Perfect Storm: The Rising Risk of China-US Conflict Over Taiwan
9 hours, 19 minutes ago

Perfect Storm: The Rising Risk of China-US Conflict Over Taiwan

The Diplomat  

Following Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te’s return from an early December trip to the South Pacific, China conducted what appeared to be its most extensive military exercises around Taiwan in decades. China’s broader strategic orientation in the East China Sea is not just informed by Taiwan, but also by the perception of a general security threat from the United States. Taken together, this means that any actual conflict, even if it started over the specific issue of preserving Taiwan’s status quo, would have major implications for the regional and global balance of power between China and the United States – but so also would backing down and allowing the other side to achieve its strategic goals. The risk of underestimating China’s resolve is that a hawkish U.S. administration could feel emboldened to increase support for Taiwan to a degree that China deems too escalatory, and thus feels compelled to respond to with a demonstration of PLA capability.

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History of this topic

Left on Read: America’s Taiwan Warning Crisis
9 hours, 19 minutes ago

Left on Read: America’s Taiwan Warning Crisis

The Diplomat  

In the months leading up to the 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the U.S. intelligence community’s alarms were blaring. Should this occur, Washington could give substantial information to the Chinese government, information that would greatly facilitate Beijing’s war-planning and its ability to predict how the United States might react to a blockade or invasion. Understanding this dilemma, China will likely …

PLA Maneuvers Near Taiwan in December: Misperceptions and Strategic Realities
9 hours, 19 minutes ago

PLA Maneuvers Near Taiwan in December: Misperceptions and Strategic Realities

The Diplomat  

In December, China conducted a series of large-scale military activities near Taiwan and in the Western Pacific, drawing significant attention from regional and international actors. On December 13, China’s Ministry of National Defense provided commentary on the large-scale military activities for the first time, with its spokesperson stating, “The PLA will decide whether and when to conduct military exercises in …

How Chinese army shows signs of turmoil
1 month ago

How Chinese army shows signs of turmoil

Firstpost  

It appears that either corruption is rampant within the People’s Liberation Army or that it is just an excuse to remove those that Xi Jinping considers disloyal to him or the party Xi’s demand for loyalty and constant purges has resulted in the PLA leadership seeking to be more politically correct than professional. There are also reports that the PLA’s …

China encircles Taiwan in latest round of war games
2 months, 3 weeks ago

China encircles Taiwan in latest round of war games

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council, which formulates its China policy, …

The perils of reviving a false Taiwan narrative
3 months, 2 weeks ago

The perils of reviving a false Taiwan narrative

China Daily  

A view of Taipei, China's Taiwan region. The narrative of "Taiwan's status being undetermined" is being fueled anew by both "Taiwan independence" forces and their Western backers. Western politicians backing "Taiwan independence" have calculated their moves carefully, viewing the Taiwan question as a strategic opportunity to halt the mainland's reunification efforts and curb its rise. These forces, which for long …

Washington, unsated by the suffering it has caused, seeks another bloody hellscape: China Daily editorial
6 months, 4 weeks ago

Washington, unsated by the suffering it has caused, seeks another bloody hellscape: China Daily editorial

China Daily  

The US Capitol building is shrouded in haze in Washington, DC, the United States, on June 7, 2023. If the Chinese mainland "invades" Taiwan, the United States will "turn the Taiwan Strait into an unmanned hellscape using a number of classified capabilities", Admiral Samuel Paparo, the new head of US "Indo-Pacific" Command, was quoted as saying by The Washington Post …

Chinese defense minister accuses US of causing friction with its support for Taiwan and Philippines
7 months, 1 week ago

Chinese defense minister accuses US of causing friction with its support for Taiwan and Philippines

Associated Press  

SINGAPORE — China’s defense minister on Sunday acknowledged the importance of newly renewed military-to-military communications with the United States as tensions escalate in the Asia-Pacific, while at the same time accusing Washington of causing the friction with its support for Taiwan and the Philippines. “We will not allow anyone to bring geopolitical conflicts or any war, whether hot or cold, …

