Paranoia? Or Has the CIA Found Common Ideology With the Denizens of the Deep?

6/18/26 The Hill:

(NewsNation) — China has alleged marine life is being weaponized by foreign intelligence agencies for espionage.

China’s Ministry of State Security released an article Friday on social media platform WeChat, saying an “invisible secret war” is ongoing.

 “In recent years, the work of national security organs has found that overseas spy intelligence agencies continue to collect and steal sensitive data from our ocean through a variety of new spy devices,” the ministry said. 

he article named a variety of measures allegedly taken by foreign agencies to collect information, such as buoys, unmanned submarines, wave gliders and marine life.

“Spy turtles” and “spy fish” are existing in the China sea, according to the ministry.

Have those Chinese fishing fleets devastating fisheries around the world caused those who identify as aquatic to make common cause with us?

Letters of Marque and Reprisal

 
Instapundit was keen on using letters of marque and reprisal during the War on Terror. I am grading rough drafts of student papers. One awesome one by, unsurprisingly, an engineering major, makers the point that letters of marque were a force multiplier against a numerically superior Royal Navy during the Revolution and War of 1812. I think we should seriously consider whether there would be time to use such in the worrisomely likely war of Taiwanese Independence. Imagine the resale value to privateers of capturing a VLCC (very large crude carrier): about $100 million worth of oil. Are there Americans with the courage to seize a Chinese-bound VLCC in the Straits of Malacca to split the value of that much oil and the ship? Yes there are.

"Only a Screwdriver Turn Away" Japan's Nuclear Capacity

3/31/26 South China Morning Post:

"Japan has enough plutonium to make 5,500 nuclear warheads, PLA Daily says"

I can see why China is concerned. If the PRC decides to invade Taiwan and Japan steps in, Japan could probably destroy the PRC's military capabilities without assistance from the U.S. It would certainly cause thermonuclear war. This alone will discourage China doing something stupid like invading Japan.

Tensions Increase Over Taiwan

 12/8/25 BBC:

Japan has protested after Chinese fighter jets locked radars on Japanese aircraft as tensions between the two nations worsened.

Locking radar onto an aircraft is considered a threat because it can signal a potential attack. Japan said there were two such incidents Saturday off its southern Okinawa islands.

Japan said it scrambled fighter jets in response to the Chinese J-15 fighter jets, while Beijing accused Tokyo of "harassing" its forces during a training exercise. No injuries or damage were reported.

Diplomatic ties between Japan and China have spiralled since last month, after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested that Tokyo could take military action if Beijing attacked Taiwan.

Beijing views self-governed Taiwan as part of its territory and has not ruled out the use of force to "reunite" with it.

Both sides have since engaged in increasingly hostile rhetoric towards each other, with the widening rift affecting daily life for citizens in both countries.

I keep hoping Xi thinks before acting stupid.  The U.S. and its allies Singapore, Phillipines, Australia, and Vietnam could interdict Chinese exports and perhaps more critically oil imports through the Straits of Malacca and South China Sea.  Invasion of Taiwan would ratchet up existing G7 anger at Chinese trade policy to a level from which China might not recover for years. I also think Chinese military might may turn out to be at Russian levels of corruption and incompetence.  The energy Xi has put into prosecuting military corruption at the general officer level hints that this problem may be present at lower ranks as well. If you know (or suspect) your superiors are dirty, why not get a piece of the pie for yourself?

How Bad Do You Want Taiwan?

11/16/25 New York Times:

 China escalated its diplomatic feud with Japan on Sunday by sending Coast Guard ships to patrol near islands the countries both claim, and warning Chinese students in the country about what it said were risks to their safety.

The escalation came after comments this month by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi of Japan about Taiwan, a self-governed democracy that China considers part of its territory. Ms. Takaichi told the Japanese Parliament that a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan could trigger a military response from Tokyo.

Facing the Future

 Taiwanese drama about PRC invasion.  A compelling trailer.