Open Thread - 4-10-2026 - China Tension
Morning,
This week I began reading the Sterling Seagrave book Lords of the Rim. Rethinking the relationship of the overseas Chinese with the mainland as nearly a 2000 year saga. Peoples Republic of China vs Republic of China intermingling with foreign actors is the modern era of the saga. The future in one to two hundred years will probably develop a new chapter with different players.
Discusses Chinese migrant waves into the wider world from 1300 to present.
Why Chinese People Are Everywhere (15:17 min) June 29, 2025
Interesting fact Regarding China and Iran in the video - The name China that the majority of the western world still uses today comes from the Persian name for the Qin Dynasty (221–206 BC) pronounced chin.
Fujian - Barbarian Tribe To Most Diasporic and Wealthy Chinese Subgroup - Entire History (27.41 min) (Jan 3, 2025)
As we watch the Middle East being bombed into chaos China has been creating investment options for global monies to migrate.
In 2020 China announced its plan to transform Hainan Island into the largest free trade port in the world. Last year in 2025 the customs operations for the island became independent from China's Mainland Custom Department.
China's Launchpad to Invading Taiwan and Securing Asia From American Influence (9.49 min) March 31, 2026
Hainan vs Hong Kong: Why China’s Second Island Isn’t a Replacement World Today Journal Dec 31, 2025
Here’s what sets Hainan apart:
* Zero-tariff Focus: The emphasis is on importing raw materials and advanced production equipment. This is designed to foster a high-end manufacturing and logistics hub.
* Strategic Location: Hainan is perfectly positioned to become a key trade gateway with Southeast Asia.
* Managed Liberalization: Authorities are carefully testing the boundaries of financial and trade openness within existing legal frameworks. This approach, described as “managed liberalization,” allows for controlled growth and minimizes risk.Essentially, Hainan is a testing ground. It’s a place to see how much economic freedom can be granted while maintaining firm central control.
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Hainan provides the space, incentives, and strategic positioning that Hong Kong currently lacks.Think of it this way:
* Hainan as an Expansion Zone: It’s an ideal location for Hong Kong businesses seeking to expand and test new ventures.
* Hong Kong’s Expertise: Hong Kong brings decades of experience in international finance, trade, and professional services.
* Synergistic Growth: Combining Hong kong’s capabilities with Hainan’s opportunities creates a powerful engine for economic growth.Ultimately,the relationship between Hainan and Hong Kong isn’t about competition; it’s about collaboration.It’s a strategic partnership designed to unlock new levels of economic prosperity for both regions and strengthen China’s position on the global stage.
News has been so busy I missed this development in expanding the Abraham Accords.
Abraham Accords Turn to Iron: US Forges NATO-Lite from Morocco to Kazakhstan The Times of Israel march 30, 2026
The introduction of the Abraham Accords Defense Cooperation Act on March 26, 2026, by Senators Ted Budd and Joni Ernst marks a profound and irreversible watershed moment in the evolution of Middle Eastern geopolitics.
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It represents the official blueprint for a regional NATO-lite, a transcontinental security apparatus that now physically stretches from the Atlantic shores of Morocco to the windswept steppes of Central Asia.
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For the past six years, skeptics and critics argued that the accords were fragile, bilateral arrangements heavily reliant on the shifting winds of regional sentiment and commercial interests. The Abraham Accords Defense Cooperation Act fundamentally changes the strategic calculus by moving the foundation of these alliances from the diplomatic corridors of the State Department to the operational command centers of the Department of Defense.By mandating a coordinated framework for military cooperation, Washington is effectively institutionalizing these partnerships.
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While the political implications are vast, the act is ultimately rooted in data and technology. The bill specifically prescribes the development of networked systems that allow the radars, sensors, and missile batteries of different sovereign nations to talk to one another in real time. ... Under this new legislation, the United States Secretary of Defense is tasked with ensuring that an early-warning sensor in the United Arab Emirates can instantaneously cue an interceptor battery in a neighboring state, or that Moroccan naval commandos can operate seamlessly alongside Israeli and Emirati forces in complex maritime operations.
S. 4219: Abraham Accords Defense Cooperation Act of 2026
Comments
The Hainan Island effort is typical of the Chinese
development strategy. It is a dynamic western powers
are unable to grasp. I hope it works for them.
