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Taiwan fighter jet explodes. Horror moment forced  a Taiwanese fighter pilot to eject and another is missing after their jets disappeared in a suspected midair collision on March 23, 2021 morning, according to official. The accident was the third such incident in the last 18 months and the Taiwan island’s armed forces are intercepting Chinese aircraft almost on a daily basis. Xi Jinping ’s increasingly aggressive tactics to continually probe Taiwan’s defenses have caused further deterioration of relationship between the two (China and Taiwan), to the lowest point of 30 years, in the video published on March 23, 2021, “Horrible: Taiwan Fighter jet Explode, Horror Moment Pilots Forced to Eject as China Tensions Erupt“, below:

Chinese military incursions into Taiwanese territory have increased tensions in the region. In the end of the January of 2021, Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said that China sent 15 military aircrafts into Taiwanese airspace between mainland Taiwan and the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands in the South China Sea. A total of six J-10 fighters, four J-16s, two SU-30s, a Y-8 reconnaissance aircraft and two Y-8 anti-submarine aircraft, were sent by China. It was followed by China sending eight nuclear-capable bombers and four fighter jets into the same airspace. China continues to claim Taiwan as its own territory in recent months and has conducted almost daily flights over the waters between the southern part of Taiwan and the Pratas Islands. These flights have generally consisted of only one or two reconnaissance aircrafts. The presence of so many Chinese combat aircrafts on this mission, including an anti-submarine aircraft, eight H-6K bombers, and four J-16 fighter jets, is unusual. A map provided by Taiwan’s Defense Ministry showed that the Chinese aircraft flew over the same waters where the most recent Chinese missions have been taking place, well away from mainland Taiwan. News of the incursion brought a swift statement from the US State Department, urging China to stop pressuring Taiwan while reaffirming its commitment to the nation, in the video published on Jan 29, 2021, “US offers Taiwan support after Chinese military incursions, DW News“, below:

Despite China’s increasingly aggressive behavior both at home and abroad, Beijing’s open threat to take control of Taiwan by force is receiving comparatively little attention, leaving this flourishing liberal democracy uniquely isolated and vulnerable. The threat may be far more imminent than many imagined. According to Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Joseph Wu “the Chinese authoritarian leaders may find Taiwan as a convenient scapegoat. Therefore Taiwan needs to be doubly concerned about a possible Chinese use of force against us.” in the video published on Sep 18, 2020, “Taiwan: China’s next target? DW Analysis“, below:

As tensions between the U.S. and China have been steadily escalating on a range of issues, the South China Sea is the place where a clash of superpowers would be most likely to happen. With a new U.S. president, disagreement still difficult to resolve. How this body of water has become a major flashpoint in U.S.-China relations is explained in the video published on Jan 28, 2021, “The Militarization of the South China Sea“, below:

China prepares to counter US intervention in an invasion of Taiwan, with a pincer attack with Chinese jets on the island of Taiwan, as the Chinese Communist Party pushes US China relations to a desperate low, in the video published on April 2, 2021, “China Prepares for War with US Over Taiwan“, below:

China and its neighbours all want a piece of the South China Sea. Rights to fish, territory, oil and gas. This fight has it all, including the potential for war. So why is ASEAN struggling to manage the problem? And why won’t China share? In the video published on Nov 22, 2020, “What’s behind the South China Sea dispute? Start Here“, below:

The Philippines’ government said late Saturday that about 220 Chinese fishing boats amassed around a coral reef in the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea in early March, saying that they were within its exclusive economic zone, in the video published on March 21, 2021, “220 Chinese ‘militia’ boats gathered in South China Sea“, below:

In the video “More countries speak out vs. China presence at Julian Felipe Reef, The Final Word“, below:

Maritime expert Greg Poling believes China’s movements in the Julian Felipe Reef makes it clear that it never intended to reciprocate the Duterte administration’s good neighbor policy. Poling says Manila can deter Beijing in the short term by leveraging its mutual defense treaty with the U.S., in the video published on March 24, 2021, “Maritime expert: PH should leverage defense treaty with U.S. amid China intrusion in West PH Sea“, below:

With regard to Philippines’ concern about over 200 fishing vessels, some believe it may have something to do with the desire to be protected from Typhoon season: 2021 Pacific Typhoon Season

