Cadence of Conflict: Asia, October 8, 2018

China’s political, socioeconomic worldview is that of a zero-sum game. It has played its socioeconomic game that way for decades. Now, it must empty its reserve coffers to keep its zero-sum game strategy from sinking too fast. This means that it can’t use those coffers if a military conflict arose. The United States knows this.

Don’t be fooled. The US strategy is to provoke China into a conflict sooner than it wants. In the Western view, China has shown how it will behave by having shown how it has behaved more and more. This is enough to warrant preemptive agitation for the Western taxpayer. In China’s view, the world has failed to bestow on China what China deserves; because China rightly deserves what it deserves, China can’t lose.

Interpol has now gotten whatever international attention against China’s favor that Hong Kong malcontents did not. With the disappearance of Interpol’s president into China, whoever didn’t care about so-called “Chinese aggression” does now. China’s government thinks they sent a message to the world. They did, but the message received is probably not the message that was intended.

As the Pacific conflict escalates, the US-Taiwan aggravation strategy moves into more military cooperation. “Unprecedented” was the word of the week. And, everyone knows what it means just as much as everyone knows why.

China to Pump $175 Billion Into Its Economy as Slowdown and Trade War Loom | NY Times

Amid trade spat, US-China military tensions soar | Economic Times

Chinese armed drones now flying across Mideast battlefields | AP

Pence speech to slam China over threats, Taiwan | Taipei Times

Wyoming sets up Taipei office | Taipei Times

U.S. Planning Show of Military Force to Deter China, Report Says | Bloomberg

US Navy proposing major show of force to warn China | CNN

Pence’s words may bring more US military links | Taipei Times

Interpol

Interpol president who vanished in China has resigned | WA Post

China confirms detention of former Interpol chief Meng Hongwei | SCMP

Missing Interpol president Meng Hongwei ‘under investigation’ in China | SCMP

Interpol chief’s wife and children are guarded by French police after phone threats – as he’s held in China for ‘antagonising’ Communist government | Daily Mail

Interpol asks Beijing to clarify status of missing president Meng | Yahoo – Reuters

China silent as French police probe disappearance of Interpol chief | Yahoo – Reuters