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Countries challenging the U.S.

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KCOTT

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Some stuff going on in the world that doesn't really pop up in the main stream news, especially with the elections previously going on. I hear about some of these things, then usually google it to find a published story about it. One of the articles I already posted in the North Korea thread, but I'll also include it here. I'll try to keep this thread up to date with different world happenings. I think it might be worth a discussion because other countries are starting to step their game up and are no longer intimidated by the U.S. As some of our international adversaries improve themselves in addition to our declining military and international impact, this will be something both the current President and future ones will have to deal with.

Iranian fighters 'fired on US drone in Gulf'
A MQ-1 Predator drone was intercepted by two Iranian fighter jets that fired multiple rounds, the US said [Reuters]

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Two Iranian fighter jets fired on an unarmed US drone in the Gulf last week and missed, the Pentagon has said, warning that the US stood ready to protect its forces in the region.

The incident occurred on November 1, less than a week before the US presidential election, the Department of Defence said.

"They intercepted the aircraft and fired multiple rounds," spokesman George Little told a news conference on Thursday.

The exchange is the latest episode between the two countries amid a mounting crisis over Tehran's nuclear programme and a shadow war marked by cyber-attacks and assassinations in Iran.

Tough new sanctions led by the US are squeezing Iran's economy while Washington is accused of staging cyber sabotage on Tehran's uranium enrichment plants.

'International airspace'

The US military drone was "never in Iranian air space" and came under fire from Su-25 fighters off the Iranian coast over international waters, Little said.

The robotic Predator aircraft was conducting "routine surveillance" and the US has told Iran it has no plans to suspend the flights, he said.

"The United States has communicated to the Iranians that we will continue to conduct surveillance flights over international waters over the Arabian Gulf consistent with longstanding practice and our commitment to the security of the region," the spokesman said.

Little said the US was prepared to safeguard its forces.

"We have a wide range of options, from diplomatic to military, to protect our military assets and our forces in the region and will do so when necessary," Little said.

The Predator returned safely to an unspecified military base in the region following the incident that occurred at 4:50am US eastern standard time (08:50 GMT).

The MQ-1 drone, a turboprop plane that flies at a much slower speed than the fighter jets, was pursued further by the Iranian warplanes but not fired on again, Little added.

The Predator was intercepted about 16 nautical miles off the Iranian coast, beyond the country's territorial waters that extend 12 nautical miles off the country's shore, the Pentagon said.

More sanctions

At the US State Department, officials unveiled more sanctions on Iran, targeting the communications minister and the culture ministry among others for censoring the media and the internet.

The move against Communications Minister Reza Taghipour came after he was blamed for ordering the jamming of international satellite TV broadcasts and restricting internet access, a department official said.

The US is determined to stop the "Iranian government from creating an 'electronic curtain' to cut Iranian citizens off from the rest of the world," said State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2012/11/20121182048162355.html


Russian attack submarine detected off Florida east coast, according to U.S. defense officials
By: Mike Mount - CNN National Security Producer

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The U.S. Navy detected and tracked a Russian nuclear-powered attack submarine less than 300 miles from the southern U.S. East Coast last month, according to U.S. defense officials.
While the submarine did not enter U.S. territorial waters or follow any U.S. Navy ships, its arrival came while a Navy carrier strike group was training off Florida, according to defense officials who could not speak publicly because of the sensitivity of the issue.

The move by the Russians to put the ship close to the U.S. demonstrates its desire to ramp up deep-water patrolling by its submarine fleet -- something the Russian government has said it would do, officials said.
The newer Seirra-2 submarine is thought to be part of the Russian Northern Fleet, and this is the first time this class of sub has been detected this close to the U.S., the officials said.

The sub was discovered about 275 miles off the southern East Coast in international waters about two weeks ago and has been followed by Navy assets since, defense officials said. Officials said the sub did not come close to the major U.S. Navy submarine base at Kings Bay, Georgia, home to attack and ballistic missile submarines.

"Things worked the way they were supposed to," according to one of the officials when referencing how the Navy discovered the submarine.

While the officials would not disclose how the submarine was detected, the Navy has sensors in the air and water to detect and track such vessels.

The submarine has since turned back, and on Tuesday, it was about 600 miles off the U.S. coast heading eastward toward Europe, according to Navy officials.