Why is Germany Sending Warship to the South China Sea? a German frigate will depart for Asia in August and cross the South China Sea on its return journey, becoming the first German warship to do so since 2002, in the video published on March 10, 2021, “Why is Germany Sending Warship to the South China Sea?” below:

To understand how U.S. and China relations have arrived at its worst point in modern history, it is important to understand the historical forces behind the conflict.  Impact of Opium War ( First Opium War (1839-1842) Second Opium War(1856-1860)), Unequal treaty (1840-1950, aka Century of Humiliation), Eight Nation Alliance(1900), the looting by the French and the British, and destruction of the Yuanmingyuan (equivalent to the Ground Zero of U.S.) were  often lumped together as the invasion from the West.  But upon closer inspection, much of the problem China had with the West were instigated by the British, not the American. If anything, America was the most compassionate nation of the Eight Nation Alliance that voluntarily reduced the indemnity amount required to be paid to United States, from $30 million by $10.8 million. Furthermore, United States used the indemnity fund to establish Tsinghua University in Beijing and to fund scholarships for Chinese students to study in the United States. Please refer to more details about this part of the history by viewing the excerpt from wikipedia, in italics, below:

During early 20th century (1911-1949), Tsinghua University was established in Beijing, during a tumultuous period of national upheaval and conflicts with foreign powers which culminated in the Boxer Rebellion, an uprising against foreign influence in China. After the suppression of the revolt by a foreign alliance including the United States, the ruling Qing dynasty was required to pay indemnities to alliance members. US Secretary of State John Hay suggested that the US$30 million Boxer indemnity allotted to the United States was excessive. After much negotiation with Qing ambassador Liang Cheng, US President Theodore Roosevelt obtained approval from the United States Congress in 1909 to reduce the indemnity payment by US$10.8 million, on the condition that the funds would be used as scholarships for Chinese students to study in the United States.^{[citation needed]}

Using this fund, the Tsinghua College (清華學堂; Qīnghuá Xuétáng) was established in Beijing, on 29 April 1911 on the site of a former royal garden to serve as a preparatory school for students the government planned to send to the United States.^[20] Faculty members for sciences were recruited by the YMCA from the United States, and its graduates transferred directly to American schools as juniors upon graduation.^{[citation needed]} The motto of Tsinghua, Self-Discipline and Social Commitment, was derived from a 1914 speech by prominent scholar and faculty member Liang Qichao, in which he quoted the I Ching to describe a notion of the ideal gentleman.^[21]

In 1925, the school established its own four-year undergraduate program and started a research institute on Chinese studies.^{[22][23][24][25][26]} In 1928, Tsinghua changed its name to National Tsing Hua University (NTHU).^[27]

This and many other reasons were responsible for the historical friendly relationship between United States and China, for many many years. United States was not viewed as the enemy but a friendly nation toward the Chinese and as a nation with rational and compassionate leadership. It was a very rational as well as compassionate and wise decision on the part of United States, for the extremely heavy indemnity of 132 billion gold marks (roughly equivalent to US$442 billion or UK 284 pounds in 2021) required from Germany after WWI, as part of the Treaty of Versailles, had later contributed much to the rise of Hitler and WWII.

After years of diplomatic isolation, China had benefitted tremendously from the stability and trade fostered by the U.S. in the post-cold war era. In essence, United States had contributed to China’s current economic success.

But since the Chinese Civil War (from 1927 to 1949), relationship between U.S. and China have gone through multiple evolutionary cycles.The 4 videos of the documentary series by CNA Insider (based in Singapore, therefore a neutral party with meticulous and thorough observations)  below to help us to better understand the relationship between U.S. and China, the impact of their trade war, fundamental difference in their ideologies, and how they relate to rest of the world, during modern history,  below:

• US- China relations are at its worst in modern history, how did the two countries get to this point? Understand the historical forces driving the conflict – from China’s Century of Shame to the slow decay of deindustrialization in the US. Further adding to tensions is China’s perspective that US meddled in Hong Kong’s internal politics, and the American perspective that China is in part to blame for the coronavirus pandemic. After 4 years of escalating conflict under a Trump administration, what will Biden’s approach to China be? In the video “Pride & Shame: The Roots Of US-China Tensions, When Titans Clash, Ep 1/4, CNA Documentary“, below: