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  • Xi Jinping testing Biden’s resolve to defend Taiwan

    Xi Jinping testing Biden’s resolve to defend Taiwan

    There is confidence in Beijing that the White House lacks the spine to follow the example set by Xi in sanctioning not just Mike Pompeo but Speaker Pelosi. Thus far, even a senior colonel in the PLA has not been sanctioned by the Biden administration, writes Prof. Madhav Das Nalapat

    The Commander-in-Chief of all US armed forces, who is also the Head of State and government of the world’s pre-eminent superpower, demonstrated a lack of will in militarily defending US and allied interests in his pell-mell retreat from Afghanistan last year. Earlier, as Vice-President of the United States, Joe Biden had argued against the (successful) effort at neutralising Osama bin Laden in Operation Geronimo as “too risky”. At least while Biden remains in his current job, military planners within the Central Military Commission (CMC) in Beijing believe that they have a window of opportunity to browbeat Taiwan into submitting to PRC overlordship.

    This would come about initially through the demilitarisation of Taiwan and the acknowledgement of PRC “suzerainty” over the island country, followed by further steps at integration in the manner being witnessed in the Hong Kong (Non) Autonomous Region, which today has a similar degree of CCP control over its functioning as do other metropolises such as Shanghai, Macau and Guangzhou. Within the decision-making matrix of CCP General Secretary Xi Jinping, the CMC enjoys primacy over even the Standing Committee of the Politburo, where final decisions by the Office of the General Secretary are concerned.

    As for the formal government led by Prime Minister Li Keqiang, that has been downgraded to a level that resembles the period when Lin Biao, Chairman Mao’s Defence Minister until his fall from grace, reigned over the policy field and provided the sinews needed by Mao to humiliate and destroy the CCP leadership of the time.

    As part of the CCP version of the “strategic ambiguity” policy followed by the US and India in key matters where dealings with the PRC are concerned, a few articles are allowed to be published every once in a while that call for avoiding efforts at a military takeover of Taiwan. Such views do not reflect the consensus within the CMC, which is that once two conditions are fulfilled, the time would have arrived for an invasion and occupation of Taiwan. These conditions are (a) that the US abstains from intervention in such a conflict and (b) the people of Taiwan acquiesce, albeit willingly, in the occupation by a much bigger force of their country.

    Where the European partners of NATO are concerned, their pathetic performance in 21st century theatres such as Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and Libya has convinced the CMC that the only military capable of taking on the PLA is that of the US. In such a context, the determination to resist or accept what will be telegraphed through infowar as the “inevitable” takeover of Taiwan by the PRC is the question, and Biden’s performance in kinetic contexts and substantive as distinct from symbolic White House moves has increased the number of CMC analysts who believe that President Biden may “huff and puff”, but otherwise accept rather than respond to the PLA carrying out kinetic operations against Taiwan. Should the US not respond, the belief within the CMC is that Tokyo too would follow the example set by Washington in “living with the inevitable”.

    WORDS, WORDS AND MORE WORDS

    Whether in Japan, the US, the EU or in India, there is a powerful infowar network that each functions under the superintendence of a senior colonel within the PLA. It is this network that has ensured widespread belief within the population of such target zones that the provocation for the unprecedented intensification of PLA activity within the air and sea space of Taiwan since Speaker Pelosi left the country was created by her and by President Tsai rather than by General Secretary Xi Jinping. This is reminiscent of those misogynists who say that it was the “provocative behaviour” of the victim of an assault rather than the perpetrator that was responsible for such an incident.

    What is taking place across the Taiwan Straits is intended to (i) convey a message to the US (and therefore also to Japan) that any attempted resistance to a future attempt at a military takeover of Taiwan is doomed to failure and (ii) convince the people of Taiwan that they are alone in the face of the overwhelming force of the PLA, and hence need to vote in apologists for Beijing the next time polls are held in Taiwan, which is a few months from now. Another trope is that for all its touch talk, the CCP is not going to resort to military force, but will use non-military means in its efforts at subduing Taiwan.

    Such an impression goes against the evidence accumulated thus far, including in the aftermath of the Pelosi visit. Of course, the effort in infowar is to cover up truth with lies, and in this, the infowarriors of the CMC have had some success. It is noticeable that thus far, it has been Secretary of State Antony Blinken (who is considered within policymakers in China to fortunately be obsessed with Russia and Europe rather than paying needed attention to China and the rest of Asia) rather than Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin who has led the verbal charge against the PLA intrusions into spaces under the long-established jurisdiction of Japan and Taiwan.

