Is China Preparing a 'Special Military Operation' In Taiwan?

What's worse than provoking the bear?
This picture is most welcome, but, Ben, it's not a bear at all!

July 29, 2022, 18:38
The leadership of the Chinese army in social networks urged soldiers to prepare for war
Andrey Morozov

The leadership of the People's Liberation Army of the People's Republic of China (PLA) in the official account of the 80th combined Arms Army of China in the local social network Weibo urged soldiers to prepare for a military conflict.

"Prepare for war," the message says.

Later, in a comment to the publication, representatives of the army clarified that it was timed to coincide with the 95th anniversary of the creation of the PLA.

The 80th Army of China is a military formation of the People's Liberation Army. Its headquarters are in Weifang City.

Earlier it was reported that China began two-day military exercises in the South China Sea off the coast of Guangdong Province. The maneuvers are being conducted against the backdrop of the beginning of the Asian tour of the Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, which may include a trip to Taiwan.

Earlier, in a telephone conversation with US President Joe Biden, Chinese President Xi Jinping said that China strongly opposes separatism and "Taiwan independence", as well as any interference by external forces.
Руководство армии Китая в соцсетях призвало солдат готовиться к войне - Газета.Ru | Новости

Эта картинка как нельзя кстати, но, Ben, это же совсем не медведь!
 
July 29, 2022, 18:38

The leadership of the Chinese army in social networks urged soldiers to prepare for war
Andrey Morozov


The leadership of the People's Liberation Army of the People's Republic of China (PLA) in the official account of the 80th combined Arms Army of China in the local social network Weibo urged soldiers to prepare for a military conflict.
"Prepare for war," the message says.

I would have thought it highly unlikely that any official Chinese military source would make such a statement on a public SM acct. Just FYI.
 
I would have thought it highly unlikely that any official Chinese military source would make such a statement on a public SM acct. Just FYI.

Gazeta.ru isn't a particularly liberal source (and such sources tend to make unverified claims), so I was curious. There is a link in the article to the Chinese army's supposedly official account on Welbo social network. Maybe someone who knows Chinese can take a look and confirm or disprove.

Added: At least according to Google translate, they indeed advise to prepare for battle.

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Gazeta.ru isn't a particularly liberal source (and such sources tend to make unverified claims), so I was curious. There is a link in the article to the Chinese army's supposedly official account on Welbo social network. Maybe someone who knows Chinese can take a look and confirm or disprove.

Added: At least according to Google translate, they indeed advise to prepare for battle.

View attachment 61707

Global Times reports: PLA’s post ‘Preparing for war’ draws wide support from netizens ahead of Army Day - Global Times

"Preparing for war!" This short social media post by the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) 80th Group Army generated over 300,000 thumbs-up in 12 hours on Friday, amid high morale among Chinese soldiers ahead of the 95th anniversary of the founding of the PLA and escalating tensions across the Taiwan Straits.

[...]

The 80th Group Army posted a comment saying, "we must bear in mind the fundamental responsibility of preparing for war and charge on the journey of a strong army." The comment has received 8,000 thumbs-up.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said previously that only those capable of fighting can stop battles, and only those prepared for war don't have to fall into war. [...]

Added: RT: https://www.rt.com/news/559859-china-army-taiwan-war/
29 Jul, 2022 18:04
HomeWorld News

Chinese army ‘preparing for war’​

Ominous Weibo post quickly gains traction amid rising tensions with US over Taiwan
Chinese army ‘preparing for war’

FILE PHOTO. Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) soldiers drill in Xinjiang region, January 4, 2021 © AFP / STR
A Chinese army group’s post about “preparing for war” attracted hundreds of thousands of approvals on Friday on the social network Weibo. Though it comes as Beijing has warned Washington against provocations over Taiwan, the post may be entirely innocuous – and refer to the upcoming anniversary of the People’s Liberation Army and a line from President Xi Jinping’s speech, according to the state outlet Global Times.

A message containing just two characters in Mandarin was posted on Friday on the Weibo page of the PLA’s 80th Group Army, headquartered in Weifang, Shandong province. It quickly generated over 300,000 positive reactions and nearly 20,000 comments.

The phrase could be translated as “prepare for war” or “ready to fight,” but Global Times said the correct translation was “Preparing for war!”
RT

Xi has previously said that only those capable of fighting can stop battles from starting, and only those prepared for war don’t have to stumble into one, said the outlet, which is the English-language subsidiary of People’s Daily, the official newspaper of the ruling Communist Party of China.

The 80th Group Army provided additional context in a comment, saying that “we must bear in mind the fundamental responsibility of preparing for war and charge on the journey of a strong army.”

