U.S. special forces on two Islands west of Taiwan

[727Sky]

One of the islands is 6 miles off the coast of Red China. I hope the S.F.'s bunkers are deep and reinforced... Also 100s if not thousands of shoulder fired missiles would be nice IMO.. When or if China tries to invade Taiwan I hope sincerely they get beat back in a BIG and total way !

[LogicalGraffiti]

You'd think Special Forces means a covert operation.  Can't anyone keep a secret?   So much for surprising the enemy!

[Maxmars]

I doubt the intent was to keep it secret.  If it was, I would worry about our military leadership's capabilities.

Deployments that are meant to be covert are not the subject of "leaks"... especially where "death" and explosive international outcomes are at risk.

I suspect this is crafted news... with a pinch of 'doom' on the side.

There is an explicit training need for Taiwanese forces... Our forces are well-equipped to fill that need.

The rest is about "creating an appearance"... as if it were component of 'gamesmanship' regarding a grim reality which neither side can exploit to their satisfaction.

I have been sensitive to the "perception" angle of all these breaking news stories... 'fear of war' is the main tool for keeping people generally ill-at-ease.

I'm not denying that there is a danger... but either side, China or the US, would be self-destructively foolish to 'force' a confrontation that neither can afford to undertake. 

It is the main peril of adopting a mindset of "appearances" as a "replacement" for reality. 

But don't tell that to the political rulers... that is their only "real" tool.

---

[LogicalGraffiti]

Meanwhile, I can imagine China with forces secretly bunkered down in Cuba.  Or worse, in Arizona just across the border with Mexico.  It's in the realm of possibility.  I just don't see the need for public disclosure of what our Special Forces are doing.

I'm suddenly in the mood to rewatch Red Dawn.  Hope I can find it on Netflix.

[FlyingClayDisk]

I would put the odds of China making any sort of an overt move on Taiwan down in the 1 to 3 range on a scale of 10.  In other words, not completely impossible, but very unlikely.

I agree with Maxmars, this is media spin and saber rattling with copious amounts of smoke and mirrors thrown in.

China, as a rule, doesn't conquer territory by military frontal assaults / invasions, it's just not their philosophy.  Chinese conquest strategy is far more subtle.  They achieve gains by applying unyielding pressure on their opponents.  This 'pressure' is not immediate like a blistering attack, it is more akin to someone poking their finger into your chest...and never letting up...ever.  Inevitably you will become uncomfortable and step backwards, and the Chinese will step forward...and repeat the process.  They will apply these pressures for hundreds, or even thousands, of years.  Chinese leadership mentality has been this same way for millennia.  They believe they will outlive, out populate, and consume the entire planet...one small bite at a time.  And, most importantly, they are willing to play the waiting game, all while never letting off the pressure they apply.

Sure, China has a mighty military and they're not afraid to use it.  But if you examine China's military carefully, you will see much of their military power is built around this same strategy.  It is not fashioned around offensive action, but rather defensive action.  When their opponent steps backward, and China steps forward to fill the void, their military will then defend this new ground to their last breath.  They never yield.  This is the principle misunderstanding of the West about how China operates.  The story in the OP just further illustrates just how deep this misunderstanding goes.

Western media in concert with the Military Industrial Complex has conditioned people to believe one morning they will wake up to Chinese troops marching down the streets everywhere in an all out siege.  That's not how the Chinese roll.  Instead, they just smile and continue to push their finger, unrelentingly and squarely, into the solar plexus of their opponent.