Trade & WWIII

In WW II, Japan's war machine was fueled by scrap metal from America and old retrofitted American and British ships which became part of the Imperial war fleet. A modern version of this is now playing out thanks to the huge trade deficit with mainland China.

Recently this major world power has been using part of the wealth to expand it's People's Liberation Army Navy at a fearsome rate. Six new naval destroyers have been added, armed with Sunburn nuclear tipped cruise missiles designed to take out American aircraft carriers should conflict breakout over the conflict over Taiwan.

It is only a mere 100 miles to Taiwan. The ability to defend from a huge invasion at this close range is very difficult.

America needs to encourage Taiwan and Mainland China to work out a solution regarding this conflict. And China needs to be pragmatic enough to realize that the new found wealth from it's huge economic boom would come to a crashing end with any assault on Taiwan. It's time for reason, restraint and pragmatism.

China has been a constructive ally in nuclear containment talks with North Korea. The threat of North Korean nuclear Nodong missiles raining down on American West Coast cities is a grave consequence if this nuclear armament situation is allowed to continue by this unpredictable state. And China has been a great ally in this area. But some soundings over Taiwan seem uncharacteristic of the modern pragmatism of this powerful nation.

China has to realize that positive relations with the U.S. and a booming economy are far more important goals that some emotional response to Taiwan. Today some signals between Taiwan and China were more positive. And Japan is hoping to heal some old sores from some history books treatment of the WWII conduct of Japan in China and Korea.

China has to continue to use it's newfound economic wealth to build a booming economy that brings a better and better life to it's citizens. Taiwan by comparison is a dangerous distraction to these goals. And the massive American trade cannot become a modern path to war like the preWWII steel trade with Japan became. China has to consider this history. It cannot follow the bad example of WWII Japan in allowing trade to fuel a wrongful path over Taiwan.

Americans probably cannot fully understand the Chinese sentiments over Taiwan. That's why it has to be a mutual solution of these two states. And Americans cannot fully trust American military or intelligence to defend against a major war breakout in this region. A Chinese Ming class attack submarine for example was able to operate covertly for a full 31 days before American intelligence was able to detect this mission. This points out some weaknesses in American intelligence and also points out that any military answer to the Taiwan issue is unthinkable. No one can tell where the escalation would lead, or be able to offer a full safety to numerous civilians not to become targets in such a dangerous situation.

The massive flood of Chinese imports to America and resulting American job losses are not completely a positive by any means. But this should be a form of buying peace with so much economic trade and not the economic fuel to ignite WWIII. Pragmatism over Taiwan needs to be a guiding principle.