Cadence – Symphony

Cadence of Conflict: Asia, January 31, 2022

SymphonyJanuary 31, 2022

Taiwan’s vice president went on tour. After meeting with the new president of Honduras, Vice President William Lai stopped in San Francisco. While in the States, he held virtual meetings with House Speaker Pelosi and others. Taiwan’s envoy to North America was a big success.

Meanwhile back in Asia, China sent its own envoy of 39 warplanes into Taiwan’s airspace. That was probably just in case the people in North America doubted anything Lai said about China being dangerous. China wants everyone to know the truth, after all. But, the warplanes didn’t go over well in Taipei.

Taipei and Shanghai have had a sister city “bromance” going on—or “sismance” if we want to be genderly correct. But, the annual, multi-million dollar event is up for cancellation with China’s military incursions. Feuding DPP and KMT parties reached a near-impossible consensus about that. The two parties never get along. But, somehow China seems to be the great unifier between polarized political parties, whether in the United States or in Taiwan.

We can probably expect more unity like that in the future. It may not be the unity China is pushing for, but it will be unity nonetheless.

In Cadence

Cadence of Conflict: Asia, January 24, 2022

SymphonyJanuary 24, 2022

China has been busy online. Western allies warn about increasing cyber attacks from China; it’s become the common thing to expect and discuss. Cyber attacks aren’t China’s only online hobby. Social media “influencers” are reportedly set to spread the good gospel of China’s greatness all through the Olympics. We’ll see how long their social media followings last.

While China engages in paid diplomacy and bolsters Western demand for cybersecurity, Taiwan has another new friend. Slovenia will open a diplomatic office in Taiwan. And, Taiwan will send an envoy to the inauguration of Honduras’s president, none other than Taiwan’s former favorite, pro-independence Mayor William Lai. That means more officials from Taiwan will attend the Honduras event than American officials will attend China’s Olympic Games.

But, that’s okay for China. After all, there are all those “influencers” getting paid to pay China compliments on their soon to fall social medial accounts.

In Cadence

Cadence of Conflict: Asia, January 17, 2022

SymphonyJanuary 16, 2022

China is illegal. The US Department of State even says so. France even reports as such. This won’t exactly improve friendly relations across the Pacific. It’s actually a much larger step to an all out conflict.

Just over a year ago, November 2020, Western allies declared that China’s 1984 treaty with Britain, the basis for Hong Kong returning to China, was “permanently shredded”. The West has already declared that Hong Kong is no longer Chinese, effectively viewing China as an illegal occupying force which only needs a policing action to enforce and return Hong Kong to an already-decided British control. That’s what the West is thinking.

That decision came because certain lawmakers in Hong Kong were ousted because of a law originating not inside Hong Kong, but Beijing, violating what Britain meant by “a high degree of autonomy”. That law from Beijing was about “national security”. Now, Hong Kong’s government is expanding its definition of “national security”. Things are going less the way the West wants, giving more excuses for Western governments to rally Western taxpayers to support action against China.

Then, there is the snowless Olympics in Beijing. Not only are the Games boycotted by the West, they seem to be boycotted by the weather as well. Hatred for China only grows. As the Times said previously, awarding the 2022 Games to China was a setup.

China is in a global PR war with the West—and China is losing. The West knew this because China’s old “trump” card of media censorship won’t work on Western newspapers. And, Western governments know that China was so accustomed to turning off the camera that China never learned to simply smile for the camera. China just keeps on frowning.

Then, a Taiwanese F-16 went missing. It’s whereabouts and incident remain unknown. This could be—and certainly should be—a warning. Is this the 21st Century Reichstag or Lusitania? Did China sink the jet or could it be sabotage? If it was neither and truly was flight error, any ill will from Taiwan or the US could paint it to blame China. If China is smart, China will be afraid. After all, the West is much better at camera stunts than the Chinese. And, we live in a world controlled by what plays on camera, not what’s on a blank screen.

In Cadence

Cadence of Conflict: Asia, January 10, 2022

SymphonyJanuary 10, 2022

Lithuania has become the “Taiwan of Europe”. Since WWII, Americans never again struggled with the concept that a problem abroad is a problem at home. This is how we Americans can vote to interfere around the world that we know so little about. We think every squeal from another continent indicates a personal assault on our freedom to watch Netflix.

Europe wasn’t quite there, but not anymore. While Europe watches Lithuania sustain hostile diplomacy from China, Europe is getting the same idea as America. France—oh, the French!—just came to Lithuania’s defense. It’s hard to disagree when the French take sides. They say they aren’t sure why China is angry at Lithuania—okay. But, they make a very good point. China should not have a special group of 17 states it communicates with concerning Europe; it should have all 27. Lithuania was a great opportunity for France to say so. Bravo for French math!

So, now Lithuania is to the EU what Taiwan is to the US; to China, both are bad press.

A recent election in Taiwan’s central city of Taichung gave one more legislative seat to the progressive DPP party—this is the party that doesn’t bow to China’s passive aggression, nor to China’s aggressive aggression.

Yes, that party just got stronger. China won’t be happy. But, what’s new. Just look at Lithuania and do the math.

In Cadence

Cadence of Conflict: Asia, January 3, 2022

SymphonyJanuary 3, 2022

Taiwan is on the rise. With chip shortages, stock is booming. You know how graphics cards are astronomically high? A lot of that money is going into Taiwan.

Meanwhile, China found an excuse to order a real estate developer to demolish 39 freshly, new-built “luxury apartments”—something about the building permit being illegal and violated zoning. Even it the trumped up charges were true, a settlement could have save the company loads of cash and profited China’s government in tax revenue. Instead, the company lost big time and de-listed in Hong Kong.

And, that’s why China is the better choice to issue diktat over Taiwan. Though, some 72% of Taiwanese don’t think so. Taiwan’s president is boosting military strength. Taiwanese veteran generals retire to the US start cooperation for veterans. Taiwan as the favored spot came after Nicaragua put in its lot with China and severed relations with Taiwan. That was last month. Marco Rubio thinks it is because Nicaragua’s government is glad China turns a blind eye to human rights violations.

In Cadence

Cadence of Conflict: Asia, December 27, 2021

SymphonyDecember 26, 2021

Japan is on the scene in the Pacific. While Japanese athletes will attend the Olympics, Japanese officials will not. China doesn’t want Japan to “politicize” the games. But, consider 2008, the one-hour opening ceremony about nothing but China’s history, with President Xi marching in to a one-world dream at the end. For Beijing, hosting the Olympics is nothing but an opportunity to exhibit a grandiosity complex on a global scale.

By choosing China again, the Olympic committee handed the microphone to the fool. Japanese will go to the Olympics, except that they won’t; that’s the perfect East Asian insult. Japan is being an excellent member of the crowd, cheering on the fool.

But, the Olympics aren’t Japan’s only action. Manufacturing very-much-needed chips with Taiwan, as well as US battle plans for a Taiwan incident are right at the top. Make no mistake: this week, Japan sounded the alarm on China and the Chinese are terrified.