To challenge America rhetorically, China talks up unrestricted warfare. In reality, however, any open military conflict with America risks failure. A humiliating defeat by America could lead to regime change in Beijing. That's why Beijing's wolf warriors prefer to howl at the moon. They don't even have the guts to howl at Taiwan's Lion Islet (Shiyu), a defenseless rock ridiculously close to Xiamen, Fujian (see the photo below). Meanwhile, nonchalant Taiwan Islanders just go about their daily lives, with or without Chinese warplanes roaring overhead. Noise doesn't really hurt. The US Navy guarantees that.

The US Navy-backed status quo, reinforced by Japan, is meant to deny China's rise to Pacific hegemony. In response, China is trying to keep America busy anywhere but the Far East. This is the essence of its indirect warfare. From such a perspective, America's quickened withdrawal from the Middle East should NOT be good news for China. Of course, China's wolf warriors have to act as if they're dancing on Uncle Sam's grave.

Seriously, the Beijing regime knows this much is true: the Middle East is not America's backyard; the Caribbean region is. Having staked a claim to the Panama Canal, China is now looking for opportunities to draw America into some quagmire in the Caribbean region. Russia would easily be China's collaborator. When and if America is busy troubleshooting in its backyard, China may feel free to nibble away at Taiwan, starting with Lion Islet, perhaps.

by Lingyang Jiang

Taiwan's Lion Islet (Shiyu) "hides in plain sight" from Xiamen, Fujian, PRC.