It is not clear what the submarine was doing this close to the U.S., but officials say they assume it was conducting anti-submarine exercises, a return to a Cold War activity.

"They are doing what the U.S. does, patrolling and conducting exercises," one of the officials told Security Clearance.

The detection of the sub was first reported in the Washington Free Beacon.

The Sierra-2 is similar to the U.S. Los Angeles-class attack submarine and does not carry ballistic missiles -- only torpedoes and other anti-submarine weapons.

The last time a Russian sub was detected close to the United States was in 2009, according to defense officials.
http://www.abcactionnews.com/dpp/ne...cording-to-us-defense-officials#ixzz2BhA4CeYu


Philippines accuses China of deploying ships in Scarborough shoal
Manila says nearly 100 vessels have entered disputed South China Sea region, renewing tensions between the countries

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The Philippines has claimed that China has deployed almost 100 vessels in a disputed area of the South China Sea, raising fresh concerns about tensions in the region.

China denies it has increased its presence in the waters around the Scarborough shoal. The countries are in talks to defuse the two-month standoff.

The South China Sea has seen growing friction between China and its neighbours in recent years, with experts blaming valuable natural resources and the depletion of fisheries as well as long-term sovereignty disputes. They fear it is becoming harder to contain the conflict, which has also become conflated with Sino-US competition in south-east Asia.

Manila's foreign affairs spokesman, Raul Hernandez, said there were 96 Chinese vessels at the shoal on Tuesday, including four government ships as well as fishing boats and dinghies, while the Philippines had only two vessels in the area.

He added that despite a seasonal fishing ban imposed by both countries, Chinese ships had been seen fishing and collecting protected corals. "It is regrettable that these actions occurred at a time when China has been articulating for a de-escalation of tensions and while the two sides have been discussing how to defuse the situation in the area," Hernandez added.

On Monday Manila handed the Chinese ambassador a note protesting at the presence of 77 vessels, demanding their immediate withdrawal, he added.

But China's foreign ministry spokesman, Hong Lei, said only around 20 fishing vessels were working in waters near the shoal, a similar number as previous years. "Their fishing activities are in line with Chinese law and the fishing ban," he told a daily news briefing. "The Filipino side recently carried out some provocations in the area and China took actions in response."

Stephanie Kleine-Ahbrandt, North Asia director for the International Crisis group, said it had appeared the current crisis was easing. "The mutual fishing bans were promising ... the bananas are flowing again," she said.

This month China impounded banana imports from the Philippines, saying stricter checks were necessary. Kleine-Ahbrandt said: "The skirmishes that have taken place there are getting harder and harder to de-escalate because of the factors such as military build-up in the region. We see this as turning into a spiralling security dilemma."

She said internal jostling for power in China appeared to have contributed to the latest tensions, but added: "China is not alone at all in raising the stakes in the South China Sea. Vietnam and the Philippines continue to have worrying risk factors, including nationalist sentiment but also their economic situations."

There was a danger of Beijing and Manila encouraging nationalist sentiment to justify their sovereignty claims, but then finding it harder to back down as a result, she added.

Tensions had cooled in the region after a period of antagonism over the complex territorial dispute – which involves six countries – led to a diplomatic charm offensive by China.

But they flared again in April, when the Philippines sent a warship to the area and said it had found Chinese fishing vessels there with illegal coral and fish.

Speaking before the latest Filipino claims, Dong Manyuan, deputy director of China Institute of international studies, said the Philippines had used the issue to distract attention from domestic problems.

"The government incited local people's patriotic emotions to meet the desires of few politicians," he told the Guardian. But he said it had miscalculated, overestimating US willingness to get involved and underestimating China's determination to defend its sovereignty.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/may/23/philippines-china-ships-scarborough-shoal


China ships stay in Scarborough Shoal
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China has no immediate plans of pulling out its vessels at Scarborough Shoal in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea), the Chinese Embassy said Monday.

In a text message to the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Zhang Hua, spokesperson and deputy chief of the political section of the Chinese Embassy, said Beijing had not expressed any intention of withdrawing its service ships from Scarborough Shoal, which both China and the Philippines claim.

Contrary to Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario's statement to reporters on Friday, China did not commit to withdraw its seven vessels from the shoal.

"There is no such commitment from China," Zhang said.

