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China warplanes tail U.S. and Japan fighter jets; How Far Will China Go?

Hamster Buddha

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BEIJING (AP) — China launched two fighter planes Friday to investigate flights by a dozen U.S. and Japanese reconnaissance and military planes in its new maritime air defense zone over the East China Sea, state media said.

While this may simply be posturing, it still is very dangerous to have war planes in such proximity to each other. My question: How likely is this to cause a conflict in the East China Sea? How serious should we take China's procolomation of "unspecified defensive measures against those that don't comply."
 
I would say either grant them the air space or keep flying though it . Looks to me like we intend to keep flying through it. Probably some diplomatic ploy. They will drop the airspace idea if we do something too.
While this may simply be posturing, it still is very dangerous to have war planes in such proximity to each other. My question: How likely is this to cause a conflict in the East China Sea? How serious should we take China's procolomation of "unspecified defensive measures against those that don't comply."
 
The Chinese can't sell us anything by shooting down a military plane. No, they're just posturing and making themselves feel important. In the meantime, why are we flying military planes in their airspace? Same reason, maybe?
 
While this may simply be posturing, it still is very dangerous to have war planes in such proximity to each other. My question: How likely is this to cause a conflict in the East China Sea? How serious should we take China's procolomation of "unspecified defensive measures against those that don't comply."

It depends on China.

It seems we're going to continue to fly through there, as we should, and the Japan will as well.

If China doesn't do anything other than come up and take a look, we should be fine.

If China tries to force on of our aircraft to land (as they did with the Navy P3 a few years back) or divert to out of the area, then we could have some trouble.

And of course, if they take a shot? The it could go ugly early.

Hope for the best; that China reverses their provocative and aggressive move to claim that area. But given that they would lose face internationally, who knows if they'll back down.
 
If they shoot at us couldnt we just shoot them down, flip them the bird and declare ourselves debt free?
It depends on China.

It seems we're going to continue to fly through there, as we should, and the Japan will as well.

If China doesn't do anything other than come up and take a look, we should be fine.

If China tries to force on of our aircraft to land (as they did with the Navy P3 a few years back) or divert to out of the area, then we could have some trouble.

And of course, if they take a shot? The it could go ugly early.

Hope for the best; that China reverses their provocative and aggressive move to claim that area. But given that they would lose face internationally, who knows if they'll back down.
 
I'm somewhat concerned because the Chinese have backed themselves into a corner. They obviously did not anticipate such a strong reaction from the United States and the coordination of her allies in challenging this zone. But now that they have committed to it so strongly the only options are to retract it, enforce it, or not enforce it. Two of those choices are deeply embarrassing, and one would be catastrophic. I don't know what they were thinking, this is amateur hour at the Politburo.
 
Of course they know what they can get away with (I hope).
I'm somewhat concerned because the Chinese have backed themselves into a corner. They obviously did not anticipate such a strong reaction from the United States and the coordination of her allies in challenging this zone. But now that they have committed to it so strongly the only options are to retract it, enforce it, or not enforce it. Two of those choices are deeply embarrassing, and one would be catastrophic. I don't know what they were thinking, this is amateur hour at the Politburo.
 
I'm somewhat concerned because the Chinese have backed themselves into a corner. They obviously did not anticipate such a strong reaction from the United States and the coordination of her allies in challenging this zone. But now that they have committed to it so strongly the only options are to retract it, enforce it, or not enforce it. Two of those choices are deeply embarrassing, and one would be catastrophic. I don't know what they were thinking, this is amateur hour at the Politburo.

That's part of my concern as well.

Can they live with the embarrassment of will they fight their way out of it?

Hopefully their not that ideologically entrenched.
 
I would say either grant them the air space or keep flying though it . Looks to me like we intend to keep flying through it. Probably some diplomatic ploy. They will drop the airspace idea if we do something too.

An interesting side note: it just so happened that the Chinese have chosen to go ahead with sea trials of their first carrier, the Liaoning, that will be sailing through the East China Sea and into the South China Sea where they also have disputes with the Philippines over some islands. The George Washington is also in the area, assisting with humanitarian efforts with the recent Philippine earthquake. I wonder if the US will attempt to show the flag in the area, and if the Chinese would (i believe inevitably) flex it's muscles with it's own aircraft carrier. Food for thought.
 
