Jump to content

Op-Ed: Thai view on the new AUKUS alliance


webfact

Recommended Posts

2 hours ago, BobinBKK said:

These people don't know how to use a simple spellchecker? Anyway... The only "destabilizing factor" for Thailand here is not being able to play the US and China against each other the same way they did with Great Britain and France.

Thailand was in the middle of two Empirical realms, the Glorious British Raj and French Indochine. 

 

Pure geographical luck. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have only read about this in the news but I don't know any of the real details so am not qualified to state an opinion on AUKUS. But I really don't see what Thailand officialdom is concerned about as something like this was bound to happen at some point. The countries involved surely will have had thoughts that Thailand has been close with China and would have hardly 'consulted' with the Thai gov. on the issue. I read over the w/e that Pres. Xi apparently communicated that he wanted the 're-unification' of Taiwan to happen during his time rather than leave it to the next generation, so one wonders what will happen to expats here if war breaks out over this.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, TKDfella said:

I have only read about this in the news but I don't know any of the real details so am not qualified to state an opinion on AUKUS. But I really don't see what Thailand officialdom is concerned about as something like this was bound to happen at some point. The countries involved surely will have had thoughts that Thailand has been close with China and would have hardly 'consulted' with the Thai gov. on the issue. I read over the w/e that Pres. Xi apparently communicated that he wanted the 're-unification' of Taiwan to happen during his time rather than leave it to the next generation, so one wonders what will happen to expats here if war breaks out over this.

We might need to slaughter the livestock (goldfish) and seek shelter in the nearest bar.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

They lost.

They did but that was mostly down to the US joining the war and Hitler's poor judgement on the Eastern front.

 

We are talking performance of the armed forces, specifically land armies. Forget about the Luftwaffe and German Navy for a minute. 

 

In most land based engagements prior to 1943 the Germans came out on top and even were formidable in retreat and when they were on the back foot after Allied victory in North Africa. Up until that point, the British and ANZACs (among other troops) rarely won any engagements against the Germans, much to Churchill's fury.

 

Indeed, without Ultra decrypts of German intelligence the war would have likely been lost. 

 

As to the Japanese, they had inferior weaponry but their infantry fought doggedly, and were generally man to man, superior and more determined fighters than any of the Western allies.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

The author of this piece seems to have got this issue completely round his neck. He writes:

 

'For decades, ASEAN has been urging all nuclear powers to accede to the Southeast Asian Nuclear-Weapons-Free Zone (SEANWFZ).

 

Supplying nuclear powered submarines to Australia does not, in any way breach this understanding. A nuclear powered submarine is not a nuclear armed submarine. There are no nuclear weapons involved.

 

He needs to go away and do his homework.

 

 

 

To be fair to the author, nuclear submarine are inextricably linked with nuclear weapons. All 6 countries in the world that possesses nuclear submarines have nuclear weapons. Nuclear submarines powered with the same enriched uranium that is used in bombs. You don’t acquire nuclear submarines just to cruise around.
 

Australia has forfeited their status as a country linked to the Treaty of Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

 

I personally think it’s a wrong policy as their alliance with US is strong and can provide the nuclear deterrent. Australia action runs contrary to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in this part of the world. Make this region unsafe against nuclear mishap.  

  • Like 1
  • Sad 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, steven100 said:

This is a good move and the correct move by Australia, UK and the US.  I have said all along that Australia should and must have a greater US military presence in Australia's top end,   even just for training and as a deterrent.  The Pine Gap is fine as it's a special communications post, however, a large military base should be located in NT or the Top end. 

So you have not been to Darwin in the NT or Derby in WA, as well as the upgrading of airports for the war machines.

 

Apart from that the subs wont be supplied for at least 10 years. Probably longer if the F-35 is any guide.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

18 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

To be fair to the author, nuclear submarine are inextricably linked with nuclear weapons. All 6 countries in the world that possesses nuclear submarines have nuclear weapons. Nuclear submarines powered with the same enriched uranium that is used in bombs. You don’t acquire nuclear submarines just to cruise around.
 

Australia has forfeited their status as a country linked to the Treaty of Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

 

I personally think it’s a wrong policy as their alliance with US is strong and can provide the nuclear deterrent. Australia action runs contrary to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in this part of the world. Make this region unsafe against nuclear mishap.  

So why has China not been more proactive in preventing North Korea from obtaining nukes?

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

38 minutes ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

They did but that was mostly down to the US joining the war and Hitler's poor judgement on the Eastern front.

 

We are talking performance of the armed forces, specifically land armies. Forget about the Luftwaffe and German Navy for a minute. 

 

In most land based engagements prior to 1943 the Germans came out on top and even were formidable in retreat and when they were on the back foot after Allied victory in North Africa. Up until that point, the British and ANZACs (among other troops) rarely won any engagements against the Germans, much to Churchill's fury.

 

Indeed, without Ultra decrypts of German intelligence the war would have likely been lost. 

 

As to the Japanese, they had inferior weaponry but their infantry fought doggedly, and were generally man to man, superior and more determined fighters than any of the Western allies.

And the relevance of all that to the state of play in 2021 and 2030 and 2040 is ... ?

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, Pravda said:

Does anyone know what happened to CANZUK alliance? I feel Canada is always left out.

Canada only has diesel electric subs. This agreement was for the supply of nuclear powered (not armed) submarines. 

For all that I like Canada (I think its a fantastic place with great people) I'm not sure how much expertise they would have brought to this.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, Pravda said:

Does anyone know what happened to CANZUK alliance? I feel Canada is always left out.

No such thing. Canada is part of the Five Eyes intelligence-gathering and -exchanging agreement.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.





×
×
  • Create New...