China Lands Nuclear Bombers on Disputed South China Sea Islands In Warning to American Rivals

[Devil Child]

Source: Newsweek

China has flown nuclear bombers to several of its artificial islands in the South China Sea for the first time in an apparent warning to regional rivals—and the U.S. in particular—that its control over the area is non-negotiable.

A Chinese air force press release said H-6K nuclear-capable bombers had landed on several islands and reefs as part of a training exercise in preparation for the “battle for the South China Sea,” Reuters reported.

The statement, issued on Friday, said the exercises were designed to “improve our ability to reach all territory, conduct strikes at any time and strike in all directions.” The drills involved multiple bombers practicing take-off and landing on the islands, which have been a point of contention between China, the U.S. and several other countries in the region. Pilots also conducted simulated strikes on naval targets.

Read more: http://www.newsweek.com/china-lands-nuclear-bombers-disputed-south-china-sea-islands-warning-american-935431

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Strategic move by China to reinforce and strengthen their South China Sea claims. Bomber diplomacy if you will. Too bad we have an incompetent moron at the helm to navigate these developments. Do we even have a functioning State Department at the moment?

[RKP5637]

1. Now what will tRump do. Wave his dick at them and say go away. n/t

[benld74]

11. He already got $$$ for his Indonesian hotel

What else you want?

[bucolic_frolic]

2. Our sovereignty has no boundaries at the moment

They violated our elections, gave away our lands and regulations, sell access to power ... the world has gotten the message. They understand that the time to exploit American interests is now when we are at our weakest in 120 years.

[RKP5637]

4. And, we have a president with no smarts, just gutter-level remarks and stupid logic. n/t

[Voltaire2]

3. There is nothing any administration could do about

China’s assertion of territorial claims in the South China Sea. The most we can do is to make angry noises. Trump doesn’t change the situation.

[Devil Child]

5. Trump changes the situation in one significant way to me

In that he does not allow or facilitate strategic coalition building to counter China in a way that President Obama would have been able to accomplish. He is an erratic cowboy and not a trustworthy partner.

[RKP5637]

6. Well said! And Trump can't be trusted. He spins endless lies and changes what he said originally.

He has ZERO credibility.

[Voltaire2]

7. I'll try again: nobody is gonna do diddly squat

about China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea. There is no coalition to build. There is no action to take. Trump is irrelevant in this situation. Well I suppose he could completely fuck it up and go to war with China, I just think that is very unlikely.

[Devil Child]

8. There was a coalition to build

Albeit a loose one of nations affected by China's aggressive Nine-Dash Line claims. These include Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam. I am in agreement that no president would magically turn China from their South China Sea policy, however, any President besides Trump would be more effective in developing a response and unifying the regional players for a workable solution.

[Igel]

14. There more or less is one.

Because the claims China's making affect not only those bits of rock but territorial waters and economic zones.

Duterte is the only one to break ranks. And it's not clear if that's because of Trump's actions, because of Obama's, or just because Duterte's an indjit. The whole "we really disapprove of you, please do what we want and we'll approve of you" struck Duterte as just a mite condescending. Which is one reason why he turned to Russia for weapons when the US moralistically refused to sell them to him.

Taiwan has it's own problems with China. Vietnam's got trade to protect and a border that's not easily defensible, as it found out last time it tussled with China.

There's no workable solution. "It's mine, stay out" is hardly subject to compromise.

And to think that a mere decade ago the standard line was "when's the last time China did anything aggressive? See, it wants peace." (the micro-war with Vietnam, battles with Vietnam, being on the North's side in Korea, the North's side in Vietnam. Oh, and Tibet. Treatment of the Uighurs. ... Yeah, China's a pussycat and always has been. The limitation was wherewithal. Take away most of the armaments from an aggressor, you still have an aggressor capable of doing some damange, even though he's not off trouncing other countries.)

[beachbum bob]

9. America has been weakened to the point that china and russia

Has successfully separated the US from their allies and has a man child sitting in the whitehouse that has little respect and no political capital to speak of.

[heaven05]

10. drip, drip, drip

I hope between this country and the other 2 lunatics, saner heads will prevail.

[Nitram]

12. Just wait for a Class 5 typhoon.

[paleotn]

13. Functioning State Department?

We don't have a functioning executive branch.

[malthaussen]

15. "Nuclear bombers?" Never heard of them.

Wow, China's technology must be so far ahead of ours, it is useless to resist.

Oh, nuclear capable. Wow, what a relief.

-- Mal