Christie: It's time for a military approach to China, show them who's the boss

[Landslide Lyndon]

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/chris-christie-new-hampshire-china?

Christie, who has been working to distinguish himself in a crowded field of declared and potential Republican candidates, mocked President Barack Obama for calling the U.S. the most respected country on Earth last week and called for a tougher stance against China's activity in the South China Sea, where it claims control and is building islands.

Christie called for a "military approach" to China's advances to "let them know there are limits to what they're allowed to do."

"That is an issue that we can handle militarily by going out there and making sure that we show them that we don't respect their claims to these artificial islands in the South China Sea that they're building that they're saying are theirs that are hundreds and hundreds of miles from the coast of China and are clearly in international waters," Christie said adding: "We need to send that signal to the Chinese very clearly that we do not acknowledge nor will we respect their claims to those areas."

[Brittain33]

Oh God, I can only imagine Chris Christie engaging in diplomacy with China.

[Likely Voter]

This is one of those vapid faux tough guy things Republicans say about FP where they aren't actually advocating anything that the Obama Admin isn't already doing.  The USA doesn't acknowledge the Chinese claims to those South China Sea atolls they are building up and the US regularly overflies them with military aircraft to make that point.

What other military options is he suggesting? Unless he calls for bombing the islands, it is just fake bluster. And not sure 'lets start a war with China' is the kind of position that is a winner, even with the GOP.

[retromike22]

Oh God, I can only imagine Chris Christie engaging in diplomacy with Chinese food.

[Torie]

I don't think a lot of the Pub candidates have received the memo yet, that on a lot of foreign policy issues, all of the options out there suck, and it's a Hobson's choice. The US is just not in a position anymore, and really never was from a prudential standpoint (as we learned at great cost), to just make and enforce the rules of the road for the planet. So it is a frustrating, lengthy process, often with bad outcomes. The trick is to try to avoid disastrous outcomes. Yes, I know, an "all of our options suck" platform, is not a good marketing strategy politically.

[Stand With Israel. Crush Hamas]

Much like with Crimea, Christie hasn't gotten the memo yet that the President of the United States doesn't risk WW3 with fellow superpowers over territorial issues with other countries. If China invades Taiwan or Putin rolls tanks into Poland, things would be different, but we're not nearly there yet.

[homelycooking]

Time for some traffic problems in Shenzhen.

[ElectionsGuy]

Christie trying to show off his military "buffness" to out-hawk other Republicans. This whole game is so tiresome.

[Orthogonian Society Treasurer]

Last gasps of a dying pol.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

War with China? That would actually make the whole $1 trillion Iraq war that led to ISIS look pretty damn good in comparison. Even Donald Trump comes up with more reasonable stuff than this.

Much like with Crimea, Christie hasn't gotten the memo yet that the President of the United States doesn't risk WW3 with fellow superpowers over territorial issues with other countries. If China invades Taiwan or Putin rolls tanks into Poland, things would be different, but we're not nearly there yet.

China's actions in the South China sea have nothing to do with Taiwan. There are islands claimed by 4 other countries. The PRC and ROC will not go after each other there.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Oh God, I can only imagine Chris Christie engaging in diplomacy with China.

Just watch Trump talking about China... it'll be somewhere on that level of classy.

[RR1997]

Oh God, I can only imagine Chris Christie engaging in diplomacy with China.

^

I'm sure glad that he doesn't have a chance of becoming president now.