PLA ready to ensure 'Taiwan independence' will never succeed
7 months, 1 week ago

PLA ready to ensure 'Taiwan independence' will never succeed

China Daily  

Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun said on Sunday in Singapore that the People's Liberation Army will take "timely, resolute and forceful actions" to ensure that the scheme of "Taiwan independence" will never succeed. "Taiwan is at the core of China's core interests, and the one-China principle has long been a universally recognized norm in international relations worldwide," he said. However, …

PLA ready to ensure 'Taiwan independence' will never succeed
7 months, 1 week ago

PLA ready to ensure 'Taiwan independence' will never succeed

China Daily  

Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun said on Sunday in Singapore that the People's Liberation Army will take "timely, resolute and forceful actions" to ensure that the scheme of "Taiwan independence" will never succeed. "Taiwan is at the core of China's core interests, and the one-China principle has long been a universally recognized norm in international relations worldwide," he said. However, …

US lawmakers arrive in Taiwan despite China warns America to stay out, President Lai thanks Biden for support
7 months, 2 weeks ago

US lawmakers arrive in Taiwan despite China warns America to stay out, President Lai thanks Biden for support

India TV News  

A delegation of US lawmakers led by Michael McCaul, chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, is visiting Taiwan this week, the de facto US embassy said on Sunday. McCaul, joined by a bipartisan group of five other lawmakers, will meet Lai on Monday morning to "exchange views on peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific", Taiwan's presidential office said. On …

PLA military exercises surrounding Taiwan 'legal, necessary'
7 months, 2 weeks ago

PLA military exercises surrounding Taiwan 'legal, necessary'

China Daily  

China's Ministry of National Defense spokesman Wu Qian. The Ministry of National Defense said on Friday that the ongoing military exercises conducted by the People's Liberation Army around the island of Taiwan are targeted at "Taiwan independence" forces and external interference, and are "completely reasonable, legal, legitimate and necessary". The ministry spokesperson Senior Colonel Wu Qian made the remarks on …

China fumes over Taiwan President's pro-independence speech, launches 'punishment war' I VIDEO – India TV
7 months, 2 weeks ago

China fumes over Taiwan President's pro-independence speech, launches 'punishment war' I VIDEO – India TV

India TV News  

The Chinese military on Thursday launched a two-day "punishment drills" surrounding Taiwan in retaliation for "separatist acts" after the self-ruled island's new President Lai Ching-te rejected Beijing's sovereignty claims over it. Li Xi, spokesperson for the PLA Eastern Theatre Command, which looks after the Taiwan Strait said, "The drills also serve as a strong punishment for the separatist acts of …

Taiwan’s Tough Call on How to Stop China: Bigger Weapons or Lots of Cheap Ones
9 months, 3 weeks ago

Taiwan’s Tough Call on How to Stop China: Bigger Weapons or Lots of Cheap Ones

Live Mint  

TAIPEI—David shouldn’t rely too much on slingshots to repel Goliath. In such scenarios, small, short-range weapons could be less effective at degrading the enemy, and Taiwan would need bigger hardware, Taiwanese defense officials and analysts say. For the past few years, Taiwan’s procurement, under U.S. pressure, has put more emphasis on asymmetrical weapons such as Harpoon antiship missiles, Himars rocket …

Invading Taiwan would be a logistical minefield for China
1 year, 1 month ago

Invading Taiwan would be a logistical minefield for China

Live Mint  

The beaches of the tiny island of Kinmen are still dotted with reminders of the PLA’s first attempt to invade Taiwan. The deficiencies of Russian military logistics and supplies “deserve our close attention" especially in regard to future sea crossings and island seizures, a Chinese defence-industry journal said in October 2022. He also ordered the PLA to make better use …

PLA 'will not be soft-handed' toward those who try to separate Taiwan from China
1 year, 2 months ago

PLA 'will not be soft-handed' toward those who try to separate Taiwan from China

China Daily  

Taipei 101 Tower, a landmark in Taipei, Taiwan, is seen in this photo. The Chinese military "will not be soft-handed" if anyone attempts to separate Taiwan from China by any means, a senior official with the People's Liberation Army warned on Monday. "The Taiwan question is at the core of China's core interests, and the one-China principle is the consensus …

How prepared is Taiwan for a war with China?
1 year, 3 months ago

How prepared is Taiwan for a war with China?

