They may believe such invasions could be done by fait accompli, and that we would stand by, impotent, so long as American territories were not attacked.
Such a belief in our declining will and power must be very tempting to the Chinese overlords.
I completely agree.
The similarties between China and 1930s Germany are numerous. And yet people don’t seem to get it.
Austria, Poland, France... Tiawan, Borneo...
If you think about it, Hong Kong and Macao were but the first of such maneuvers. China thinks it’s on a roll... and to be honest it is. We’re sitting back thinking we are the manifest destiny leader for eternity, and we’re about to get our lunch handed to us.