Chinese Military,Political and Social Superthread

[HavokFour]

8,000km range for something that isn't even carrying a nuclear weapon is nuts, and going to change things significantly if it holds up after the usual sprinkling of CCP propaganda is stripped away.

Chinese Forces Fielding Intercontinental Anti-Ship Ballistic Missiles Capable of Reaching U.S. West Coast, Pentagon Says - USNI News

The Pentagon has claimed that Chinese missile forces are operating a new type of anti-ship ballistic missiles that are capable of reaching the West Coast of the United States, according to the annual report on Beijing’s military power. The People’s Liberation Army DF-27 can strike land and...

news.usni.org

 

[Underway]

8,000km range for something that isn't even carrying a nuclear weapon is nuts, and going to change things significantly if it holds up after the usual sprinkling of CCP propaganda is stripped away.

Chinese Forces Fielding Intercontinental Anti-Ship Ballistic Missiles Capable of Reaching U.S. West Coast, Pentagon Says - USNI News

The Pentagon has claimed that Chinese missile forces are operating a new type of anti-ship ballistic missiles that are capable of reaching the West Coast of the United States, according to the annual report on Beijing’s military power. The People’s Liberation Army DF-27 can strike land and...

news.usni.org

Here's the rub. China isn't claiming any of this. The Pentagon is. China is just saying "yah we have a new ballistic missile that goes far".

So CCP propaganda has nothing to do with it.

 

[OldSolduer]

Here's the rub. China isn't claiming any of this. The Pentagon is. China is just saying "yah we have a new ballistic missile that goes far".

So CCP propaganda has nothing to do with it.

How much of this is Pentagon exaggeration?

 

[Underway]

How much of this is Pentagon exaggeration?

I dunno, they essentially gutted their intelligence services with all the DOGE stuff and political purges. Or it might be sensationalism like what used to grip them during the Cold War where the constantly overestimated Russia's technical abilities. Or it might be perfectly accurate.

 

[GR66]

Are these signs that China may be getting more serious about a military action against Taiwan?

Russia signals support for China if Taiwan war breaks out

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow would support China in defending what he described as its state unity and territorial integrity if the situation in the Taiwan Strait were to escalate, according to an interview published by TASS. “Proceeding

defence-blog.com

China launches large-scale joint drills around Taiwan

China’s People’s Liberation Army Eastern Theater Command on Monday began large-scale joint military drills around Taiwan, code-named “Justice Mission 2025,” involving ground, naval, air, and rocket forces, according to China’s state media. According to a report from Xinhua News Agency,

defence-blog.com

China conducts realistic amphibious warfare drills

A Chinese naval amphibious ship group has carried out multi-subject, combat-oriented training in offshore waters, testing integrated air defense, electronic warfare, and amphibious assault operations, according to a report published by the PLA Daily. The report said multiple vessels, including

defence-blog.com

Meanwhile they are taking actions which could potentially hide military preparations from observation:

Chinese Cargo Ship Packed Full Of Modular Missile Launchers Emerges

China has packed a deck of a medium-sized cargo ship with 60 containerized vertical launch cells, radar, and close-in weapons.

www.twz.com

China masks ICBM launchers as civilian cranes

China’s People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force uses mobile intercontinental ballistic missile launchers disguised as civilian cranes produced by Zoomlion, according to images and descriptions circulated this week. The disclosure centers on mobile launch platforms for China’s Dongfeng series...

defence-blog.com

 

[Kirkhill]

China's war on the west.


