# If we recognized China's right to absorb Afghanistan, would they? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 20, 2009, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-we-recognized-chinas-right-to-absorb-afghanistan-would-they/510876 "2009-09-20T21:01:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-we-recognized-chinas-right-to-absorb-afghanistan-would-they/510876/41 "2009-09-26T10:27:38Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > That’s a pretty rosy-eyed view of China. Leaving aside Tibet and Taiwan (which are only “domestic” issues because China has unilaterally declared them so) China has sent troops into Korea, India, Vietnam, and Laos. It’s also had hostile border disputes with Bhutan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Mongolia, the Philippines, Russia, and Tajikstan. You could add in “border” disputes with Indonesia. Also there is a group of islands disputed by Japan and China (Diaoyutai in chinese and Senkaku in Japanese) ---
**Author:** ![PrettyVacant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/49beb7/32.png) [@PrettyVacant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PrettyVacant)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-we-recognized-chinas-right-to-absorb-afghanistan-would-they/510876/42 "2009-09-26T16:52:49Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > That’s a pretty rosy-eyed view of China. Leaving aside Tibet and Taiwan (which are only “domestic” issues because China has unilaterally declared them so) China has sent troops into Korea, India, Vietnam, and Laos. It’s also had hostile border disputes with Bhutan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Mongolia, the Philippines, Russia, and Tajikstan. Best I know the ‘border disputes’ in issue are not euphemisms, in other words it’s not invading countries in the style of the US, which is the context of this discussion. We could discuss the strategic rationales behind China’s temporary deployments into Vietnam, etc but we’re talking 30 years ago plus i.e. 8 US Presidents ago. My main point would be the need for the US military to ramp up China’s potential as a protagonist post Cold War, and that same perception generally popular in the US. In terms of interference and aggression, China ain’t no USA, that’s for sure. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2009, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-we-recognized-chinas-right-to-absorb-afghanistan-would-they/510876/43 "2009-09-27T21:38:59Z")
Has anything akin to a “Chinese Expeditionary Force” existed since World War II? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2009, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-we-recognized-chinas-right-to-absorb-afghanistan-would-they/510876/44 "2009-09-28T14:16:33Z")
> [@](#): > > Best I know the ‘border disputes’ in issue are not euphemisms, in other words it’s not invading countries in the style of the US, which is the context of this discussion. No, these are a little more hostile than diplomatic disagreements. The Chinese have a policy of addressing border disputes by sending soldiers into the disputed region and shooting at anyone who attempts to argue the point. ---
**Author:** ![PrettyVacant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/49beb7/32.png) [@PrettyVacant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PrettyVacant)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2009, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-we-recognized-chinas-right-to-absorb-afghanistan-would-they/510876/45 "2009-09-28T14:21:56Z")
I think, on a scale, people need to worry just a tad more about the USA. ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2009, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-we-recognized-chinas-right-to-absorb-afghanistan-would-they/510876/46 "2009-09-28T14:32:24Z")
Reference Britain and Afghan during the 19thc,the British only took over Afghan as a buffer state between Russia and British India as Russia lusted after Indias wealth. No doubt when they realised that Russia using Afghan as an invasion route wouldn’t be a cake walk they thought that it was a waste of time and effort actually having their boots on the ground there. But that is only my surmise. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2009, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-we-recognized-chinas-right-to-absorb-afghanistan-would-they/510876/47 "2009-09-28T20:31:18Z")
[QUOTE=PrettyVacant] I think, on a scale, people need to worry just a tad more about the USA. [/QUOTE] Depends on who the people are…and where they are. Certainly no one outside of the immediate vicinity of China needs be particularly worried about China. They haven’t got the military to really project power much beyond their region. However, if ‘people’ happen to be within that region then I’d have to say they would be much more worried about China than the US. Like, for instance, Taiwan. -XT ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2009, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-we-recognized-chinas-right-to-absorb-afghanistan-would-they/510876/48 "2009-09-28T22:27:02Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > Has any powerful military successfully put down a popular, grassroots insurgency that was using modern communications and military technology? Sri Lanka? ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2009, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-we-recognized-chinas-right-to-absorb-afghanistan-would-they/510876/49 "2009-09-29T13:30:11Z")
Nigeria. India has contained several insurgencies and defeated one in Indian Punjab in the 80’s. Saddams Iraq managed to defeat pretty much all rebellions. Pakistan did so in Balochistan in the 1970’s. Domestic insurgecies seem to fail mostly. Its insurgency against foeign occupation that succeed. The occupier can say “fuck this” and go home, the local anti-insurgent OTH is home. ---
**Author:** ![PrettyVacant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/49beb7/32.png) [@PrettyVacant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PrettyVacant)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2009, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-we-recognized-chinas-right-to-absorb-afghanistan-would-they/510876/50 "2009-09-29T18:36:56Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > Domestic insurgecies seem to fail mostly. Don’t you call them insurrections? ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2009, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-we-recognized-chinas-right-to-absorb-afghanistan-would-they/510876/51 "2009-09-29T23:41:38Z")
I’m _still_ curious as to why the OP said China had a “right” to absorb Afghanistan. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2009, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-we-recognized-chinas-right-to-absorb-afghanistan-would-they/510876/52 "2009-09-29T23:54:01Z")
I don’t think he meant that China had a right to absorb Afghanistan. Rather, that the US would recognize China’s annexation of Afghanistan in return for China taking it off our hands, and we’d pressure other countries to do so as well. That is, we’d DECLARE that China had a right to absorb Afghanistan, and that declaration would be enough incentive for China. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2009, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-we-recognized-chinas-right-to-absorb-afghanistan-would-they/510876/53 "2009-09-30T01:44:05Z")
Ahh, that makes sense. Gotcha. I think I (and others) just assumed from the thread title that we were already assuming some sort of preexisting right. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-we-recognized-chinas-right-to-absorb-afghanistan-would-they/510876.md?page=2)