In Beijing, Hong Mei, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, wondered "where the so-called commitment the Philippine side mentioned on China's withdrawal of vessels came from."

Hong said China hoped "the Philippine side can restrain their words and behavior and do workings conducive to the development of the bilateral relations" between the two countries.

China, Hong said, "will continue to maintain administration and vigilance" over Scarborough Shoal, which Beijing refers to as Huangyan Island. Manila calls it Panatag Shoal or Bajo de Masinloc.

But more than 20 Chinese fishing boats stationed at the shoal's lagoon are withdrawing because of bad weather, according to an advisory issued by the salvage and rescue unit of China's Ministry of Transport on Sunday.

Raul Hernandez, spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), said Monday night that China's announcement of the pullout was "consistent with our agreement with the Chinese government on the withdrawal of all vessels from the shoal's lagoon to defuse tensions" in the area.

Two Philippine vessels had been facing off with seven Chinese government vessels at the shoal since April 10 after Philippine authorities caught Chinese fishermen poaching for sharks and collecting rare clams and corals in the area.

Both asserting sovereignty over the shoal, the two countries had refused to budge.

The shoal is within the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines, which has proposed to bring the dispute to the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea for settlement.

China, which claims the entire West Philippine Sea, has refused and tried to apply an economic squeeze to force the Philippines to yield.

It has suspended Chinese tours to the Philippines and tightened inspection rules for fruit imports from the Philippines.

Though indirectly, the United States has weighed in, announcing two weeks ago details of a new military strategy that would see 60 per cent of US naval assets moving to the Asia-Pacific region before the end of the decade, and announcing assistance for the modernization of the Philippine military.

President Benigno Aquino traveled to Washington last week and had discussions with US President Barack Obama, who stressed the importance of the US-Philippine Mutual Defense Treaty and renewed US pledges of helping the Philippines update its defenses.

Bad weather

But on Friday night, President Aquino, citing bad weather, ordered home a Philippine Coast Guard vessel and a Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources survey ship from Scarborough Shoal.

At the time, Typhoon "Butchoy" was approaching the Philippines from the Pacific Ocean and a low-pressure system over Palawan province was combining with its winds to create squalls dangerous to shipping in the West Philippine Sea.

Chinese commitment

Asked by reporters on Friday if China was withdrawing its vessels, Del Rosario said, "We are waiting for them to comply with their commitment."

It was understood that China and the Philippines had agreed to break a two-month standoff at Scarborough Shoal to save the crew of their vessels from unnecessary exposure to danger in stormy seas.

As of Friday, China had seven government ships outside the lagoon and 20-26 fishing boats in the lagoon, according to the DFA.

On Sunday, Malacañang, through deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte, said, citing Del Rosario's statement about a Chinese commitment, the Philippines was waiting for China to recall its vessels from the shoal.

Eighth vessel

But instead of pulling out its ships from the area, the Chinese government is sending another vessel, the "Nanhaijiu 115," to the shoal, ostensibly to assist the Chinese fishing boats in making a run for shelter amid stormy weather.

In its advisory, the Chinese transport ministry cited "inclement weather and strong tides" at Scarborough Shoal as the reason for withdrawing the fishing boats.

The agency also said it was deploying the Nanhaijiu 115 to the shoal to "help Chinese fishermen and fishing boats pull out safely for shelter" in undisclosed locations.

The deployment of the Nanhaijiu 115 brought to eight the number of Chinese government vessels stationed at the shoal.

PH move welcomed

On Sunday, China welcomed President Aquino's order pulling out the two Philippine vessels from the shoal and expressed hope it would calm tensions in the area.

A statement on the Chinese Embassy's website on Monday said "the Chinese public service ships have continued to keep close watch over Scarborough Shoal waters to provide administrative and other services to Chinese fishing boats in accordance with China's laws, so as to ensure Chinese fishermen a good environment for operations in their traditional fishing grounds."

The continued presence of the Chinese ships in the area was also meant to "prevent further provocation by the Philippines," it also said.

Zhang told the Inquirer on Sunday that "the Chinese side has been urging the Philippine side to take measures to deescalate the situation" at the shoal.

That meant China wanted the Philippines to withdraw its vessels from the area.

The vessels were ordered home on Friday but Del Rosario said, "When the weather improves, a reevaluation will be made."

Last week, both the Philippines and China repositioned their ships posted at the shoal, easing tensions that had been building up since the standoff began in April.

Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda called the coordinated pullback a "step in the right direction."

Weakened PH claim

But Bayan Muna Representative Neri Colmenares is worried that the premature departure of the Philippine vessels may have weakened the country's claim of sovereignty over that part of the West Philippine Sea.

Colmenares said Monday that China had shown no sign of reciprocating. "The President should immediately replace the two boats that left the [shoal]," Colmenares said.

"The government only weakened its claim of effective control and jurisdiction if we have no naval presence in our waters."

The Department of National Defense said on Sunday that the withdrawal of the two Philippine vessels would not affect the country's claim.

There are many other ways of monitoring the area, according to the department's spokesperson Peter Galvez.

Del Rosario had told the Inquirer that despite an easing of tensions between Manila and Beijing, the Philippines would press its plan to bring the dispute to the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea. With reports from Gil C. Cabacungan and AFP?
http://www.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne+News/Asia/Story/A1Story20120619-353755/3.html


Standoff at Scarborough Shoal
Could valuable oil and gas deposits in the South China Sea be behind the growing military build-up in the region?
101 East Last Modified: 03 Aug 2012 09:56

The South China Sea is a strategically important and resource-rich area in Asia. Around half of the world's merchant fleets pass through every year carrying an estimated $5 trillion worth of trade. The area is also believed to contain valuable oil and gas deposits.

And ownership is hotly contested. There are ongoing territorial disputes between Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines and China. One of the most well-known is the Spratly Islands' hydrocarbon deposits valued at $26.3 trillion.
Connect with 101 East

The latest tension is at the Scarborough Shoal, a small cluster of uninhabitable islands which lies about 220km off the coast of the Philippines and falls under its exclusive economic zone according to international maritime law. But China also claims ownership despite its nearest coastline being 900km away. The Scarborough Shoal has valuable resources including fishing, shipping routes and potentially enormous oil and gas deposits.

In early April, the Philippines' naval forces intercepted eight Chinese fishing vessels in the Scarborough Shoal. They found large numbers of illegally-fished turtles, baby sharks, clams and corals on board. They tried to arrest the poachers but were stopped by the arrival of two Chinese maritime ships leading to a two-month standoff.

The David and Goliath-style situation has forced the Philippines, along with other smaller Asian countries, to work together on joint security. It has also pushed them to cement military ties with the US and Australia.

After more than two decades of double-digit increases in defence spending, China now has the largest fleet of advanced warships, submarines and long strike aircraft in Asia. The Philippines is working hard to get support from allies such as Japan and the US to help it build up its military capabilities.

But months of simmering tension between both sides over the disputed territory is threatening to exact a heavy toll on Philippines' economy and is damaging vital tourism and agricultural sectors.

Business communities in the Philippines are concerned the ongoing standoff threatens trade relations and investments after China tightened regulations on banana imports from the Philippines and several Chinese tour groups cancelled visits to the Philippines. Energy and infrastructure projects have also been put on hold.

As China flexes its economic and military muscle across the Asia Pacific region, 101 East asks if this escalation is a threat to peace and stability.
http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/101east/2012/07/201273093650328417.html

Video discussing the standoff and China's military growth
http://aje.me/Q3LBOn



Some interesting tidbits, Iran shooting at our drones has actually happened before. The article talking about Russia last visiting us in 2009 is not entirely true, the nuclear class Akula was actually in the Gulf of Mexico this summer. Also, China is greatly stepping up its presence in the Pacific and literally took the Scarborough reef from the Philippines and they have asked us for help against China. We remain a bystander and this is still going on right at the moment.
 
New J-31 stealth jet gives China a fighting chance

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CHINA has unveiled a new advanced fighter jet - the second in only two years.

As cost-blowouts and technical troubles continue to delay the United States' only new fighter, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, China appears to be rapidly gaining ground in the technological arms race.

Earlier this year China' first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, entered active service. A large stealth fighter, designated the J-20, was revealed to the public last year.

Late last week, China's state media unveiled the new, smaller strike fighter designated J-31.

The prototype flew for 11 minutes on Wednesday morning, the state-run Global Times reported.

China's first stealth fighter - the J-20 - is not expected to enter service until 2018.

The latest prototype appears to be designed for use on an aircraft carrier, as it has particularly strong landing gear.