"Two years before the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center, two senior military officers in the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) published the book Unrestricted Warfare (1999). They argued that to defeat a technologically superior opponent, an inferior power must erase the boundaries between the battlefield and civilian life and pursue a modern, asymmetric strategy. “The first rule of unrestricted warfare is that there are no rules, and nothing is forbidden,” the authors wrote. A frontal assault on the battlefield would be suicide. But attacking the enemy’s currency, flooding his country with illegal narcotics, attacking his cultural and governance institutions through fostering social discord, and undermining his confidence through false media narratives and psychological operations can achieve national goals without ever crossing the kinetic ceiling. This kind of war is permanent and omnipresent—it happens simultaneously in the financial, legal, digital, and psychological domains. And yet, a regime that treats individuals as automaton gearworks is defenseless against an unapologetically American system of free-moving energy. What follows is part two in a series of conversations with entrepreneur and designer Ross Calvin on the future of global politics, the Chinese Communist Party, and how the West will overcome machine age psychology."

Unrestricted Warfare - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Part II - China

Break the Asian Machine Age

Two years before the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center, two senior military officers in the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) published the book Unrestricted Warfare (1999). They argue

www.realcleardefense.com

Part I - Europe

Obliterate Europe’s Managerial Plantation

You know about the annual meeting in Davos, where anonymous shareholders and genderless bureaucrats mingle at private chalets. Like knowledge deities, they take a bird’s eye view of the global s

www.realclearworld.com

....

 

[GR66]

China has now surpassed Russia in the size of their nuclear submarine fleets...and construction continues at pace with new designs coming online.

China surpasses Russia in nuclear-powered submarine fleet

China has overtaken Russia as the world’s second-largest operator of nuclear-powered submarines, according to an updated 2026 assessment. The new figures indicate that China fields an estimated 32 active nuclear submarines, surpassing Russia’s 25–28 operational boats. According to the updated

defence-blog.com

 

[daftandbarmy]

China's war on the west.


"Two years before the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center, two senior military officers in the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) published the book Unrestricted Warfare (1999). They argued that to defeat a technologically superior opponent, an inferior power must erase the boundaries between the battlefield and civilian life and pursue a modern, asymmetric strategy. “The first rule of unrestricted warfare is that there are no rules, and nothing is forbidden,” the authors wrote. A frontal assault on the battlefield would be suicide. But attacking the enemy’s currency, flooding his country with illegal narcotics, attacking his cultural and governance institutions through fostering social discord, and undermining his confidence through false media narratives and psychological operations can achieve national goals without ever crossing the kinetic ceiling. This kind of war is permanent and omnipresent—it happens simultaneously in the financial, legal, digital, and psychological domains. And yet, a regime that treats individuals as automaton gearworks is defenseless against an unapologetically American system of free-moving energy. What follows is part two in a series of conversations with entrepreneur and designer Ross Calvin on the future of global politics, the Chinese Communist Party, and how the West will overcome machine age psychology."

Unrestricted Warfare - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Part II - China

Break the Asian Machine Age

Two years before the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center, two senior military officers in the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) published the book Unrestricted Warfare (1999). They argue

www.realcleardefense.com

Part I - Europe

Obliterate Europe’s Managerial Plantation

You know about the annual meeting in Davos, where anonymous shareholders and genderless bureaucrats mingle at private chalets. Like knowledge deities, they take a bird’s eye view of the global s

www.realclearworld.com

....

Maoism enters the chat...

Mao Zedong: Revolutionary Strategies and Peasant Mobilization

Mao Zedong’s revolutionary strategies and theories significantly reshaped China and left a lasting legacy on global revolutionary movements. His ability to adapt Marxism to the specific conditions of China, prioritize the peasantry, and employ effective military and mass mobilization strategies were crucial to the success of the Chinese Communist Revolution. Moreover, his theoretical contributions on contradictions and practice provided a philosophical grounding for his practical actions.

Mao’s impact extended far beyond China’s borders, influencing numerous revolutionary movements across Afro-Asia. His emphasis on continuous revolution and the need to address both antagonistic and non-antagonistic contradictions remain relevant in contemporary discussions on social and political change.