    The CMC’s infowarriors are spreading the story that it was External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar who blocked Secretary Blinken from adding Taiwan in the basket of tensions that the US Secretary of State mentioned in his public remarks as being discussed with EAM Jaishankar on the sidelines of the ASEAN meeting. Given Jaishankar’s many forthright statements on the subject of PRC overreach, such a story is obviously concocted, the more so as PM Narendra Modi’s actions responding to efforts by the PLA in 2017 and 2020 to trample on Indian security concerns have been a textbook example of firmness.

    TIME FOR ACTION

    Will Taiwan in the reign of Xi be what Czechoslovakia was in 1938, a victory by default by a revisionist and authoritarian power intent on turning upside down the status quo? Once again, with customary skill, the CMC’s infowar corps are spreading the story that manoeuvres that are intended to create “Shock & Awe” among target countries are just a one-off. This is the opposite of what they represent, which is a testing of the waters to judge the likely reaction of the US in particular to kinetic operations against Taiwan.

    There is confidence in Beijing that the White House lacks the spine to follow the example set by Xi in sanctioning not just Mike Pompeo but Speaker Pelosi, the third in line to the US Presidency. Thus far, even a senior colonel in the PLA has not been sanctioned by the Biden administration, which has contented itself with pained expressions of shock by known Europe First ideologues such as Secretary Blinken, with Defence Secretary Austin suddenly losing his voice in a manner not seen in him in the matter of the conflict in Europe. The other two Quad members are watching whether there will be measures that reflect the intent and intensity of the manner in which Xi Jinping has sought to redraw Red Lines concerning kinetic activity directed at Japan and Taiwan, and similar hesitancy is the case with ASEAN.

    As for the European powers, including the UK, the soothing clink of cash registers in several corporate houses has thus far ensured that they act in a totally contrasting manner to the “fire and fury” that they have unleashed on Russia, a power that is on any count far below the PRC in terms of threat and ability to react. Czechoslovakia was in effect left to fend for itself, and thus far that appears to be the case with Taiwan as well, no matter how many times there is the pious recital of the “Taiwan is not alone” hymn by Speaker Pelosi. Lack of substantive countermeasures, including sanctions rather than measures such as the tariff relief favoured by some in the US Department of Commerce, are needed so as to avoid strengthening the hawks in the CMC sufficiently to enable them to carry out General Secretary Xi Jinping’s dream of annexing Taiwan.

    ALSO READ-Taiwan begins live-fire artillery exercises

  • Taiwan begins live-fire artillery exercises

    Taiwan begins live-fire artillery exercises

    The Foreign Ministry in Taipei has condemned China’s extension of its manoeuvres near Taiwan…reports Asian Lite News

    Taiwan on Tuesday began scheduled live-fire artillery exercises amid China’s ongoing military manoeuvres around the island.

    The live ammunition artillery exercise known as the Tien Lei drill was announced in late July and was designed to simulate Taiwan’s defence against an attack by China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA), reports dpa news agency.

    It is taking place on Tuesday and Thursday this week and was planned as part of Taiwan’s annual Han Kuang exercises, but comes amid heightened tensions and just after China said it would extend large-scale air and sea drills to the north, south-west and east of Taiwan that had been due to end on Sunday.

    No new formal end date has been announced.

    Taiwanese television reported on Tuesday that flares were fired in coastal areas during the military exercise in Pingtung county in the island’s south, near a zone previously designated by the Chinese army for its drill.

    The Foreign Ministry in Taipei has condemned China’s extension of its manoeuvres near Taiwan.

    “China’s real intention behind these military exercises is to alter the status quo in the Taiwan Strait and the entire region,” Foreign Minister Joseph Wu told a news conference.

    Wu said China’s large-scale military exercises, missile launches and cyberattacks were all part of Beijing’s “military playbook to prepare for the invasion of Taiwan”.

    He said they were strategies to “weaken public morale” on the island.

    China launched the military manoeuvres on August 2 in response to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan.

    Since its launch, the Chinese military practised not only a naval and air blockade, but also amphibious landing capabilities to launch beach assaults on Taiwan, according to Chinese media.

    Taiwan’s military said Chinese aircraft flew 66 sorties on Sunday alone. In the process, 22 jets crossed the Taiwan Strait median line, a demarcation that had mostly been respected in the past.

    Fourteen Chinese warships were said to have participated, as well.

    A Chinese drone was also spotted again on Sunday evening over the outlying Taiwanese island of Kinmen, which is only a few kilometres from the Chinese coast.

    ALSO READ-China continues military drills around Taiwan

  • China continues military drills around Taiwan

    China continues military drills around Taiwan

    In announcing the manoeuvres to the north, south-west and east of self-ruled island on August 2, China had originally promised their conclusion on Sunday…reports Asian Lite News

    China’s People’s Liberation Army on Monday continued their large-scale sea and air drills around Taiwan despite its initial announcement that the exercises which began last week in response to US House Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taipei, would end on Sunday.

