China Steals US Navy Drone
Is the Chinese Navy threatening the US? Or are they just dumb? Because they lifted a US scientific underwater drone right out of the water. Without asking, obviously.
And now, once again, we have to delay our scheduled episode because China created an international incident.
Comments (4)
I think there's no evidence that it wasn't sanctioned from the top. China has a long history of belligerent behaviour in response to international slights.
If this was sanctioned by the central government war is inevitable, as it was a ridiculous decision that bears no hallmarks of weighing the situation correctly.
Chris, I'm not so sure this can be equated with the earlier instances you mention. The drone was indisputably in international waters and hundreds of miles from the coast of the PRC; therefore the PRC had no basis in international law for what occurred and the 'espionage' excuse simply falls flat. Personally I found this incident quite disturbing. The reason? Surely no one in the central government would have authorised such a trivial irritation towards the USA, particularly as the PRC had no chance of emerging with any credible justification for its actions. I think a second or third tier military commander (perhaps even lower) decided to take this action and that, if indeed it's what happened, bodes no good for the future. The primacy of politics, a la Clausewitz, having been violated. Cheers!
Well, just because it was a stupid move doesn't mean the CCP didn't do it. But of course, who knows? They say they were just investigating.