But I think extremes never work. Neither strict communism nor all-out capitalism.
I fail to see how the sentiments of Vietnam or the Philippines have any bearing on the capacity of China to capture Taiwan. Talk is cheap, and neither country has taken any substantive steps toward a deterrence capability, let alone an improved one.
> The US basically has a barrier of military bases along the entire Chinese coast.
This sounds like something a PRC defense pundit would claim as justification for China's belligerency in the South China Sea. The few US bases in the region are north of the South China Sea, in Japan and North Korea. Take a quick glance at a map.
> The US also besties with Singapore, sharing a navel base there, where it could easily cut off China from middle eastern oil via The Straight of Malacca.
Singapore also has close ties with China, including joint military training: https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/china-says-will-c...
The "bases" the US has in Singapore are merely for logistics and training. India also has similar agreements for use of Singapore's naval bases, and India is not a defense ally of the U.S. Singapore has a few bases in the U.S., but they're likewise for training and nobody would claim they're a potential military staging ground.
Singapore isn't a defense ally of the U.S., notwithstanding their defense ties. As a vulnerable city-state Singapore desires to be besties with everybody, especially those who can exert pressure on Malaysia and Indonesia.
India is not a defense ally of any country. However, at this time, India is the only country that is in a state of active war with China.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Changi_Naval_Base
Here is a map of US military bases:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:American_bases_worldwide....
You can see the US has bases in South korea, Japan, Philipines, and Singapore. As well as outer laying bases in Guam and Northern Australia.
China doesn't have any breathing room in the pacific. But when you shit all over your neighbors, that's what happens. They back North Korea. Have centuries long conflict with Japan. And ignore the Philippines South China Sea territory.
The U.S. also has signals facilities in many places. Some might count these as military bases, but that's a stretch.
Also, "Singapore has the second largest permanent foreign military training presence in the continental United States, with almost 1,000 Singapore Armed Forces personnel training at any one time." https://www.state.gov/u-s-security-cooperation-with-singapor...
Yes, that's right! It's called the "Island chain strategy".
The US basically has a barrier of military bases along the entire Chinese coast. The US also besties with Singapore, sharing a navel base there, where it could easily cut off China from middle eastern oil via The Straight of Malacca.
China should just take the L on Taiwan. In a war they wouldn't get any of the chip fabs or tech. Everything would be destroyed. It would be purely to fulfill their ego at an extreme cost.