    China’s state television reported that the exercises were focussing on “anti-submarine and sea assault operations”, reports dpa news agency

    In announcing the manoeuvres to the north, south-west and east of self-ruled island on August 2, China had originally promised their conclusion on Sunday.

    No new formal end date has been announced.

    In fact, some commentators on Chinese media expressed the view that the military exercises could become the new normal.

    Defence Ministry spokesman Wu Qian on Monday said the drills are a “necessary warning” to the US and Taiwan, describing them as an “entirely reasonable and appropriate” response to their recent “provocations”.

    He said the tensions were “deliberately” stoked by Washington, with Pelosi travelling to Taipei last week in the face of fierce opposition from Beijing.

    The Chinese leadership rejects official contacts by other countries with Taipei because it regards the island as part of the mainland.

    Taiwan, on the other hand, has long seen itself as independent.

    Over the past several days the Chinese military practised not only a naval and air blockade, but also amphibious landing capabilities to launch beach assaults on Taiwan, according to Chinese media.

    Taiwan’s military said Chinese aircraft flew 66 sorties on Sunday alone. In the process, 22 jets crossed the Taiwan Strait median line, a demarcation that had mostly been respected in the past.

    Fourteen Chinese warships were said to have participated, as well.

    A Chinese drone was also spotted again on Sunday evening over the outlying Taiwanese island of Kinmen, which is only a few kilometres from the Chinese coast, the Defence Ministry in Taipei reported.

    Until recent days, there had been no Chinese overflight of the island since the 1950s.

    Other Chinese manoeuvres are also planned this week in other waters, including in the north in the Bohai Gulf and Yellow Sea, and in the south in the South China Sea off the coast of Guangdong province

    ALSO READ: Alarm bells in Lanka over China’s surveillance ship to Hambantota

  • Taiwan not part of US, but Chinese territory: Wang Yi

    Taiwan not part of US, but Chinese territory: Wang Yi

    In announcing the manoeuvres to the north, south-west and east of self-ruled island on August 2, China had originally promised their conclusion on Sunday…reports Asian Lite News

    Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said on Sunday that Taiwan is not part of the United States but Chinese territory.

    During a short visit to Bangladesh, Wang Yi said United States has been engaging in “sophistry” on the Taiwan question, and China’s actions on Taiwan have been just, appropriate and legal, as well as being aimed at safeguarding the country’s sacred sovereignty and territorial integrity, media reported.

    Meanwhile, China’s People’s Liberation Army on Monday continued their large-scale sea and air drills around Taiwan despite its initial announcement that the exercises which began last week in response to US House Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taipei, would end on Sunday.

    China’s state television reported that the exercises were focussing on “anti-submarine and sea assault operations”, reports dpa news agency

    In announcing the manoeuvres to the north, south-west and east of self-ruled island on August 2, China had originally promised their conclusion on Sunday.

    No new formal end date has been announced.

    In fact, some commentators on Chinese media expressed the view that the military exercises could become the new normal.

    Defence Ministry spokesman Wu Qian on Monday said the drills are a “necessary warning” to the US and Taiwan, describing them as an “entirely reasonable and appropriate” response to their recent “provocations”.

    He said the tensions were “deliberately” stoked by Washington, with Pelosi travelling to Taipei last week in the face of fierce opposition from Beijing.

    The Chinese leadership rejects official contacts by other countries with Taipei because it regards the island as part of the mainland.

    Taiwan, on the other hand, has long seen itself as independent.

    Over the past several days the Chinese military practised not only a naval and air blockade, but also amphibious landing capabilities to launch beach assaults on Taiwan, according to Chinese media.

    Taiwan’s military said Chinese aircraft flew 66 sorties on Sunday alone. In the process, 22 jets crossed the Taiwan Strait median line, a demarcation that had mostly been respected in the past.

    Fourteen Chinese warships were said to have participated, as well.

    A Chinese drone was also spotted again on Sunday evening over the outlying Taiwanese island of Kinmen, which is only a few kilometres from the Chinese coast, the Defence Ministry in Taipei reported.

    Until recent days, there had been no Chinese overflight of the island since the 1950s.

    Other Chinese manoeuvres are also planned this week in other waters, including in the north in the Bohai Gulf and Yellow Sea, and in the south in the South China Sea off the coast of Guangdong province.

    ALSO READ-Chinese military drill near Taiwan due to end

  • ‘China simulating invasion of Taiwan’

    ‘China simulating invasion of Taiwan’

    China had launched the manoeuvres around the democratic self-governing island in response to the visit by leading US politician Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan, reports Asian Lite News

    In manoeuvres around Taiwan on Saturday, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is performing “what it believed to be a simulation of an attack on Taiwan’s main island”, according to the Defence Ministry in Taipei.