Al Jazeera  

Dwarfed by China’s population and military strength, the self-ruled island has been improving training and stockpiling military equipment. China’s People’s Liberation Army made 225 sorties into Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone – an area monitored by the island’s military – over 18 days in September and conducted large-scale naval exercises earlier this month. Since taking office in 2016, she has …

These charts show why there may be a spike in Chinese military planes flying over Taiwan's airspace this week
1 year, 4 months ago

These charts show why there may be a spike in Chinese military planes flying over Taiwan's airspace this week

ABC  

Over the next few days, as one of Taiwan's most senior politicians touches down in the United States, observers are anticipating that China could take another opportunity to flex its military muscles. China sends more military aircraft into Taiwan's ADIZ after diplomatic visits Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence publishes daily updates on PLA activity in the waters and airspace around …

China releases TV documentary showcasing army's ability to attack Taiwan
1 year, 5 months ago

China releases TV documentary showcasing army's ability to attack Taiwan

The Hindu  

China has released a new documentary about the army’s preparation to attack Taiwan and showcasing soldiers pledging to give up their lives if needed as Beijing continues to ramp up its rhetoric against the self-ruled island. “Chasing Dreams,” an eight-part docuseries aired by state broadcaster CCTV earlier this week to mark the People Liberation Army’s 96th anniversary, features military drills …

Why buzz of internal strife in Chinese military is growing
1 year, 5 months ago

Why buzz of internal strife in Chinese military is growing

India Today  

Is all well with the People’s Liberation Army of China? China’s strategic missile force was renamed PLA Rocket Force in the military reforms of 2015. Curiously, following the demise of Wu Guohua, his senior and commander of the PLA Rocket Force, Lieutenant General Li Yuchao, was found missing from a promotion ceremony of the Chinese military in late June. Speculation …

China spinning a ‘web’ of influence campaigns to win over Taiwan
1 year, 6 months ago

China spinning a ‘web’ of influence campaigns to win over Taiwan

Al Jazeera  

Away from the headline grabbing military threats, Beijing’s propaganda department is working to woo hearts and minds. But Taiwan’s media has alleged the temple is associated with China’s United Front Work Department, a Chinese Communist Party agency that leads a wide-reaching influence campaign to “win friends and influence people”. In other words, the CCP’s priority of pursuing reunification is to …

US readies war package for Taiwan, China miffed
1 year, 7 months ago

US readies war package for Taiwan, China miffed

Firstpost  

Two days after US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said the US will soon send additional security assistance to Taiwan through the Presidential Drawdown Authority, China was quick to express its diplomatic discontent saying that it was a “very wrong and dangerous move”, according to a report. “Such assistance can begin arriving within days, or even hours, of approval,” Asia Times …

Chinese defense ministry delivers remarks on Tsai Ing-wen's 'transit' trip through US
1 year, 9 months ago

Chinese defense ministry delivers remarks on Tsai Ing-wen's 'transit' trip through US

China Daily  

BEIJING - Spokesperson of China's Ministry of National Defense delivered remarks on Thursday concerning the "transit" trip of Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen through the United States. The following is the full text of the remarks: We firmly oppose all forms of official interaction between the United States and Taiwan and any visit by leader of the Taiwan authorities to the …

China renews threat, warns Taiwan independence will be ‘punished’
1 year, 11 months ago

China renews threat, warns Taiwan independence will be ‘punished’

Al Jazeera  

China’s Taiwan Affairs Office said anti-China elements in foreign countries were ‘playing with fire’ on the issue of Taiwan’s independence. A spokesperson for China’s Taiwan Affairs Office said on Wednesday that Beijing was recommitted in the new year to “safeguarding sovereignty and territorial integrity” and “smashing plots for Taiwan independence”. China’s state-run Global Times newspaper tweeted the Taiwan Affairs Office …

US must stop moving further down wrong path of manipulating Taiwan question
2 years ago

US must stop moving further down wrong path of manipulating Taiwan question

China Daily  

US President Joe Biden last week signed into law the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023. From the Shanghai Communique in 1972, to the China-US Joint Communique on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations in 1978, and to the August 17 Communique in 1982, the United States has put a clear commitment down in black and white that there …

China warns US of consequences over its commitment to Taiwan
2 years ago

China warns US of consequences over its commitment to Taiwan

Firstpost  

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Beijing has ’taken firm and resolute measures, which have strongly deterred anti-China elements in the US and the ‘Taiwan independence’ forces’ Beijing: China has warned the United States that it could face consequences over its commitment to Taiwan, with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi claiming that the US “has stubbornly continued to see China …

Taiwan as a pawn in great power politics
2 years, 3 months ago

Taiwan as a pawn in great power politics

Hindustan Times  

Tensions between China and Taiwan reached new heights during Nancy Pelosi’s visit, this being the highest-level visit from the United States visit in the last 25 years. As stated in a report by Carnegie, a senior Chinese diplomat warned that as they approach the 20th Party Congress of the Communist Party of China, Beijing would “resolutely respond to any scheme, …

Chinese military spokesperson blasts US Congress members' visit to Taiwan
2 years, 4 months ago

Chinese military spokesperson blasts US Congress members' visit to Taiwan

China Daily  

The Ministry of National Defense spokesman Wu Qian. BEIJING - A Chinese military spokesperson on Monday said the visit of Congress members of the United States, including senator Ed Markey, to China's Taiwan region starting Sunday reveals the true face of the United States as a spoiler and saboteur of peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits. The visit constitutes …

China appears to wind down threatening wargames near Taiwan
2 years, 4 months ago

China appears to wind down threatening wargames near Taiwan

Associated Press  

BEIJING — China on Wednesday repeated military threats against Taiwan while appearing to wind down wargames near the self-governing island it claims as its own territory that have raised tensions between the two sides to their highest level in years. In an additional response to Pelosi’s visit, China said it was cutting off dialogue on issues from maritime security to …

Could China-Taiwan conflict escalate to a full blown military crisis?
2 years, 5 months ago

Could China-Taiwan conflict escalate to a full blown military crisis?

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. This is a question that defence and foreign policy …

DC Edit | China goes over the top in Taiwan missile drills
2 years, 5 months ago

DC Edit | China goes over the top in Taiwan missile drills

Deccan Chronicle  

In a massive show of its disapproval of US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi visiting Taiwan, China has been flexing its military muscle for over two days with missile launches and military movement that could potentially blockade the island nation while also flying scores of fighter aircraft freely into its airspace. As China’s moves are globally being viewed with …

DC EDIT | Pelosi in Taiwan: World on edge over China response
2 years, 5 months ago

DC EDIT | Pelosi in Taiwan: World on edge over China response

Deccan Chronicle  

Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan was fraught with risk. None can dispute the right of a US citizen to visit Taipei, but it’s the timing of her visit that raises the hackles and endangers the peace at a particularly tense time for the world that stands sharply divided with the US and the West on one side and China on …

China summons U.S. envoy Nicholas Burns, warns America shall 'pay price' as Pelosi visits Taiwan
2 years, 5 months ago

China summons U.S. envoy Nicholas Burns, warns America shall 'pay price' as Pelosi visits Taiwan

The Hindu  

China has summoned the American envoy in Beijing to lodge a stern protest over Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi’s high-profile visit to Taipei, warning that Washington will “pay a price” for its “mistakes” and asked it to stop using the Taiwan issue to contain China in any form. Noting that the U.S. side shall “pay the …

Here are all the ways China’s hitting back against Pelosi’s trip
2 years, 5 months ago

Here are all the ways China’s hitting back against Pelosi’s trip

Live Mint  

China hit back at US House speaker Nancy Pelosi’s landmark touchdown in Taiwan late Tuesday with an unprecedented range of actions against the self-ruled island it considers its own. The Communist Party’s Global Times newspaper said Tuesday that the PLA could strike Taiwanese military targets and quoted an expert suggesting China exercise “control” over Taiwan’s airspace and adjacent seas. Criminalizing …

China’s Pelosi bombast shows insecurity over Taiwan: Analysts
2 years, 5 months ago

China’s Pelosi bombast shows insecurity over Taiwan: Analysts

Live Mint  

China's tough rhetoric around US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan reveals deep insecurity about Washington's shifting stance towards the island, analysts told AFP, as well as efforts to distract from economic woes at home. China held live-fire drills across the strait from Taiwan over the weekend, while Hu Xijin, former editor-in-chief of nationalist tabloid Global Times, suggested that …

Explained: Why US and China are at loggerheads over Taiwan
2 years, 5 months ago

Explained: Why US and China are at loggerheads over Taiwan

Firstpost  

Though tensions between Washington and Beijing have recently escalated over Taipei, experts say there is little cause for concern that a full-blown war will break out How dangerous can a trip to Taiwan be? Last week, China’s Defense Ministry reiterated the threat, warning: “If the US insists on taking its own course, the Chinese military will never sit idly by.” …

China announces military drills near Taiwan; PLA on high alert
2 years, 7 months ago

China announces military drills near Taiwan; PLA on high alert

India TV News  

Highlights Biden on Monday said that Washington is ready to get involved militarily to defend Taiwan Biden met with Prime Minister Kishida Fumio of Japan on Monday Biden reaffirmed Washington's commitment to ensuring the security of the Taiwan Strait Days after US President Joe Biden said Washington would intervene militarily if Beijing tried to reunify with Taiwan by force, China …

Op-Ed: How U.S.-China ‘competition’ could lead both countries to disaster
3 years, 1 month ago

Op-Ed: How U.S.-China ‘competition’ could lead both countries to disaster

LA Times  

On at least one important topic in Washington, bipartisanship is very much alive: China. Four months after Biden’s inauguration, Kurt M. Campbell, coordinator for Indo-Pacific affairs at the National Security Council, declared that engagement, the approach American leaders have adopted toward China since the 1970s, had failed and that “the dominant paradigm is going to be competition.” A much-praised book …

Tensions flare as Chinese flights near Taiwan intensify
3 years, 3 months ago

Tensions flare as Chinese flights near Taiwan intensify

Associated Press  

TAIPEI, Taiwan — With record numbers of military flights near Taiwan over the last week, China has been showing a new intensity and military sophistication as it steps up its harassment of the island it claims as its own and asserts its territorial ambitions in the region. “It would signal that in today’s global contest of values, authoritarianism has the …

China-Taiwan Dispute Explained: Invasion or Independence, What Does Future Hold?
3 years, 3 months ago

China-Taiwan Dispute Explained: Invasion or Independence, What Does Future Hold?

The Quint  

Taiwan’s defence ministry on Monday, 4 October, stated that the Chinese military – the People’s Liberation Army – flew almost 150 warplanes into its air-defence zone in the last four days, The Guardian reported. Responding to these grey zone tactics, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, in an essay penned for Foreign Affairs magazine, warned of catastrophic consequences if the island fell …

China-Taiwan Dispute Explained: Invasion or Independence, What Does Future Hold?
3 years, 3 months ago

China-Taiwan Dispute Explained: Invasion or Independence, What Does Future Hold?

The Quint  

Taiwan’s defence ministry on Monday, 4 October, stated that the Chinese military – the People’s Liberation Army – flew almost 150 warplanes into its air-defence zone in the last four days, The Guardian reported. Responding to these grey zone tactics, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, in an essay penned for Foreign Affairs magazine, warned of catastrophic consequences if the island fell …

Top Chinese, US diplomats to meet amid heightened tension over Taiwan
3 years, 3 months ago

Top Chinese, US diplomats to meet amid heightened tension over Taiwan

Hindustan Times  

Military tension between China and Taiwan, which Beijing says is a breakaway region, has intensified in the last few days with a record number of Chinese fighter aircraft flying into the island’s air defence zone. The marked increase in tension comes ahead of the meeting between Yang Jiechi, a member of the Communist Party of China’s Central Committee Politburo and …

Chinese military activity near Taiwan provocative: U.S.
3 years, 3 months ago

Chinese military activity near Taiwan provocative: U.S.

The Hindu  

The United States on Monday, October 4, 2021 termed the Chinese military activity near Taiwan as provocative. “We remain concerned by the People's Republic of China's provocative military activity near Taiwan, which is destabilising risk miscalculations and undermines regional peace and stability,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters at her daily news conference. “We urge Beijing to seize …

US condemns ‘provocative’ Chinese military activity near Taiwan
3 years, 3 months ago

US condemns ‘provocative’ Chinese military activity near Taiwan

Al Jazeera  

US State Department spokesman called on Beijing to cease its ‘military, diplomatic’ coercion against Taiwan. The United States has condemned China’s largest-ever incursion into Taiwan’s air defence zone, which it described as “provocative” and “destabilising” military activity. US State Department spokesman Ned Price on Sunday called on Beijing to cease its “military, diplomatic, and economic pressure and coercion against Taiwan”. …

'Formenter of Regional Unrest': Chinese Military Calls US Biggest Threat to World Peace
4 years, 3 months ago

'Formenter of Regional Unrest': Chinese Military Calls US Biggest Threat to World Peace

News 18  

China’s Defense Ministry on Sunday blasted a critical U.S. report on the country’s military ambitions, saying it is the U.S. instead that poses the biggest threat to the international order and world peace. The statement follows the Sept. 2 release of the annual Defense Department report to Congress on Chinese military developments and goals that it said would have “serious …

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets PLA, urges battle preparedness
4 years, 7 months ago

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets PLA, urges battle preparedness

The Hindu  

Chinese President Xi Jinping on May 26 called on the military “to think about worst-case scenarios” and “scale up battle preparedness”. He “ordered the military to think about worst-case scenarios, scale up training and battle preparedness, promptly and effectively deal with all sorts of complex situations and resolutely safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests,” the official Xinhua news agency …

China, U.S. spar over Taiwan
4 years, 8 months ago

China, U.S. spar over Taiwan

The Hindu  

China has condemned a U.S. tweet backing Taiwan’s push for participation at the United Nations as the global body works with its 193 member states to tackle the coronavirus pandemic. Taiwan's coronavirus protocol shows how it is done Beijing’s diplomatic mission to the UN expressed “strong outrage and firm opposition” to a message on Friday by the United States calling …

A Chinese invasion of Taiwan would be a bloody, logistical nightmare
5 years, 6 months ago

A Chinese invasion of Taiwan would be a bloody, logistical nightmare

CNN  

Taiwan CNN — Roaring out of the sky, an F-16V fighter jet lands smoothly to rearm and refuel on an unremarkable freeway in rural Taiwan, surrounded by rice paddies. SAM YEH/AFP/AFP/Getty Images The plan to take Taiwan China’s Taiwan invasion plan, known internally as the “Joint Island Attack Campaign,” would begin with a mass, coordinated bombing of Taiwan’s vital infrastructure …

China says war with US would be a disaster amid escalating tensions in South China Sea
5 years, 7 months ago

China says war with US would be a disaster amid escalating tensions in South China Sea

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy China has said that a …

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