The Chinese play the long game.
It would be far easier and cheaper for them to BUY the next president and a substantial quantity of congress critters ( I am sure they own a LOT already). Then bring back Obama type military “reforms” slash their budgets, moth ball ships/ Planes and tanks.
Then completely demoralize the armed forces with Diversity, Inclusion, ridiculous policing deployments without goals or resolutions. Get the motivated fighting people to quit and promote angry gender studies PHDs to the leadership, Pentagon and JCOS positions.
THEN attack.
Maybe the USA is playing checkers, the Russians playing chess, and China continues to play Go ( Wei Chi). Old ASA viewpoint.
Agreed. This is fearmongering. I’m sure China wants to attack at some point, but doing it at a time when we are as militarily strong as we have been in decades? That is not their way.
This was a subtle attack to weaken us and maybe damage Trump. But I don’t see China ever taking that direct of approach to defeating us.
Push now and they might end up with ten permanent US military installations in Taiwan, and US/Vietnamese/Philippine joint action taking back all of their fake islands in the South China Sea. The deliberate spread of the Wuhan Virus to the West was an evil but smart reaction to their lab accident - which might otherwise have taken them out of the economic game without doing any damage to their enemies.
Once President Newsom takes the reins in January, 2025 (he's a lot prettier than mean old Pence) China can easily buy whoever and whatever they want.