‘Prepare for war’, Xi Jinping tells military

via SCMP.com

China’s President Xi Jinping has ordered the military region responsible for monitoring the South China Sea and Taiwan to assess the situation it is facing and boost its capabilities so it can handle any emergency.

The Southern Theatre Command has had to bear a “heavy military responsibility” in recent years, state broadcaster CCTV quoted him as saying during an inspection tour made on Thursday as part of his visit to Guangdong province.

“It’s necessary to strengthen the mission … and concentrate preparations for fighting a war,” Xi said. “We need to take all complex situations into consideration and make emergency plans accordingly.

“We have to step up combat readiness exercises, joint exercises and confrontational exercises to enhance servicemen’s capabilities and preparation for war.”

Story here. 

Hmm.  A couple of things.  First.  The Chinese President has been making statements like this with increasing regularity lately.  While we don't have the transcript of the speech the fact that they released this to the world tells us one thing.  They want us and everyone else to know they're getting ready.

Second.  I have been a big proponent of tariffs against Chinese products.  I also supported tariffs against friendly nations because it is common knowledge that China uses them as a conduit to skirt any actions we take against them directly.

What I didn't consider is the reaction.

My hope was that even at this late stage we could strangle China's growth if not in the crib then in their teenage years....before they reached adulthood and could challenge us directly.

But what if we've already missed that window of opportunity.

And if we've missed that window then how do nations artificially stimulate growth?

By preparing for and engaging in war.

What I'm not sure about is how much pressure the Communist party is under at home with regard to their economy.  Why do I consider that important?  Because they will act like every other govt. Seek outside distractions...preferably an enemy to rally the people.

Does this mean a direct confrontation?  Don't think so, but I wonder if Taiwan will have the opportunity to "peacefully" reunite with mainland.

If the leadership is troubled then we could see something happen sooner rather than later there.

I just don't know.  Just found this so I need to chew on it a bit more.  What's your thoughts guys?