– “Conflict Between China And Vietnam Is Imminent” – China Piles Troops, Tanks, Artillery And APCs Near Vietnam Border (ZeroHedge, May 19, 2014):
Earlier today, Putin did his usual “we are pulling our forces away from the Ukraine border” gambit (sure he is… and is replacing them with a massive airforce drill), and as usual the algos fell for it, after European stocks suddenly surged out of nowhere on the now quite generic bounce catalyst (Update: RASMUSSEN: NO SIGN OF RUSSIAN TROOP PULLBACK FROM NEAR UKRAINE – what a surprise), but what is shaping up as a far more dangerous escalation is what China is doing next to its border with Vietnam, where as reported previously protesters destroyed Chinese factories and killed Chinese civilians in retaliation over yet another maritime territorial spat. According to the Epoch Times, “troops, tanks, trucks, artillery, and armored personnel carriers of China’s military were seen heading to the Vietnamese border on May 16 and 17, according to photographs taken by by residents near the border.”
Chinese netizens have been posting photographs of the large movement of the People’s Liberation Army, many of them showing Chinese troops in full combat gear heading to the local train station in Chongzuo, along with military vehicles.
One netizen said the Chinese military was taking the train from the Chongzuo station to Pingxiang City, which shares a 60-mile border with Vietnam. The netizen said that the Huu Nghi Border Gate to Vietnam is also now closed.
One of the photos, taken from inside a passenger train, shows the Chinese military preparing artillery for transport on a train track. Others show Chinese troops and military vehicles traveling along dirt roads.
Another photograph shows troops walking under the red-colored entrance to the Longzhou International Building Materials Market, on Provincial Road in the city of Chongzuo.
A reverse image search of each of the photographs using Google indicated that the photographs had appeared on the Internet only recently. Most were indexed by Google on Saturday.
Collectively, the images and eyewitness reports from the ground show what Taiwanese media are calling an “endless stream” of Chinese troops.
Why is China doing this? Simple: “One netizen, with the username Zhiyuan0703, echoed a common sentiment on the Chinese social media site, “Conflict between China and Vietnam is imminent.”
And just in case the US gets any ideas to support its one time foe, China has already taken measures:
Fang Fenghui, the Chinese military’s chief of the general staff, spoke with reporters at the Pentagon on May 15, alongside U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey.
Fang defended China’s oil drilling in disputed waters with Vietnam. He also warned the United States on taking sides, saying through a Chinese translator “there is possibility that these issues could affect or disturb the relationship between the two countries and two militaries.”
White House press secretary Jay Carney reiterated the U.S. stance on China’s oil rig, however, during a May 15 press briefing.
He said China’s oil rig, which the Chinese regime has accompanied with “numerous government vessels” is a “provocative act and it raises tensions in the region, and by raising tensions makes it more difficult to resolve claims over disputed territory in a manner that supports peace and stability in the region.”
Carney said the United States takes no position on the territorial claims, but, “We do take a position on the conduct of the claimants who must resolve their disputes peacefully, without intimidation, without coercion, and in accordance with international law.”
Regarding China’s oil rig and the tensions that have formed around it, Carney said, “We consider that act provocative and we consider it one that undermines the goal that we share, which is a peaceful resolution of these disputes and general stability in the region.”
But fear not: the futures are actively monitoring this, and all other global geopolitical conflicts, and are absolutely confident the Fed will fix it should war break out. As usual, we wish algos the best of luck, because as ET summarizes, “China is currently involved in territorial conflicts with nearly all its neighbors.” Once again – what can possibly go wrong? Judging by the photos below, nothing at all.
A Bradley Attack Vehicle troop transport of the Chinese military, is seen in Kunming, Yunnan, in Southwest China. Chinese netizens have posted several photos showing the Chinese military moving toward the Vietnamese border. (Weibo.com)
A Chinese tank is seen near the border with Vietnam, as tensions grow more tense between the two countries. (Weibo.com)
Chinese troops carrying anti-tank weapons are seen marching in Guangxi Province, near the border with Vietnam. Local netizens report a strong smell of gunpowder. (Weibo.com)
A convoy of Chinese military vehicles are seen in Fangchenggang City in Guangxi, near the Vietnam border. (Weibo.com)
Chinese troops march in Chongzuo City in Guangxi Province near the Vietnam border. Chinese netizens say the troops are moving along the border. (Weibo.com)
Chinese artillery is being transported in Chongzuo City, Guangxi Province. (Weibo.com)
Instead of going after the Vietnamese, why don’t they band together and go after the real killers, the Japanese?
Oh, that might make sense.
A war between China and Vietnam is another Iraq deal. China is much bigger, it has been building up their military since 2010 (same year they joined with Russia in dumping the US dollar), and Vietnam has taken little but slave labor jobs from them. The US went into Iraq to steal their oil for the Bush family cronies, and if you were a greedy gut, it made sense. Especially when you had a US treasury to pay for the war……….I don’t think China is strong enough (their GDP is anywhere from 5-12X the actual amount. China does not count their GDP as income, but in what they build. They have hundreds of employment starved riots every day, the media blacks it out completely. They build these ghost towns nobody can afford, and they use the money spent as GDP. Even Enron Accounting wasn’t that stupid.
China also built the world’s biggest building, beautiful, complete with an artificial Oceanside over 100 miles from water…….only one problem……nobody can afford to put their homes or businesses there, so it sets there empty.
So, China is big, but it is in deep trouble. Their economy, much like many new emerging economies was banking on endless exports…….and that has come to a virtual halt.
The US was their #1 buyer until 2008. Then, they switched to the EU, now………it is like another ghost town…….you cannot build and indebt yourself into wealth, it doesn’t work that way.
Vietnam has oil, which is why the US was there over 40 years ago, but nobody ever beat them. Gorilla warfare (a brainchild of the Jesuits of the early Middle Ages; they saved what ancient history we have in print) is difficult to fight.
Endless wars are like endless spending sprees. At some point, there is no more money left to warrant it.
Marriner Eckles, the FED chairman under FDR explained it best when asked in 1951 what caused the collapse of the market in 1929. I was so impressed by it, I set it to memory: “As in a poker game when the chips get concentrated into fewer and fewer hands, the other fellows can only stay in the game by borrowing. When their credit ended, the game stopped.”
The global economy is very close to that right now…..the game is about up. We have a few billionaires manipulating the world economy, and their greed will be our undoing.