GreenPlease wrote:
Quote:
The PRC is doing what they always do. They try something or say something, and then sit back and gauge international response. If they like what they see, they maybe inch forward just a bit and reassess. This isn't new. They do it quietly, and control communications out of the country to delay international awareness of what they're doing, trying to get to the point where it's a fait accompli.
To that end I support something like Hawley's recent bill regarding Taiwan (basically made an invasion of Taiwan a defacto declaration of war). The U.S. should pass a similar bill regarding the Senkakus, declaring war on China and aiding Japan. Draw a big, bright red line and let China know it's there.
We already have a mutual security treaty with Japan, and we've stated a couple times that the Senkakus fall under that treaty and that we are obliged to defend them. Not sure we need another law.
Not to mention, the Taiwan Defense Act does not make invasion of Taiwan an act of war. It requires us to maintain
the ability to prevent China from accomplishing fait accompli on Taiwan, but it doesn't obligate us to use that capability.
I would say it's typically bad form to make a law that would put you in a state of war against a country on behalf of a third party without the consent and involvement of that third party. It's part of why we generally do treaties instead of stand-alone laws.
Slowguy
(insert pithy phrase here...)