If the US goes to war with China over the Middle East,

[screembloodymurder]

does the US have any option other than the nuclear option? It seems to me we would be at a huge disadvantage in a conventional war.
1. China has superior numbers
2. China has location
3. China has a better manufacturing base
4. China would probably have local support

Am I wrong in thinking that our superpower status is totally dependent upon our nukes? If we're incapable of controlling Iraq and defending the Pentagon, how long will it be before our bluff is called?

[DemocratSinceBirth]

1. China Has No Dog In This Fight

And I don't see how China can move troops into the area without a credible blue water navy.

[screembloodymurder]

5. If they go by land, who's going to stop them?

They're a lot closer to Iran than we are.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

10. They Would Have To Go Through India

India and China are historical enemies with border disputes that exist to this day though the emnity is waning.

And India is a tacit ally of Irael since they both have the same enemy.

[happyslug]

13. NOT India, Russia

The Himalayas are to rough for a large enough army to march through (Or be supplied through). When China has been a base for invasion of the Middle East (I.e. the Mongol conquest of the 13th Century), the Mongols forces attacked the Middle east via right is now called the Former Soviet Asiatic Republics. The old Silk Road followed this path, as did the US supplies for the Soviet Union did during WWII (Through after going through Iran the supplies went WEST to Russia instead of East to China). Timurlane when he marched on China from his base in Iran was marching on the Silk war when he died at the age of 85 in 1405.

For more on the Mongols and Timurlane:
http://history-world.org/mongol_empire.htm

More on the Silk Road:
http://www.ess.uci.edu/~oliver/silk.html

[DemocratSinceBirth]

15. Good Point

People, self included, should look at maps before engaging in dystopian fantasies.

[paparush]

9. China has the OIL dog in this fight...

China needs the oil, just as much as we do. China has our financial nutz in a vice.

[niallmac]

2. Wouldn't we have to wait for China to make our bombs?

If not now very very soon I should think your assumption would be valid.
50% of our budget dedicated to the military.
We keep building more and better nuclear weapons.
We seem to be evolving into the N Korea of the western hemisphere.

[Oversea Visitor]

3. China will not get in direct fight

Bush need to read up on Sun Tze art of war.

They will just supply.

[adriennui]

4. china doesn't care

their rhetoric is different than the reality.

[screembloodymurder]

8. I hope you're right.

I must admit If I were them, I'd just sit back and wait for the US to self destruct. Another Bush in office and there won't be much to mop up.

[deaniac21]

6. What if the War of the Worlds really happened but the aliens

gave us the virus?

[whistle]

7. How much debt does the U.S. have with China?

[DemocratSinceBirth]

11. That Works Both Ways

Those debts have call dates... Even if they called it all it once the US would refuse to pay.

[patricia92243]

12. does China have nukes? I always thought they did. If so, they would just n

nuke us back if we nuked them.

[Oversea Visitor]

16. Did you not read what the general say

when bush talk too much about Taiwan
And did you witness how suddenly all so quiet.

[The Magistrate]

14. If The U.S., Sir, Goes To War With China Over The Middle East

Pigs will be giving exquisite displays of formation aerobatics overhead, frogs will have ceased to bump their bottoms, grandmothers will have sprouted wheels, toilets everywhere will be full of monkeys, and what weaponry might be employed will be the last thing anyone bothers to notice....

[happyslug]

17. First China does NOT need to go to war with the US over the Mideast

All China has to do is supply arms to Iran. IF that is not enough to supply arms and money to Russia, for Russia to intervene. Russia is self-sufficient in oil so it can attack the MidEast without cutting itself off from its own oil supply. If China supports Russia (Like how the US Supported Britain during WWII before Pearl harbor) China can have it both ways, continue trade with the US AND fight the US over access to Mid-East oil.

Thus China is a key player in the Mid-East, I doubt you will see Chinese troops in the Mid-east. The most likely source of Troops will be the Iranians supplied via Russia from China (OR the arms supplied by Russia but paid for by China). If that should fail then Russian direct or indirect intervention (My money would be on indirect intervention, i.e. supplying any guerrillas with arms and supplies to fight the US occupiers, again probably paid for by China).

Now, Russia my send in Military Units under the disguise of being someone else's troops. An example of this is when the US attacked Afghanistan somehow the Northern Alliance was able to field a well trained Tank Division to march on Kabul. Up till the invasion the Northern Alliance NEVER HAD such a unit, then in suddenly appeared and took Kabul. The story at the time was the CIA rented out a Russian Armored Unit manned by Uzbek's living in Russia, thus the men in the tanks looked liked Afghans and were passed off as Afghan Uzbek's.

My point is China and Russia have a lot of option short of doing the shooting themselves and I see them taking those options before any direct attack on US forces in the Mid-East.

[porphyrian]

18. China is covering the majority of our debt.

I'd say they have more than a few advantages, and that it would be bloody unlikely to happen.