Mao Zedong: Revolutionary Strategies and Peasant Mobilization • PolSci Institute

Explore Mao Zedong's revolutionary strategies, Marxism adaptation, guerrilla warfare, & impact on Afro-Asian movements. Theories & legacy analyzed.

polsci.institute

 

[YZT580]

Maoism enters the chat...

Mao Zedong: Revolutionary Strategies and Peasant Mobilization

Mao Zedong’s revolutionary strategies and theories significantly reshaped China and left a lasting legacy on global revolutionary movements. His ability to adapt Marxism to the specific conditions of China, prioritize the peasantry, and employ effective military and mass mobilization strategies were crucial to the success of the Chinese Communist Revolution. Moreover, his theoretical contributions on contradictions and practice provided a philosophical grounding for his practical actions.

Mao’s impact extended far beyond China’s borders, influencing numerous revolutionary movements across Afro-Asia. His emphasis on continuous revolution and the need to address both antagonistic and non-antagonistic contradictions remain relevant in contemporary discussions on social and political change.

Mao Zedong: Revolutionary Strategies and Peasant Mobilization • PolSci Institute

Explore Mao Zedong's revolutionary strategies, Marxism adaptation, guerrilla warfare, & impact on Afro-Asian movements. Theories & legacy analyzed.

polsci.institute

all without mentioning the hundreds of thousands that he starved or caused to be murdered in order to achieve compliance. The current leadership is no better, they just dress better

 

[Kirkhill]

So if Mao's and Alinsky's acolytes aim to tie us up in knots with our own red tape, tie us to our own rules, what is to be done?



The Gordian priests were horrified at the disrespectful and violent act. But it resolved the issue.

I am probably a fool, and more trusting than I should be, but I choose to believe that Trump is more capitalist than authoritarian. An asshole, yes. Untrustworthy , absolutely. Lacking respect for norms, again absolutely.

But I continue to think that his aim is to disrupt a system that was working against the founding principles. The liberal system was being exploited by illiberal people to illiberal ends. They want to control the timing and extent of the disruption of our society to futher their goals, to sap our society.

The way you disrupt a sap is to counter-sap.

Do I know that this is what this is? No But I think that what we are seeing might look a lot like that.

I find it better to hope than to worry.

 

[Kirkhill]

So, end of the year, how is China doing, the linchpin in the BRICS, Shanghai and CRINK-V systems?

Exports are up but Growth and Investments are down.

China’s 2025 trade surplus swells to a record $1.2 trillion despite U.S. tariffs

China's export resilience was the biggest surprise for an ailing Chinese economy and could cushion it in the months to come. Read more here.

financialpost.com

https://www.wsj.com/economy/trade/china-marks-record-1-2-trillion-trade-surplus-in-2025-despite-u-s-tariffs-2dddf4e3

China economy grew below 3% in 2025, half of official target, think tank estimates

China's economy grew by just 2.5% to 3% in 2025, the Rhodium Group think tank estimates, roughly half the pace implied by official data, driven by a collapse in fixed-asset investment in the $19 trillion economy over the second half of the year.

www.reuters.com

https://www.cnbc.com/2026/01/12/china-ai-robotics-tech-push-property-slump-trade-risk-rhodium-kkr.html

Historic Shift Underway in China’s Economy as Investment Slump Deepens

Investment in manufacturing, infrastructure and property is expected to fall this year, a remarkable turn for an economy whose growth reshaped the world.

www.nytimes.com

Overall?

China’s economy looks more resilient than it feels as a property slump drags on

By some measures, China's economy is looking resilient, with strong exports and breakthroughs in artificial intelligence.

apnews.com

The country is surviving but the people may be struggling.

That hasn't been a good formula recently, in any country.

 

[Kirkhill]

Trump has cut the technocratic Gordian Knot — and elites hate it

America’s ruling class has spent decades making simple problems complex. But the Gordian Knot can be cut.

nypost.com

Honest. I had not seen this article when I wrote my own commentary.

Captain Obvious at his best I guess.

