In 2015, as a response to American hostility, mainly via Ukraine, Russian President Putin warned: Vladimir Putin: Don’t mess with nuclear-armed Russia. Unfortunately, America did not listen, eventually causing the breakout of the war in Ukraine in 2022.
No Chinese leader has publicly said such a thing so bluntly yet, despite numerous American provocative actions from the South China Sea to Taiwan. But as a Chinese-American, I must now say it: don’t mess with nuclear-armed China!
1. South China Sea
Simply put, China’s actions (e.g. building on uninhabited islands) are questionable, but America’s actions (e.g. sending warships there) are utterly provocative!
Here is an excerpt from a 2015 news story (South China Sea: Beijing ‘not frightened’ to fight a war after US move):
“China is not afraid of fighting a war against the United States in the South China Sea, a state-run newspaper with links to the Communist Party has claimed.”
Is there any truth to China’s “not afraid” claim?
Yes!
2. A rumored conversation between China and America
Below is a rumored conversation between a hawkish Chinese general and a hawkish American general, widely circulated in the social media in China a few years ago:
Chinese General (CG): If your ship comes all the way to the South China Sea to challenge us, we would respond.
American General (AG): How?
CG: If your ship comes into our waters, we will sink it.
AG: If you fire at our ship, we will destroy your entire Navy. Do not you think we can do it?
CG: Yes, you can. But we will then launch land-based missiles to wipe out all your military bases in Asia and sink all your aircraft carriers in the Pacific Ocean. Do not you think we can do it?
AG: Um …
CG: I take that as “Yes.” What would you do then – Nuke us?
AG: Well, we may …
CG: Well, you may have enough nuclear war-heads to blow up the earth several times over, but we have enough to blow America up several times over! We think that is a good enough deterrent – Don’t you agree?
If this rumored conversation were real, would it make sense to you?
If yes, why should America go all the way to the South China Sea to play with fire?
It is MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction)!
3. Discussion
Can America really afford to have a direct military conflict with China or Russia, or worse, with both at the same time?
No!
For more, read: The Three New Kingdoms.
However, that is exactly what America has been doing. Two examples:
- America provoked the Russia-Ukraine war via NATO expansions and then sanctioned Russia for it, including an outrageous sabotage (Wikipedia – Nord Stream pipelines sabotage).
- America is provoking China in the South China Sea, without real American interests directly involved whatsoever (America Unholy Crusade Against China)!
Because of that, America does not seem to know what it is doing over there in the South China Sea! Here is an informative reading: Washington’s Muddled Message in the South China Sea.
More profoundly, why is America’s foreign policy, from the Middle East, to Ukraine, and to the South China Sea, so poorly thought out and self-destructive?
Blame the MIC!
The simple truth is that despite America’s strong self-assurances, it has not truly been the only super-power on earth since 1991, when the Cold War ended. Two points:
- Militarily, Russia has been just as powerful and dangerous as the USSR was throughout the Cold War. For more, read: Russia Now Has More Deployed Nuclear Warheads than the U.S.
- Economically, China has been dramatically advancing over the past few decades, and is well on her way to claiming the 21st century.
Beyond Russia and China, does not America already have enough international problems, especially in the Middle East?
Is the South China Sea really a matter of national security for America?
Will this be another failure in America’s containment strategy against China?
A bluff is a dangerous tactic, if it comes to fulfill it!
The recently strengthened Russia-China alliance will prove to be a nightmare for America (The Three New Kingdoms), but America, in her arrogance, seems blissfully unaware of it!
Two informative readings:
- Russian nuclear-powered sub, warships arrive in Cuba.
- US Sends Warships To Meet China, Russia Presence Near Alaska.
4. A simple analogy
Here is a simple analogy for my fellow Americans: treating the “disputed” islands in the South China Sea like Crimea and expecting China’s position to be like Russia’s, accordingly.
Our response should, therefore, be accordingly, too – nothing!
Why?
Because anything more than nothing would be MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction)!
In short, do not interfere in the South China Sea! Instead, let the affected people work out their differences in their own way over time.
Bottom line: It is not our damn business!
5. More discussion
Taiwan is perhaps even more dangerous than the South China Sea, as America’s evil MIC appears to be determined to destroy Taiwan, Ukrainian style!
Of course, this will not happen without some help from insiders. However, some Taiwanese leaders apparently are anxious to become the much-needed insiders (Are Democracy and NATO a lethal combination?)!
For more, watch the video below.
6. Closing
America, don’t mess with nuclear-armed China (or Russia)! Instead, learn to co-exist peacefully!
America, reform our failing political system, as I have suggested (History 2.0 – China’s Comeback vs. America’s Decline), or face a bloody revolution (A quarter of Americans open to taking up arms against government, poll says)!
