China launched its most extensive war games around Taiwan on Monday to showcase Beijing's ability to cut off the island from outside support in a conflict, testing Taipei's resolve to defend itself and its arsenal of U.S.-made weapons.

The Eastern Theatre Command said it had deployed troops, warships, fighter jets and artillery for its "Justice Mission 2025" exercises to encircle the democratically governed island, conduct live fire and simulated strikes on land and sea targets, and drills to blockade Taiwan's main ports.

The live-firing exercises will continue on Tuesday across a record seven zones designated by China's Maritime Safety Administration, making the drills the largest to date by total coverage and in areas closer to Taiwan than previous exercises. The military had initially said artillery firing would be confined to five zones.

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  • [–] 32 points 10 months ago (59 children)

    Why is it that talkies are having a very hard time understanding a difference between training to invade vs training to defend?

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  • [–] 14 points 10 months ago* (11 children)

    Whoever is trying to capture territory from the other side is the invader by definition, putting the other side on the defence, as per definition.

    Are you saying Estonia wants to invade Russia? Dude's clown costume's made from diamonds

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  • [–] 13 points 10 months ago (9 children)

    Expansionism can happen without official war declaration, but still a conflict. See: Tibet, Honk Kong, parts of Mongolia

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  • [–] 10 points 10 months ago (7 children)

    This is delusional and you know it. Some obsolete map you pulled out from history and somehow trying to present it as a valid argument. Taiwan just wants to be independant, they don't want to start conquering Asia, take the pills.

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  • [–] 5 points 10 months ago (5 children)

    If the CCP were to let the people of Taiwan decide their political system then this question of identity is moot, the people would simply decide what government they identify with. Bringing up identity in this context is like saying a government owns a particular identity, which it never does, it always belongs to the people.

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  • [–] 2 points 10 months ago (3 children)

    Glad you specified pre-2022, as in before the invasion that displaced many residents; yeah, I would support any region to hold referendums on the matter of self-determination. I think Ukraine was wrong to keep their people from voting on the matter, if they had issues with the process then they should have worked towards consensus on the matter of having a legitimate referendums.

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  • [–] 2 points 10 months ago (2 children)

    Cool, thanks, you're logically consistent and I value that. Kudos to you, unironically

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  • [–] 1 point 10 months ago (1 child)

    I do wonder if they had a referendum whether this would have been avoided. Maybe I'm just being idealistic but even if Crimea had voted to stay with Ukraine then that would have at least gone a long way to show it isn't simply the will of the hegemon. Or if Crimea had voted to go independent then the international community could create a new security agreement.

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  • [–] 9 points 10 months ago (9 children)

    Are you worried Taiwan is going to invade Beijing? Is chinas army that incompetent?

    I mean, it would be cool if they did but I don't think even corrupt Chinese generals are that worthless.

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  • [–] 7 points 10 months ago* (7 children)

    You are not sane.
    Either that, or it's your job.

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  • [–] 6 points 10 months ago (4 children)

    You know the word, but not its meaning.

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  • [–] 18 points 10 months ago* (21 children)

    "I had to kill him, officer, he was attending self defence classes with the intent to hit me."

    /s

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  • [–] 8 points 10 months ago* (11 children)

    Do you believe Taiwan is going to invade the PRC?

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  • [–] 4 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (2 children)

    In the case of any superpower actually being invaded, nukes would start flying everywhere. It wouldn't make a lick of difference if any island has 5 or 500 airbases.

    Are you really this dense?

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  • [–] 4 points 10 months ago

    miltary conflict or economic blockade of China

    So we're just lying now?

    And the concept of China even being bothered by a blockade? Lmfao what year do you think this is? You think this is some WWII Pacific Theater where aircraft carriers and islands and air strips matter? China has about 9000 miles of mainland coast and all the technology and expertise to defend or strike from any part of it. Taiwan, as they've demonstrated, could be locked down (or glassed) at whim.

    If they didn't have the annexation ambition, they could wave goodbye to an independent Taiwan today and be close allies in a decade. You accuse the USA of buying Taiwan as a puppet but there is literally nothing stopping China from doing the same thing (with better leverage). Hell, they've already shown they can take that route in other small countries but pride and greed prevents them from doing it in Taiwan.

    The fact is that they want hostility and instability in the region in the same way that Russia wants instability in Europe and the USA wants it in the Middle East. Little islands waving guns is a great excuse to step in and start "liberating" resources people.

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  • [–] 7 points 10 months ago (6 children)

    She was asking for it, did you see what she was wearing?

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  • [–] 6 points 10 months ago (4 children)

    Ouch, you're unironically trying to play that card? Embarrassing.

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  • [–] 1 point 10 months ago (2 children)

    To hypothetical rape. And Russian soldiers raped Ukrainian women and kidnapped Ukrainian children to Russia too.

    Maybe formerly communist China will behave better than formerly communist Russia when they invade their smaller neighbour to try to pretend that their leader has a big dick.

    Why not stick to the improving lives of the Chinese people instead of wasting money and effort on a vanity war? China is one of the world's oldest civilisations, with one of the best long term planning governments the world over. Silly and short sighted to throw the maturity and respect away on a vanity war like Putin's war. Everyone used to think that Russia's land forces were unstoppable. Not any more. Woe to China if it follows someone as vain as Putin to think that war is simple and short. USA keeps having to learn that lesson over and over b feverish their leaders are short sighted and they think that because their military is the strongest they can easily and quickly win wars and change countries to be like them. They're wrong. Every stupid war they start ends up with them looking weaker. Putin made the same mistake. Why would wise old China follow the idiots to the fool's gold?

