The Quiet Rehearsal

While world focus is on events taking place in Eastern Europe and West Asia, another stealthy (in terms of not being loudly broadcast) operation is being undertaken further east in Chinese coastal waters. This is, if the US chooses to make a contest of it, a rehearsal for the end of US naval power and the beginning of an endless patrol of many thousands of dead US sailors and their lifeless boats around the bottom of the Pacific Ocean.

I speak, of course, of the removal of the secessionist elements from policy influence in Taiwanese affairs and the rescue of island population from unwanted US interference through decisive action by the PLA. Thus ending the 74-75 year blip of enforced separation of the island’s people from their natural homeland by a narrow stretch of water. There is no question of ‘invasion’ or the ‘return’ of the island to China. Taiwan already is part of China and a nation cannot possibly be accused of invading itself.

I do not intend to repeat well-known history in order to flesh out this story, but will just mention the Nancy Pelosi affair of 2022, which resulted in the surrounding of the island by Chinese naval forces in an exercise to demonstrate China’s ability to enforce its will militarily if need arises. Well, very quietly it seems, that exercise – somewhat enhanced in nature – has been re-enacted last weekend – April 8-10, 2023 – with more firing of missiles and artillery from the mainland and the practiced launch of marine forces which would be required for control to be re-established.

Global Times has produced a number of accounts of this timely rehearsal, before it happened, then here, here, and here, for each of those three days activities. But I want to round this up by adding this summary from RT – beginning with an extended quote…

Moreover, I think the residents of Taiwan are too smart, as my friend Garland Nixon so thoughtfully put it, “to get Ukrained.” When it comes to crunch time, the US continues showing off its track record of being completely and extraordinarily unreliable. Over and over, Washington has started a conflict – whether direct or by proxy – and completely screwed over the local population. Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, you name it.

Just look at the reaction from the mainland to this meeting. On the eve of the meeting between McCarthy and Tsai, Beijing launched a three-day special operation for joint patrol and inspection in the central and northern parts of the Taiwan Strait, as stated by the Fujian Maritime Safety Administration.

This joint patrol is meant to use maritime law enforcement vessels, not part of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), to demonstrate to the world that Beijing has legal jurisdiction over the Strait, including the waters east of the median line, which is a practical maritime border between Taiwan and the Chinese mainland created by the US in 1955. Basically, China told the Americans and Taipei that their made-up border is meaningless and that, as is the case under international law and official US policy, there is only one China and Taiwan is a part of China.

Then on Saturday, the mainland began a military exercise around the island, which is the second of its kind after former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan in August of last year. The message from Beijing is that these sorts of exercises will be normalized in the future and, if deemed necessary, could shift into live combat operations at any time. This time around, the operation was more intense as aircraft and warships were close to the island, missile firing was increased, and the exercise objectives were expanded.

Quoted from – ‘By flirting with Washington, Taiwan’s leader angers not only Beijing, but her own voters too’ – RT – via AZƏRBAYCAN 24 (All emphasis mine)

Perhaps the most important take-away from all that is the statement – “…these sorts of exercises will be normalized in the future and, if deemed necessary, could shift into live combat operations at any time.“

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There’s the warning. A stepping down and a stepping away is needed. Or, this quiet rehearsal could become live by ’25.

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