The Chinese can't sell us anything by shooting down a military plane. No, they're just posturing and making themselves feel important. In the meantime, why are we flying military planes in their airspace? Same reason, maybe?

Emphasis added by me.

Because it isn't their airspace.
 
That's part of my concern as well.

Can they live with the embarrassment of will they fight their way out of it?

Hopefully their not that ideologically entrenched.

and why did China decide to provoke a response fighting over the space over a group of unibhabited islands?
 
An interesting side note: it just so happened that the Chinese have chosen to go ahead with sea trials of their first carrier, the Liaoning, that will be sailing through the East China Sea and into the South China Sea where they also have disputes with the Philippines over some islands. The George Washington is also in the area, assisting with humanitarian efforts with the recent Philippine earthquake. I wonder if the US will attempt to show the flag in the area, and if the Chinese would (i believe inevitably) flex it's muscles with it's own aircraft carrier. Food for thought.

The worst case scenario:
 
The Chinese can't sell us anything by shooting down a military plane. No, they're just posturing and making themselves feel important. In the meantime, why are we flying military planes in their airspace? Same reason, maybe?

*Remembers that hearing that exact reason for why World War I couldn't happened*
 
In the meantime, why are we flying military planes in their airspace? Same reason, maybe?

'Coz it's not their airspace. It's a route we've used for decades.
 
Emphasis added by me.

Because it isn't their airspace.

So, is the OP wrong in saying "in its new maritime air defense zone", or is there a dispute over just where their air defense zone is?

It's quite a way from the USA.....
 
and why did China decide to provoke a response fighting over the space over a group of unibhabited islands?

You'd have ask them, but I feel it's because of the potential for oil. The same reason that China has laid claim to islands that have been claimed for decades by the Philippines, Indonesia, and many others in the South Pacific.

It's a power grab for resources. The same thing that started the Sino-Japanese War in 1937 that lead to WWII.
 
So, is the OP wrong in saying "in its new maritime air defense zone", or is there a dispute over just where their air defense zone is?

It's quite a way from the USA.....

Contary to what a lot of posters are syaing on here this dispute goes back decades. With the recent wave of anti-Japenese sentiment in China and the call for a boycott of Japenese companies I think its foolish to put this down to "China flexing".
 
You'd have ask them, but I feel it's because of the potential for oil. The same reason that China has laid claim to islands that have been claimed for decades by the Philippines, Indonesia, and many others in the South Pacific.

It's a power grab for resources. The same thing that started the Sino-Japanese War in 1937 that lead to WWII.

not enough oil to sattisfy everyone... not enough land for people to live in...

why do space colonys and alternative energy sources sound more appealing to me everyday?
 
An interesting side note: it just so happened that the Chinese have chosen to go ahead with sea trials of their first carrier, the Liaoning, that will be sailing through the East China Sea and into the South China Sea where they also have disputes with the Philippines over some islands.

It's an old Russian carrier they've been futzing with for years. They don't have any operational planes to fly from it.
 
You'd have ask them, but I feel it's because of the potential for oil. The same reason that China has laid claim to islands that have been claimed for decades by the Philippines, Indonesia, and many others in the South Pacific.

It's a power grab for resources. The same thing that started the Sino-Japanese War in 1937 that lead to WWII.

Exactly, China is simply hedging its bets and seeing what it can get away with. Possession of the islands would allow for large extension of their maritime rights and any resources found therein... It also doesn't help that the Chinese are still pissed at the Japanese over the lack of a sufficient apology for its actions in the 30's and 40's.
 
The George Washington is also in the area, assisting with humanitarian efforts with the recent Philippine earthquake. I wonder if the US will attempt to show the flag in the area, and if the Chinese would (i believe inevitably) flex it's muscles with it's own aircraft carrier. Food for thought.

The USS Washington is more likely to break down again and limp back to Japan and wait another six months for a spare part.
 
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