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  • [–] 5 points 10 months ago (7 children)

    Just like Russia was doing completely innocent military exercises near the Ukrainian border in the run up to waging all out years long war on its much smaller neighbour. Oops, sorry, no, you don't call it that, you call it a three day "special military operation".

    /s in case you missed it.

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  • [–] 3 points 10 months ago (5 children)

    Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

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  • [–] 3 points 10 months ago (3 children)

    You say this while supporting Russia?!

    I support the invaded countries. You support the invaders.

    What Israel is doing in Gaza is abhorrent.

    What Russia is doing in Ukraine is terrible.

    What China is planning to do in Taiwan is awful.

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  • [–] 1 point 10 months ago (1 child)

    Taiwan is a land illegitimstely invaded by the Kuomintang and its citizens deserve to be liberated from western puppeteering.

    By "liberated", you mean invaded by a larger neighbour against the demonstrable will of the population, so no, they don't deserve that.

    Have you once expressed your support of Gaddafi in this website against western invasion and meddling?

    No; he died before this website existed.

    Your support of Cuba and Venezuela?

    Cuba I support; they've shown how socialised healthcare can be far more effective and inexpensive than involving the private sector, and have held their own despite long term agitation, interference and intimidation by their large neighbour.

    Venezuela I know less about. I knew a Venezuelan expat who left because he felt unsafe as a mixed race resident, but I'm afraid that that sort of persecution is all too common in lots of countries, and it's getting worse b because of the rise of the far right at Putin's intervention.

    Your support of Lenin against external invasion by England, France, Germany, Italily and the USA during the Russian civil war?

    A bit before my time, that one, I think. I'm inclined to disbelieve you on it, I'm afraid, because your takes on current world events fly in the face of facts and logic, so feel free to point me to Wikipedia to put me straight if it's just a British cover up of yet one more awful act of our awful track record of imperial nastiness.

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  • [–] 1 point 10 months ago

    Soooo China is building sophisticated, highly specialized barges for establishing a beachhead without a harbor and moving heavy machinery across. These would be pretty helpful in a sustained campaign against Taiwan.

    These ships happen to be able to connect to the many Chinese "civilian" roll on-roll off (roro) ferries that are built to military spec and can handle Chinese tanks.

    These "civilian" roros happen to participate in military exercises.

    Considering this all took place well before the arms deal, that's probably a good reason why China can be considered the aggressor. Maybe the $11.1 billion in arms deals is in response to that?

    There's also xi jinping saying that the unification of Taiwan and China is "unstoppable" in a speech today, right after these military exercises.

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  • [–] 14 points 10 months ago (11 children)

    CCP never had a claim on Taiwan

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  • [–] 12 points 10 months ago (4 children)

    CCP didn't take it when the current Taiwan gov moved there, they only took the mainland.

    That's literally the definition of how countries split in two

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  • [–] 12 points 10 months ago* (2 children)

    They so not agree on this, stop watching CCP propaganda. CCP is the only one pushing for this in the entire world with some allies like Russia simply backing it up. This is an imperialism move and you know it.

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  • [–] 8 points 10 months ago

    Congratulations you're Mongolian (or Roman or British)

    Do you have any idea how many countries do the same thing yet are considered different countries? Russia insists Ukraine is part of them (for incoherent historical reasons), you have the European east block, plenty of countries named East X versus West X.

    You even mentioned Korea yourself where both insists they're one country but the whole world understands there's 2 separate countries claiming the same territory but each with control of separate subsets of that territory, and they de facto operate as separate countries. Considering the opposing government as illegitimate doesn't negate its existence.

    Your worldview is incoherent.

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  • [–] 11 points 10 months ago (3 children)

    A divided China is a weaker China

    This honestly feels like mental illness. Imagine rapist screaming at the victim "I can't get stronger unless we unite" while threatening to kill her.

    Dude, get over it, Taiwan has moved on, they have their separate lives and don't want anything to do with China, just like Ukraine (who was part of Soviet union) does not want Russia and will likely result in a long and costly war. I too would go guerilla of someone tried to invade my country.

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  • [–] 2 points 10 months ago (2 children)

    California?! Lmfao. Taiwan is a small island, not the arguibly second most important state. Also, you really should learn history because the comparison you did makes no sense when you know what actually happened. It's more like French giving up their territory overseas but not telling to whom they are actually giving it to, leaving the "ownership" to be dealt with by others, and since "others" can't agree on it, then nothing changes and Taiwan stays independant.

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  • [+] 1 point 10 months ago (2 children)
  • [–] 2 points 10 months ago* (1 child)

    I can assure you Californians and Texans want to stay as part of US. I can also assure you Taiwan wants to stay independant. Your comparisons suck because you're detached from reality and keep pushing government propagandas.

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  • [–] 2 points 10 months ago (1 child)

    I don't know about that, but I think the whole framework of "historical legitimacy" is flawed. Regardless of history, it's ultimately the people who get to decide what government is legitimate for them.

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  • [–] 11 points 10 months ago (11 children)
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  • [–] 14 points 10 months ago (9 children)

    Are you mentally ill or something? That was a defensive exercise and this has nothing to do with race.

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  • [–] 6 points 10 months ago (4 children)
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  • [–] 5 points 10 months ago (2 children)
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  • [–] 6 points 10 months ago

    That is completely untrue. Even Russia conducts its exercises mostly professionally and I don't object.

    If you think what China is doing is a defensive exercise, you are so biased that you are unable to see reality. They are encircling sovereign territory and practicing for a land invasion and blockade to subjugate the Taiwanese people and steal their land. I would like to hear your explanation for how https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PLA_Navy_landing_barges are defensive in nature.

    The weapons that Taiwan has purchased is a direct response to Chinese imperialism, aggression, and threats. Taiwan is not threatening Chinese people, but the opposite is not true.

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