After months of secretive planning, and preparing the crew to defend their ship if necessary, the Royal Canadian Navy has transited the Taiwan Strait.

As HMCS Ottawa entered the busy and strategically critical body of water at sunrise, it was flanked by three Chinese warships armed with missiles and torpedoes. They mirrored Ottawa’s moves for the entire 17-hour crossing.

Canada made the journey along with the USS Ralph Johnson, a U.S. Navy guided missile destroyer, in what both countries describe as a freedom of navigation exercise.

  • lazyraccoon@lemmy.ml
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    14
    arrow-down
    7
    ·
    edit-2
    1 year ago

    I disagree with limiting this kind of criticism to the Communist party of China.

    During the Qing dynasty’s fall due to corruption and internal strife, the Chinese military practically ignored the English conquests of its coasts and signed peace treaties with them and every western colonialist plunderer.

    Why? Because sovereign unity is more important (White lotus + Boxer rebellions).

    When chang Kai shek and Mao had a choice to unite against the Japanese or continue fighting against each other, they let Japan stretch it’s whole army thin across their entire coast.

    Why? Because China had no sovereign to be united under (Warlord era following the Qing).

    China worries first and foremost about sovereign unity and stability. Taiwan is considered a slight to their sovereignty.

    All I’m seeing here is China being China.

    EDIT: I’m not saying it is jolly good fun, I’m just saying it is not unique to China to care more about government stability then the people, or other events.

    • KevonLooney@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      12
      arrow-down
      2
      ·
      1 year ago

      Do you know anything about Chinese history? Governments have been overthrown because of their response to floods, not ownership of any particular island.

      It was also a common belief that natural disasters such as famine and flood were divine retributions bearing signs of Heaven’s displeasure with the ruler, so there would often be revolts following major disasters as the people saw these calamities as signs that the Mandate of Heaven had been withdrawn.

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandate_of_Heaven

      • lazyraccoon@lemmy.ml
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        3
        arrow-down
        5
        ·
        1 year ago

        How many rebellions triggered the overthrowing of the government? All of them - short of the Yuan dynasty, which simply conquered the Song Dynasty.

        You are singling one aspect of emperial Chinese rule and making it the common rule, while if you put aside the Yi-Jing mumbo jumbo, you get political facts.

        Fact, the yellow turban rebellion broke the financial and political hold of the Han dynasty and brought about the 3 kingdoms era.

        Fact, the Zhou dynasty provided too much military and political power to each province ruler leading to individual rebellions that led to the warring states era.

        Uncommon political/financial collapse - Tang dynasty, who mobilized an unprecedentedly sized army to hold off the forces of Islam in west China. The sheer logistical weight of the campaign drained the government, leaving it weak and eventually leading to it’s collapse.

        I have a degree in asian studies. The facts don’t have to align to your perception of modern politics.

        • KevonLooney@lemm.ee
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          4
          arrow-down
          4
          ·
          1 year ago

          Uh, if they cared that much about Taiwan they would have taken it by now. They care more about economic stability than “unity”. If you have a degree in “Asian Studies” that includes the Warring States period, you wouldn’t know about political science or economics. You know, recent history?

          The “Mandate of Heaven” is just an idea, but they don’t want to go putting ideas of incompetent government in people’s heads. That’s why they either try to respond well to disasters or cover them up.

          • jerkface@lemmy.ca
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            1
            arrow-down
            2
            ·
            1 year ago

            It is your position that China doesn’t care about Taiwan. Really. I think you have allowed yourself to be baited in to a stupid position.

          • lazyraccoon@lemmy.ml
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            2
            arrow-down
            4
            ·
            1 year ago

            Since you’re being disrespectful and condescending, I’ll just just tell you to look up the Japanese occupation and the Korean war + Sino-American treaty as a reason why.

            Also, I’m not a tankie. I just think differently than you.