Provoking China

by Stephen Lendman

Longstanding US policy calls for transforming nations free from its hegemonic control into subservient vassal states by whatever it takes to achieve its diabolical aims.

At a time when the self-styled indispensable state is declining politically, economically and morally more than ever — when multi-world polarity replaced its unipolar moment — when China, Russia and other independent nations are rising in prominence — the empire of lies risks nuclear war on Russia and China to try turning things around.

It risks destruction of planet earth and all its life forms to achieve what's increasingly slipping away because of its imperial arrogance, endless wars on invented enemies and uncompromisingly unwillingness to change its wicked ways.

Perpetually at war at home and abroad throughout its history, its war on humanity escalated post-WW II, especially since the 9/11 mother of state-sponsored false flags to that time — until surpassed by all things flu/covid with intent to eliminate millions and billions of unwanted people to more greatly benefit privileged ones.

Dominant Biden regime hardliners are recklessly pushing things toward direct confrontation with Russia by waging proxy war — what's at risk of crossing the line to an unthinkable clash between the world's dominant nuclear powers.

At the same time, it's acting in similar fashion against China.

What's going on is ominously reminiscent of events leading up to WW I and II.

With dominant hardliners running things in Washington — ones militantly hostile toward China and especially Russia at this time — pushing things too far runs the risk of crossing a line of no return by accident or design to possible nuclear war.

In the Asia/Pacific, both right wings of the US war party recklessly and dangerously provoke Beijing by having abandoned long ago agreed on adherence to One China policy over Taiwan, while pretending otherwise rhetorically.

It shows by repeated visits of US officials to what China considers a breakaway province to be reunited with the mainland.

Since Chinaphobe Pelosi's unacceptable August 2 - 3 visit to Taipei, 6 Senator Ed Markey-led congressional members followed suit in mid-month.

Then came Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb a week later, followed by Senator Marsha Blackburn from August 25 - 27.

US weapons sales to Taiwan have more greatly aggravated Sino/US relations.

Since 2017, the Trump and Biden regimes approved over $18 billion worth of arms sales to Taiwan

While the 1979 US Taiwan Relations Act authorized "defense articles and defense services in such quantity as may be necessary to enable Taiwan to maintain a sufficient self-defense capability," US weapons and related military sales to the breakaway province can very much be used for offense.

According to the Committee for a SANE US-China Policy:

"The US and China have entered a period of intensified economic, political, and military competition that can only be characterized as a New Cold War, with a very real possibility of becoming a hot war – even a nuclear war."

On August 17, A. Trevor Thrall, Jordan Cohen, and Michael Klare warned that "new arms sales send the wrong signal on Taiwan."

The latest approved sale is for $750 million worth of howitzers and high??tech munitions kits.

"Proponents incorrectly argue that this (and other) sale(s) will enhance stability in the region by sending a strong signal to China of America's commitment to Taiwan's security and by complicating any Chinese plans for an invasion of the island."

"In fact, the(se) sale(s) accomplish nothing of the sort."

"To avoid enflaming tensions in the Taiwan Strait (more than already), the US needs to halt sales of weapons to Taiwan" once and for all.

No matter how much in the way of arms sales that US regimes throw at the breakaway province, they're no more able challenge China militarily than is Ukraine against vastly superior Russian firepower.

And as Russia controls Ukraine's airspace and offshore waters, Taiwan is no match against China's overwhelming aerial, naval, and ground force superiority.

The above analysts stressed the following:

"China can blockade the island… airlift full??scale battle tanks onto (its territory) and overpower Taiwan's air defense systems" — almost without breaking a sweat.

Repeated arms sales to Taipei justifiably infuriates Beijing — especially after pledging — in 1979 during the Carter years — to refrain from providing its breakaway province with weapons it can use for offense.

As the above analysts stress:

"(A)dvanced fighter jets, missiles and planes are hardly purely defensive," adding:

"In 1999, then??Sen. Biden (the real JB, not the White House imposter) stated that mandating arms sales to Taiwan would 'be the equivalent of waving a red cape in front of Beijing.' "

Yet since the Obama/Biden regime's so-called Asia pivot — to expand hegemon USA's military footprint in the part of the world where it doesn't belong — Sino/US tensions have been dangerously increasing.

For good reason, Beijing believes that the empire of lies and forever wars is encircling China with hostile intensions in mind in similar fashion to its actions against Russia, Iran and other invented enemies.

In response to the Pentagon's increased presence in the Asia/Pacific over the last decade, China doubled its defense budget.

The more arms supplied by the US to Taiwan, along with its increased regional military presence, the greater the risk of direct Sino/US confrontation.

Instead of stepping back from the risk of what's unthinkable, dominant Biden regime hardliners continue to provoke China recklessly.

Along with unacceptable visits by US congressional members and other officials, two Pentagon Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruisers — the USS Antietam and USS Chancellorsville — entered the Taiwan Strait on Sunday, a US 7th Fleet statement, saying:

Both warships are (provocatively) sailing "through waters where high seas freedoms of navigation and overflight apply in accordance with international law (sic)," adding:

These vessels — produced for offense, not defense — are transiting "through a corridor in the strait that is beyond the territorial sea of any coastal state (sic)."

The unacceptable action "demonstrates (hegemon USA's) commitment to" dominate the Asia/Pacific in defiance of peace, stability, the rule of law and growing risk of war with China.

According to PLA  Eastern Theater Command spokesperson, Shi Yi: 

"(T)heater command troops (are on) high alert and are fully prepared to crackdown any provocation anytime."

Separately according to military analyst, Song Zhongping:

"During wartime, US warships, whether cruisers, destroyers or even aircraft carriers, can't survive in the Taiwan Straits if they interfere in the reunification process with force…"

It's "because they are too close to the mainland and can't defend the saturation attacks launched by the PLA's land-based missiles."

"So if the US Navy wants to deter the PLA, sailing through the Taiwan Straits is actually pointless and meaningless."

Time and again in all parts of the world, hegemon USA provocatively proves its foolhardy aim to dominate the world community nations by preemptive wars and other hostile actions.

Of greatest concern is whether global war 3.0 can be avoided — or whether it's inevitable.