August 1 will mark the 95th anniversary of the PLA’s founding, and the Chinese military is busily preparing to celebrate. However, the Weibo post comes just a day after the phone call between Xi and US President Joe Biden, in which the Chinese leader sent a very pointed message to the US.

“Those who play with fire will perish by it. It is hoped that the US will be clear-eyed about this,” Xi told Biden, according to the Chinese readout of the call. Beijing is firmly opposed to Taiwanese separatism of any kind, Xi added.


Though Biden insists the US policy regarding the island has not changed, he has not denied the rumors that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California) intends to visit Taiwan in August.

The Pentagon has reportedly developed a “contingency plan” to send additional ships and fighter jets to the region, while China has threatened the US with “unbearable consequences” should the visit go forward, with some pundits going so far as to advocate attacking Taiwan in response to such a “provocation.”

Beijing officially considers the island China’s sovereign territory, which will be reintegrated in due course. Taiwan has been under the control of the nationalist Kuomintang, who left the mainland with US help after losing the Chinese civil war to the PLA in 1949.
 
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After the sanction against Russia, the EU is about to shoot itself a second time in the foot:

The head of the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), Marie-Gabriel Inaichen-Fleisch, said that in the event of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan, sanctions would be imposed against China that would be tougher than those taken against Russia in connection with the military operation in Ukraine

Source: intel Slava on Telegram
 
Much talk about Pelosi's plane. It landed in Honolulu a few hours ago. She'll likely stay there for a day or two and then head further West. At this point, I think it's unlikely that she'll visit Taiwan. More likely she'll go to Japan, Singapore, S. Korea etc.

So no Chinese invasion, just yet, IMO.
 
I think this has more to do with Army day and military messaging/propaganda than any actual imminent plans for war. Could be wrong though.

Could very well be so. But I could be even more wrong. :-D But China is communist, so it's possible that they still follow the typical short but dramatic messaging. Like Soviet pioneers motto was "Be ready!" and the pioneers answered: "Always ready!".

Or there are other communist declarations, like "5 year plan done in 2 years!". It's always short like this and always ends with an exclamation point. It is supposed to call for action and readiness. So it's possible that this is what Chinese Army did.
 
It doesn't seem to me as though there are imminent plans for war, either. It seems to me to be part of a pattern of rhetoric, from both Russia and China, that shows that they're not messing around, and that they are ready should the West try it.

I would guess that it's probably as much for public consumption - at home and abroad - as it is for those in higher positions in governments across the planet, as well as all the people that work therein. One would expect that those in government with any clue should already know China's position, but maybe even for those with a clue it's worth driving the point home.

There's also this article that again features a catch phrase, apparently with historical significance, which was repeated by those attending a symposium held by a top think tank in China. My guess is that this 'top think tank' probably has some connections within the Chinese government and perhaps some of the speakers intend for it to also be part of the messaging:

{snip}
"Don't say we didn't warn you!" - a phrase that was used by the People's Daily in 1962 before China was forced to fight the border war with India and ahead of the 1979 China-Vietnam War, was frequently mentioned during a forum held Friday by a high-level Chinese think tank, as analysts warned that open military options and comprehensive countermeasures ranging from the economy to diplomacy from China await if US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi gambles with a visit to the Taiwan island during her Asia tour. {snip}

"Don't say we didn't warn you" has become a key phrase used by Chinese official media as the most severe warning previously issued before shots were fired in military operations. The phrase has been used several times before, such as in 1962 and 1978, not long before China's military operations against provocations by Indian and Vietnamese troops, respectively. {snip}


And then there was this article: Drone flown by China's military makes full flight around Taiwan unreported - Taiwan has apparently since come out saying they did spot it and shot flares at it or something (i saw the last point in a tweet)

By making a full circle around Taiwan, the TB-001 drone displayed its outstanding range, possibly carried out reconnaissance on Taiwan's Han Kuang drills, and sent a warning to "Taiwan independence" secessionist and foreign interference forces, which comes amid US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's planned Taiwan trip, a Beijing-based military expert who requested anonymity told the Global Times on Wednesday.

Again, i would guess this is also part of getting the message across.

Well, those are just some thoughts.
 

US lawmakers introduce bill to arm Taiwan​


"Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act’ would authorize the president to lend or lease weapons and military equipment to Taiwan, which Taipei would pay for over a 12-year period."

"The bill’s name and wording closely follow that of the ‘Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act’, which was signed into law by President Joe Biden in May after passing Congress with almost no resistance."

“Taiwan is our greatest partner in the Indo-Pacific region, and their continued sovereignty is essential to challenging the New Axis of Evil,” said Blackburn," (Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee)

Article below:

 
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