All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works. China has pledged to retake Taiwan by force, if necessary, to facilitate reunification with the mainland. Also at issue is the region of the Spratly Islands, which consists of 100 or so islets, coral reefs, and sea mounts scattered over an area of nearly 410,000 sq km of the central South China Sea, of which about 45 are claimed and occupied by China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam.
Little mention is made of the new introduction of Japan in to the mix.
Japan may very well be the largest single holder of plutonium. All plutonium it has been shown can be used for weapons-grade use. The lack of commitment expressed to defend Taiwan will IMHO cause the Japanese to reintroduce military defenses and convert the plutonium that was originally intended for reactor use. On the eve of a visit by its foreign minister, China cautioned Japan on Tuesday against conducting military exercises overseas, saying the drills might harm the region's peace and stability. At the center of the criticisms is Japan's participation in a multinational submarine rescue exercise to be held later this year near Singapore.