The home-grown aircraft bears striking visual similarities to the United States' new F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, a significant break from China's previous adoption of Russian aviation technology.

Aviation experts say it will take almost a decade for the J-31 fighter to transition from prototype to operational status.
http://www.news.com.au/news/new-j-3...ce/story-fnejlrpu-1226510035659#ixzz2BhH2OudC
 
This might sound crazy, but I firmly believe America should be proactive in preventing Chinese dominance in Asia or even worldwide. What might be necessary is a trade war, a cyber war, clandestine operations and sabotage. Think suxtnet, but several orders of magnitude greater involvement.

I would be willing to use the full gamut of American covert forces, with carte blanche to do whatever is necessary, in order to preserve American superiority both economically and militarily.

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2
 
My aunt works at the pax river air base and works on quite a few top secret projects. Apparently it is common knowledge that Chinese intelligence sits in "shrimp boats" in the bay and watches top secret planes take off. Theyve been doing it for years and no one stops them. Last year they acctually caught a college age couple right off the edge of the landing strip taking pics. When they asked them who they were they claimed to be lost. However, in order to get to the strip they had to swim about 40 yards out and around water up to their neck bc of the fences and surveillance.
 
This might sound crazy, but I firmly believe America should be proactive in preventing Chinese dominance in Asia or even worldwide. What might be necessary is a trade war, a cyber war, clandestine operations and sabotage. Think suxtnet, but several orders of magnitude greater involvement.

I would be willing to use the full gamut of American covert forces, with carte blanche to do whatever is necessary, in order to preserve American superiority both economically and militarily.

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2

Hell, why not just invade? We are in good shape for a war with China. The American people are ready for hyperinflation and non stop blood shed in the name of spreading democracy to countries that are already more free than we are.

I don't know what happened to you in the Obama campaign. You used to be reasonable. Now you are just like your Dear Leader ready to sacrifice other people's lives in the name of empire and ready to have the government assume control of every aspect of our lives.
 
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Hell, why not just invade? We are in good shape for a war with China. The American people are ready for hyperinflation and non stop blood shed in the name of spreading democracy to countries that are already more free than we are.

I don't know what happened to you in the Obama campaign. You used to be reasonable. Now you are just like your Dear Leader ready to sacrifice other people's lives in the name of empire and ready to have the government assume control of every aspect of our lives.

office_space_kit_mat.jpg
 
This might sound crazy, but I firmly believe America should be proactive in preventing Chinese dominance in Asia or even worldwide. What might be necessary is a trade war, a cyber war, clandestine operations and sabotage. Think suxtnet, but several orders of magnitude greater involvement.

I would be willing to use the full gamut of American covert forces, with carte blanche to do whatever is necessary, in order to preserve American superiority both economically and militarily.

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2

Agh..I didn't peg you for a realist, Gourimoko.


I'll give you 5 reasons why China will not look to expand influence into Asia:

1. The political system in China is very fragile. The legitimacy of many East Asian states, such as China, hinge on their ability to produce high economic growth. The Chinese Communist Party main focus is economic growth.

2. The United States has the ability to exert power and influence through its international financial institutions. China does not have any effective mechanisms or institutions to tackle conflicts or disagreements in the region to be considered a leader. Also, many elites in China have bought into the ideas and values of what the current international order has to offer them. Just like any political system, a government cannot rule without the consent of the elites.

3. Even though the Chinese economy will overtake the United States by 2016 to become the largest economy in the world, if you consider their economy per-capita wise, the Chinese are still a poor developing state. China still receives billions in aid every year.

4. The Chinese export economy is heavily dependent on American consumerism. Think about this, Wal-Mart alone does $19 Billion worth of trade with China - which is bigger than Australia, Canada and Russia. American firms are the number one reason for the rise in Chinese export and the US trade deficit with China. No Democrat or Republican has any power over this.

5. The Chinese have overexposed themselves by the large amount of US debt they helped finance. They need the United States dollar to strengthen to get a return on their investment.

Also, lets not forget that the United States military expenditure is more than the next 15 powers combined.

So don't worry Americans, you still rule the world.
 
Hell, why not just invade? We are in good shape for a war with China. The American people are ready for hyperinflation and non stop blood shed in the name of spreading democracy to countries that are already more free than we are.