 

[OldSolduer]

all without mentioning the hundreds of thousands that he starved or caused to be murdered in order to achieve compliance. The current leadership is no better, they just dress better

Millions. The only worser one I can think of is Stalin closely followed by dear old Pol Pot.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Truth... but what's a few thousand public executions between frenemies

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[Czech_pivo]

Truth... but what's a few thousand public executions between frenemies

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View this content on Instagram

Aren’t those terms from Dungeons and Dragons when building a Wizard or Clerc profile?

 

[Fabius]

Some interesting word choices in PMMCs opening comments here.

Paraphrased but a strategic partnership in the new world order.

 

[Kirkhill]

Some interesting word choices in PMMCs opening comments here.

Paraphrased but a strategic partnership in the new world order.

Well. There's an ad.

 

[Kirkhill]

And also, while we are focused on Greenland and Venezuela

Japan's PM said the quiet part out loud and unleashed Beijing's fury

China was already wary about Japan's new Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, a renowned Beijing hawk, before she weighed in on one of its most sensitive issues: Taiwan. Now it's unleashing economic pain.

www.abc.net.au

"I believe any action involving the use of force, such as China deploying naval ships, can only be described as a survival-threatening situation," she replied.

The phrase "survival-threatening situation" is a benchmark necessary for Japanese military involvement.

Since then, Beijing has tried to make an example of her.

China issued travel warnings against Japan, calling on nationals to refrain from visiting due to "serious" safety risks.

That resulted in some 500,000 travellers cancelling their plane tickets.

Two Japanese films have also been pulled from the box office and, most recently, China again suspended seafood imports from Japan.

What Takaichi said in parliament wasn't incorrect. The trouble was she that said the quiet part out loud.

....

This next one is a long read - but well worth the effort. Not just yelling at clouds.

An appreciation of China's position on the rising in Iran and the possibility of US involvement.

One word - insecurity.

Iran's unrest is shaping China's view of power and world order

Xi Jinping's ambition is to occupy a central position in a reshaped international system, not to lead a permanent grouping of sanctioned or crisis-prone states.

www.abc.net.au

 

[Kirkhill]

And in London - China has been pushing hard to get a Mega Embassy in London at a site once occupied by the Royal Mint, adjacent to the City and with easy access to all the cables linking London's financial markets to the rest of the world.

Starmer has been trying hard to find a way to say yes but parliament, Lords and Commons, government and opposition, is rebelling.

MPs step up calls to block Chinese mega-embassy

The government insists no decision has been made as MPs on all sides warn of a threat to national security.

www.bbc.com

https://hansard.parliament.uk/lords/2026-01-15/debates/D004CE18-E179-4DD9-8558-C5DED3E1BA21/ChineseEmbassy

Labour MPs revolt against Chinese embassy ‘secret room’ plans

Backbenchers insist they ‘must not go ahead’ and urge Starmer to ‘stand up to bullies, not reward them’

www.telegraph.co.uk

The Government has repeatedly refused to designate China as a national security threat on the same level as Russia and Iran.

Labour MPs want China labelled a threat.

But Starmer wants to do business with China and refuses to do so.
Much like our PM.

"Mr Pennycook refused to describe China as a threat, insisting that the Government’s position on the country “cannot be boiled down to one word”.

He said: “We recognise that China poses a series of threats to UK national security and we challenge these robustly.

“China also presents opportunities to the UK as the world’s second-largest economy and the world’s third-largest trading partner. We will therefore continue to develop a consistent and pragmatic approach to economic engagement without compromising our national security.”

The Government has repeatedly refused to designate China as a national security threat on the same level as Russia and Iran."

 

[Kirkhill]

China May Not Be a Superpower

China would not be the superpower it seems, renowned historian Frank Dikotter argues in his book, China After Mao: The Rise of a Superpower. The seemingly almighty Chinese Communist Party was virtual

www.realcleardefense.com