Pink Snail Eating Commie Symps

China, France Hold Naval Drill Before Taiwan VoteChina and France will hold rare joint naval exercises off the mainland's eastern coast on Tuesday, just four days before Beijing's rival, Taiwan, holds presidential elections.

China's official Xinhua news agency made no link between the exercises off Qingdao -- about 780 miles from Taiwan's northernmost point -- and the election.

But the show of military strength and solidarity signaled China's desire to isolate the self-governing island before the vote and its first-ever referendum, which Beijing views as a provocative step toward independence.

The Chinese are once again trying to cow Taiwan with vulgar displays of power and the freedom loving French government had decided to give them an hand. I don't think this attempt at intimidation will work, the chances of it backfiring are pretty good. The last time China did this, they wound up helping elect Chen and the anti-China, pro-Independence Democratic Progressive Party. It would be nice if the US could show some kind of solidarity with or support for Taiwan, but it appears that our China-Taiwan policy is a mess.