It’s almost unthinkable – a 21st century war with the world’s fastest growing super-power, China.
And what’s perhaps even more alarming is that some experts believe the countdown to conflict has already started.
As unimaginable as it may seem, President Xi Jinping’s long-stated threat to re-integrate the island nation of Taiwan into China may prove the trigger to war.
A tiny country half the size of Tasmania but with a population equal to Australia, Taiwan would be a prize for China on many fronts.
A mass developer of micro-chips and electronics Taiwan also occupies a critical geographic position – and would give China control of the South China Sea and major shipping routes worth trillions of dollars.
Australia sits between the two superpowers who will largely determine Taiwan’s fate – and the likelihood of war – China and the United States of America. Our long-held and highly valued alliance with the US means Australia could be both a target and frontline in any war with China.
Many believe China’s “Wolf Diplomacy” – including tough export sanctions against Australia – is a precursor to war. As well, China has built infrastructure that could be turned to military use on the seven artificial islands it has created in the South China Sea – a move opposed by Australia, the U.S. and a many Asian countries.
So, what would a war between the world’s newest superpower and the dominant superpower since World War II look like? How would it play out? And how would Australia be impacted if war came to our backyard?
Under Investigation has put together a war table of experts – defense and strategic specialists, as well as “future war planners” to analyze how likely War with China is – and predict its regional and global impact. And to answer the critical question – “who would win”? Where will Australia stand and what will it mean to ordinary Australians?
AT THE WAR TABLE:
- Dr John Lee – a senior advisor to former Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and expert on strategic affairs in Asia and the Indo-Pacific.
- Dr David Brophy – a senior lecturer in modern Chinese History at Sydney University and author of the book “China Panic’. He’s concerned our subservience to the U.S. risks Australia being drawn into a catastrophic conflict with the hungry Dragon.
- Jason Yat-Sen Li – president of the Chinese-Australian Forum and human rights lawyer based in Sydney. The son of Hong Kong migrants he is also Chairman of the Vantage group Asia.
- Professor Clinton Fernandes – Former army intelligence officer, national security analyst, and member of the Future Operations Research Group at the University of NSW’s Canberra campus, which studies likely future wars just like this…
- Dr Malcolm Davis – Senior analyst on defence strategy at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute and an expert on China’s military capability.
ALSO FEATURING:
- Madam Annette Lu – the former Vice President of Taiwan calls for stronger ties with China to create a more lasting peace.
- Grant Newsham – former US Marine Colonel and current Research Fellow at the Japan Forum for Strategic Studies, he warns that the West is underestimating China’s military might.
- David Kilcullen – the Australian military officer and counterinsurgency expert weighs in how conflict with China could play out, including through debilitating attacks on our infrastructure.
- Captain Jim Fanell – warns that the West must be prepared to defend itself from China, or else we risk falling under Xi Jinping’s rule.
War with China?
It would be wise to remember that if we now fear China’s ability to wage war that we in the West enabled their ability to do so through our own blind greed. The countless companies that have shifted their manufacturing base to China seeking cheaper production costs in order to make bigger profits has provided China with the economic power to invest in massive military R&D and build a massive military hardware base.What flabbergasts me the most is that people now criticizing China still fork out their hard earned on Chinese produced goods, partly because they don’t have a choice in many cases but to buy those goods and partly because they don’t care because its cheaper. If it is of concern to every other democratic country that we are now once again playing this old brinkmanship game and even talking of war with China then it is time to reconsider where our goods are manufactured.Yes I know that all sounds very naive but it is a fact that the ridiculous economic premise of having to make ever bigger profits with the attendant pressure for higher wages to maintain our lavish lifestyles coupled with our apathy has lead us to this door. Any country with the richness of resources such as Australia has should think hard about that.The Chinese have capitalized immensely from our greed and laziness. Bring back self sufficiency as far as it is possible and get people back to work actually producing goods locally. I have long thought that one day Australia will wind up being a big hole in the ground with a whole lot of poor people lying around in the bottom of it wondering what happened. I won’t even mention the environmental costs of this insanity. I think China has long understood that conventional war is untenable but economic war is very feasible and have shown us exactly that.
What a very sobering show. Ms. Hayes has been accurate and has been so enlightening in her presentation.
We need to get real in Australia and realize the fragility of our region.
I believe we should have conscription again for men and women . In Switzerland me go for military training once a year for three weeks from I think 19-45 years of age. We should do the same. It will get the mindset thinking in the correct way.
The average Australian lives in Fantasy Island in relation to to what is going on in the world. The whole country seems to be nothing but sport sport sport and a good time as what is the reality going on especially in our Pacific zone.
It is refreshing to have such excellent journalism with a intelligent panel. We need more of this type of programme that educates the population.
Thank you Ms Hayes.