The Abrahams framework has mostly failed AFIK.
Anything 'defense' based in Western Asia imposed by
the empire is on very shaky ground. It didn't have to be
this way. But the trumpet blows smoke into any kind of
reasonable understanding (with the help of nutty yahoo).
Thanks for the OT.
Zionism is a social disease
Hain is one of the few islands in the South China Sea
with no territorial disputes with neighboring countries, Taiwan or leftover European claims. It has the potential to complement other economic and financial powerhouses in the South China Sea.
The current attempt at expansion includes automatic access to air space. Big prize for the military, special ops and intelligence services. Imagine they will lobby congress hard for passage of the bill.
Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.
Good morning soe, thanks for the OT. As usual, the US is moving
in exactly the wrong direction. All US politicians should be required to read Thomas Jefferson, starting with:
(My Italics)
be well and have a good one
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
updated sticker
"You're just gonna have to start building alternative sources of power both inside and outside the state” -- Greg Stoker
China-Iran-Taiwan
An interesting analysis of how China is handling the Taiwan issue to its advantage during the Iran war. Last paragraph: “The real negotiation is not at the Serena Hotel. It is already underway at the Great Hall of the People.”
https://open.substack.com/pub/petermcculloughmd/p/with-us-making-messes-...
Anya
this is a significant event
However, the meeting was planned well before the US debacle in Iran, and would have happened anyway. The Taiwan issue is central to Chinese nationalism. It is an internal matter not an international matter although the west and Japan like to style it as such to disguise their long standing imperial perspective in East Asia. US and Japanese territorial designs on Taiwan no matter how characterized, are a repudiation of the WWII alliance with China and an attempt to walk back the Nixon/ Kissinger modus vivendi in the far east.
The DPP are little more than the proxies of the US and Japan. They are the legacy of WWII collaborators of Japan and the cold war. The US and Japan feel they have a right to assert their "interests" in other peoples' territory. If the US and Japan continue to pretend they don't recognize nationalism when they see it, they are headed for more trouble. Good for the KMT and their initiative.
Thanks for posting Anya.
己所不欲，勿施于人。
China doesn't have to "invade" Taiwan
If they wait long enough, Taiwan will come asking to join them. And they know how to wait.
The West does not understand this, maybe never will understand this, because they don't know how to wait. They think they need to snatch and grab NOW.
There is no justice. There can be no peace.
Good morning Maven. That perspective on the US
is sadly far too true. Thanks for posting it.
be well and have a good one
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Raining in the Bay Area today, fwiw. n/t
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
It's very difficult to discuss Taiwan in the US
...
USians have been systematically brainwashed about both China and Taiwan province throughout the Cold War and up to the present day. Thus, there is no reality-based context for such a discussion. To understand how the Taiwan island "reservation" came to be — one must first understand the global Fascist movement.
Prior to the World Wars, Fascism was a sudden global trend that seemed to appear out of nowhere. Suffice to say that nearly every country in the world had a Fascist Party at some point in the early 20th century. Fascist ideology is anchored in wealth-based hierarchy and power. (The emergence of a Fascist political party in the US, happened to coincide with the emergence of Federal Reserve banking and finance, the capitalization of the Industrial Revolution, the rise of market monopolies, the crash of the unregulated Stock Markets, and the Great Depression.)
Globally, every Fascist Party was somewhat unique, but all of them shared one key characteristic — they sourced their political strength from populations that were experiencing economic woes — ultimately caused by wage theft and soaring wealth inequality. Fascists capitalized on the economic anxieties by shifting the blame away from 'market forces' and redirecting the People's anger toward Immigrants and leftists (workers' unions).
The Chinese refer to World War II as The War Against Fascists.
World War II began in China in 1937, predating the broader war in Europe. The Japanese military regime was the Fascist force in Asia, attacking and invading China, Mongolia, Korea, and China's island province, Taiwan. The invading Japanese murdered between 3 million to over 10 million people, with around 6 million being Chinese. China experienced approximately 19.5 million fatalities fighting the War Against Fascists.
The devastation in China was compounded by China's ongoing Civil War between the Chinese People and the Ultra-Nationalists in Beijing, a Fascist regime government.
