By Washington Examiner. Having failed to establish a detente that would keep relations calm through the November elections, China is warning that the Trump administration’s policy toward Beijing might lead to war.

Take what Hu Xijin, editor-in-chief of China’s preeminent western-focus propaganda outlet, had to say on Friday. Writing in the Global Times, Hu observed that “the US should be reminded to distance itself from China’s core interests. Don’t play with fire off China’s coast, don’t really stir up conflict over Taiwan question, and don’t overdo it in the South China Sea. If the Trump administration just wants to create China-U.S. tensions to help his re-election campaign, and is not really ready for a military showdown, then be careful for the next few months, and don’t go too far.”

A loyal servant of the government Central Foreign Affairs Commission, Hu’s words are closely reflective of Beijing’s thinking. Hu went further. “My suggestion,” he said, “is that under no circumstances should the Chinese military fire the first shot. But I am confident that China will be well prepared to fire a second shot as a response to the first shot. On core interests, China will not back off. China’s stance is clear to all.”

On paper, this push not to fire the first shot looks relatively moderate. But that perception is misguided. China has learned from the Russian example of so-called grey zone warfare, involving actions that threaten U.S. personnel in ways that fall short of lethal attacks. In the South China Sea, this Chinese activity centers on tactics such as shining laser beams into the cockpits of U.S. aircraft and conducting dangerous fighter jet interceptions of those aircraft. This allows China to threaten American interests without explicitly firing the first shot. But as tensions ratchet upward, it is eminently feasible that the U.S. military might take proactive defensive action. Consider the risk, for example, of a Chinese anti-air missile system locking onto a transiting U.S. aircraft. Does the aircraft defend itself by launching weapons against that Chinese system, or does it wait in the hope that China is bluffing? This is just one example, but it speaks to the thin and time-sensitive line between defensive and offensive action. (Read more from “Why China Is Warning Trump of War” HERE)

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South China Sea: Beijing Mobilizes Invasion Craft Along Coast as Taiwan Tensions Escalate

By NZ Herald. As tensions between Taiwan and China continue to escalate, satellite images reportedly show amphibious armoured vehicles and mobile missile launchers massing at military bases near the island nation.

Though Taiwan, a country of 25 million people, is happy as an independent democracy, Beijing insists it is a “breakaway province” and “inviolate” Chinese territory, repeatedly stating it will use force to bring the island back under China’s control.

Now the images have shown the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) moving the military vehicles into the Eastern Theatre Command on China’s coastal cities across the strait from Taiwan, with missile launchers well within range to hit any targets in Taiwan.

“We make no promise to abandon the use of force, and retain the option of taking all necessary measures,” Chinese leader Xi Jinping said in a recent speech.

Under its ‘one country, two systems’ policy, Beijing insists Taiwan is part of its sovereign mandate. Which is why its so-called ‘wolf warrior’ diplomats have reacted with outrage at news this week that the US Health Secretary will visit the island to discuss its success in combating the COVID-19 pandemic. (Read more from “South China Sea: Beijing Mobilizes Invasion Craft Along Coast as Taiwan Tensions Escalate” HERE)

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