I don't know what happened to you in the Obama campaign. You used to be reasonable. Now you are just like your Dear Leader ready to sacrifice other people's lives in the name of empire and ready to have the government assume control of every aspect of our lives.

do you always come up with the most ridiculous conclusions?
 
Hell, why not just invade? We are in good shape for a war with China. The American people are ready for hyperinflation and non stop blood shed in the name of spreading democracy to countries that are already more free than we are.

I don't know what happened to you in the Obama campaign. You used to be reasonable. Now you are just like your Dear Leader ready to sacrifice other people's lives in the name of empire and ready to have the government assume control of every aspect of our lives.

A war with China would be a huge mistake, in any sense. History would be a good frame of reference here; historically, China has never been interested in expansion. Most of our debt is owned by either China or Japan. But someone saying we should try to restrict China's international influence is about 5 steps shy of invasion. The modern military doesn't fight over wars with powerful nations, we fight discreetly. Make no mistake, there has been a very contentious battle of sabotage and devotion between America and China for a decade, and simply leaving China alone would be disastrous.
 
A war with China would be a huge mistake, in any sense. History would be a good frame of reference here; historically, China has never been interested in expansion. Most of our debt is owned by either China or Japan. But someone saying we should try to restrict China's international influence is about 5 steps shy of invasion. The modern military doesn't fight over wars with powerful nations, we fight discreetly. Make no mistake, there has been a very contentious battle of sabotage and devotion between America and China for a decade, and simply leaving China alone would be disastrous.

Restricting China's influence, which is none of our business anyway, is one thing. Trade wars, cyber wars, sabotage, and covert operations are actual acts of war which will inevitably lead to an invasion by one side or the other.
 
Restricting China's influence, which is none of our business anyway, is one thing. Trade wars, cyber wars, sabotage, and covert operations are actual acts of war which will inevitably lead to an invasion by one side or the other.

Sabotage is already happening, on both sides. Hacking is a significant tool being used by our military right now. And so long as these countries' futures are so economically intertwined, invasion is far from a possibility. Of course, China can benefit if America's dollar collapses, and is no longer a sturdy international currency. There is already a great deal of subterfuge in the world at play, and it is important America stays persistent and ahead of the curve there, because its where an economic war is won or lost in the 21st century.
 
A war with China would be a huge mistake, in any sense. History would be a good frame of reference here; historically, China has never been interested in expansion. Most of our debt is owned by either China or Japan. But someone saying we should try to restrict China's international influence is about 5 steps shy of invasion. The modern military doesn't fight over wars with powerful nations, we fight discreetly. Make no mistake, there has been a very contentious battle of sabotage and devotion between America and China for a decade, and simply leaving China alone would be disastrous.

If we went to war with China, I doubt we'd have any intent in paying them any of our debt back that they own.
 
If we went to war with China, I doubt we'd have any intent in paying them any of our debt back that they own.

It would be far more complicated than that. Right now we borrow at a greater rate than we pay on our loans, and they would also stop letting us borrow their money. Trade between the countries would cease, and inevitably every country in the world would be forced to take a side in a conflict that significant. Many US companies run factories in China, and those industries would be annexed by China, those companies would lose a ton of collatoral and would, in many cases, immediately go bankrupt. Chinese investments in the stockmarket would be blocked, they'd be refused right-to-sell bankrupting Chinese investors, and similarly US investors would be blocked from selling stocks in the SSE, and would also risk running bankrupt or losing significant amounts of wealth. The economic future of these countries is strongly intertwined right now.
 
Sabotage is already happening, on both sides. Hacking is a significant tool being used by our military right now. And so long as these countries' futures are so economically intertwined, invasion is far from a possibility. Of course, China can benefit if America's dollar collapses, and is no longer a sturdy international currency. There is already a great deal of subterfuge in the world at play, and it is important America stays persistent and ahead of the curve there, because its where an economic war is won or lost in the 21st century.

There are certainly better ways to "stay ahead of the curve". We could quit printing money if we didn't want our currency to be at the mercy of international markets. That would have the added bonus to stopping the increase in wealth disparity in this country.

Trade wars and cyber wars will do nothing but bring us closer to total war. Not to mention a trade war would just decimate the already waning standard of living in this country. If we need to do something discrete to thwart subterfuge on their part then we have the right to defend ourselves, but outright instigating trouble with them is just foolish.
 

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