank affiliated with the Ministry of State Security, China’s top intelligence body.

 

Because this makes me wonder. 

Not since the thing that didn't happen have anti-Chinese sentiments been the strongest. 

 

I want to know what else the CICIR has put out. 

 

EDIT: It looks like they used to have more sway with the Politburo. But they still attempt influence China-US policy. 

My take on this is that this report is essentially attempting to scare the US into backing down, or not going further. 

 

Quote

The report described to Reuters warned that anti-China sentiment sparked by the coronavirus could fuel resistance to China’s Belt and Road infrastructure investment projects, and that Washington could step up financial and military support for regional allies, making the security situation in Asia more volatile.

 

So in a roundabout way, this paper says that the US could conceivably lead a charge (if it weren't already) against Chinese diplomatic efforts around the world that could move us closer to confrontation. It does not say Coronavirus will be the spark that lights the keg. 

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