Fighting against Fascism for 22 years, significantly influenced China's political landscape, leading to the establishment of a communist state in 1949, controlled by the People's Republic of China,. When the Ultra-Nationalist regime lost the civil war, they fled to Taiwan province, stealing the People’s gold and many of China’s historic treasures. There, they were isolated, and China's new government chose not to pursue them.
The brainwashing of the American people regarding Taiwan and China begins at this point, c. 1950.
The video below tells the story….
.
dupe
Just who're you calling a dupe, huh? Heh, there we were
going about our business and, suddenly, Formosa was gone. And, plese not let us forget Tricky Dick's fetish for Quemoy and Matsu.
be well and have a good one
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Hey, soe!
Thanks for the OT content. I have a lot to learn about the complexities of the tensions between Taiwan and China. It will be a weekend activity for me to watch the videos and read the links.
A friend who enjoys traveling to places not heavily promoted by tour companies. Lo and behold, she just sent me a post card from Taiwan, where she was exploring for 10 days. I intend to give her a call to see if this topic was discussed by the tour guides, or if she got a sense of it from any locals she met.
Enjoy your weekend, friend!
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Wel, you do know that Taiwan is China, so that the
Tensions between Taiwan and China are akin to the tensions between the USA and Mississippi, or Georgia.
be well and have a good one
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
yeah, el,
Taiwan is China except Taiwan isn't so sure about it.
Maybe it is similar to Texas entering the US, ans then, regretting it.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Much of this was before my time....
..... and none of China's contemporary history was taught in US public schools.
However, I can remember the day I discovered that something weird was going on with China and Taiwan. I was in San Francisco researching artwork depicting famous Chinese Generals, Emperors, and leaders for a publishing project. I found about 30 painted portraits of historic figures in libraries and art magazines, and in bookstores and gift shops in Chinatown. In the end, about 20 were selected for the project, so I needed good photographs for some of them and permission to publish for all of them. Even though the paintings and subjects were famous, I couldn't locate about half of them.
So I made my way to the Asian Art Museum in Golden Gate Park to talk to an expert. I was directed to the museum basement and followed a long dark hallway that led to a tiny library crammed with Asian and a librarian named Fred. I told Fred what I was up to, and showed him copies of the art I was trying to find. He sat at his desk and looked through all of them and checked a few reference books. Finally Fred looked up at me and said, "All of these are in Taiwan."
In Taiwan? What were they doing in Taiwan. I didn't get it. "Do you happen to have an address?" I asked. Fred wrote down the addresses of a couple of "national" museums located in Taiwan.
He also gave me my first bit of China misinformation. He said, "Well, you know about the Cultural Revolution, right? When the Chinese burned all the books?" I nodded, although I didn't know much.
"They decided to move all the valuable paintings and books to galleries in Taiwan to keep them safe while the Cultural Revolution was going on." Thinking back, I remember that there was almost nothing written about contemporary China anywhere, and no real news at all. It made me curious. A few months later I moved into an apartment close to Chinatown with a Mahjong Parlor in the basement.
I returned to that tiny library often and made some amazing discoveries there.
Visited there so many years ago
國寶與重要古物
Pictures of the art and artifacts there on a few pages.
己所不欲，勿施于人。
Xiangyu does in depth analysis of Taiwan history
This is a good one, but as one should anticipate a worthwhile history doesn't fit into one video. I recommend the content in his channel. His videos with historical topics are the most worthwhile imo. When I had more time, I would listen to some of his discussion on his family background and some of his chats in which the content is less prepared and not as easy to follow in many cases as he adjusts to his guests. He does however on occasion, give a good idea about the contemporary political clime in Taiwan, that are difficult to find elsewhere. As one would expect, few watch his English language youtube videos.
I also learned quite a bit from Imperial Gateway: Colonial Taiwan and Japan's Expansion in South China and Southeast Asia, 1895ñ1945.
I also like Carl Zha's older videos on Chinese history, Silk and Steel podcast. He's interviewed Xiangyu a few times.
己所不欲，勿施于人。
Carl and Xiangyu on KMT Chief's mainland visit
New video. It's long at 50 minutes. The entire video is worthwhile, but if pressed for time I'd watch from 30 minute mark, to 47 minute when Carl gets up to check on the baby.
KMT chief is Cheng Li-wun.
Taiwan KMT Leader meets Xi Jinping in China: Taiwan’s Future, US Military Pressure & Japan’s Role
己所不欲，勿施于人。