    The Ministry said that numerous military aircraft and warships were operating near Taiwan and some of them had crossed the unofficial centre line in the 130-km-wide Taiwan Strait, which separates the mainland and the island and is mostly respected by both sides, reports dpa news agency.

    In response, Taiwan’s military had sent aircraft, radioed warnings and mobilised missile defence systems to track the Chinese military aircraft.

    The Mainland Affairs Council, Taiwan’s government agency on policy dealings with Beijing, strongly protested China’s simulation, asking to immediately stop the irresponsible provocation.

    China had launched the manoeuvres around the democratic self-governing island in response to the visit by leading US politician Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan. It was the highest-ranking visit from the US in a quarter of a century.

    Beijing regards Taiwan as part of its territory and vehemently rejects official contacts between other countries and Taipei.

    Photo taken on Aug. 5, 2022 shows a Taiwan military vessel as seen from a warship of the navy of the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) during the navy’s combat exercises and training in the waters around the Taiwan Island. The Eastern Theater Command on Friday continued joint combat exercises and training in the waters and airspace around the Taiwan Island. (Photo by Lin Jian/Xinhua/IANS)

    On Friday, the PLA had sent a “record number” of 68 military aircraft and 13 naval vessels into waters near the island, Taiwan’s military reported.

    Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Joseph Wu tweeted his condemnation of what he termed a “dangerous escalation of the military threat” that was “wrecking peace & stability in the region & must be condemned”.

    As part of its military exercises, which are due to end on Sunday, the PLA also launched 11 ballistic missiles in Taiwan’s direction, one of which flew directly over the island and passed close to the capital Taipei for the first time, according to reports.

    Five other missiles landed east of Taiwan in Japan’s exclusive economic zone, in a gesture that was widely seen as a warning to Tokyo to stay out of the conflict.

    China has suspended dialogue with the US on climate action and on certain military matters, while it ceased cooperation on issues such as the fight against organized crime, drugs and the repatriation of illegal immigrants altogether.

    A video screenshot shows a warplane conducting operations during exercises and training of the air force corps of the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) around the Taiwan Island, Aug. 5, 2022. The Eastern Theater Command on Friday continued joint combat exercises and training in the waters and airspace around the Taiwan Island. (Xinhua/IANS)

    In addition, Beijing imposed unspecified sanctions on Pelosi and her immediate family members, accusing her of “seriously interfering in internal affairs”.

    Speaking in the Philippines, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington had no desire to see the escalation of military tensions.

    He urged Beijing to “focus on the fact that for 40 years plus, we’ve managed this problem, this challenge well and we’ve done it in a way that’s avoided any conflict”.

    “I think that’s the expectations that countries … around the region and around the world have,” he added. “They certainly expect us, the US and China, to manage our differences responsibly and that’s what we’re determined to do.”

    ALSO READ: Chinese fighter jets, warships rattle Taiwan

  • China announces sanctions on Pelosi over Taiwan visit

    China announces sanctions on Pelosi over Taiwan visit

    Pelosi had visited the self-governing democratic island on Tuesday, prompting Beijing to launch air and sea military drills with live fire in the waters off Taiwan…reports Asian Lite News

     In response to her controversial Taiwan visit, China has imposed unspecified sanctions on Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi “and her immediate family members”, the Foreign Ministry in Beijing said on Friday.

    “In disregard of China’s grave concerns and firm opposition, Pelosi insisted on visiting China’s Taiwan region. This constitutes a gross interference in China’s internal affairs,” dpa news agency quoted the Ministry as saying in a statement.

    “It gravely undermines China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, seriously tramples on the one-China principle, and severely threatens peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

    “In response to Pelosi’s egregious provocation, China decides to adopt sanctions on Pelosi and her immediate family members in accordance with relevant laws of the People’s Republic of China,” it added.

    Pelosi had visited the self-governing democratic island on Tuesday, prompting Beijing to launch air and sea military drills with live fire in the waters off Taiwan.

    Earlier in the day, the Foreign Ministry had summoned the Japanese ambassador in retaliation over Tokyo’s criticism of China’s manoeuvres around Taiwan within the framework of the G7 group.

    The Ministry said that a formal protest had been handed over to the envoy.

    On Thursday, the Ambassadors of the G7 countries and the EU’s representatives were similarly summoned.

    The G7 had expressed its concern in a statement by its Foreign Ministers, stressing that there was no reason to use a visit by a top US politician to Taiwan as a pretext “for aggressive military activities”.

    Pelosi became the highest-ranking American diplomat to visit Taiwan in a quarter of a century.

    Beijing sees the self-governing democratic island as part of its territory and rejects any official contact with Taiwan.

    ALSO READ-China ramps up military presence in Taiwan

  • China ramps up military presence in Taiwan

    China ramps up military presence in Taiwan

    Taiwan’s military responded with radio warnings and put air patrol forces, naval ships and shore-based missile systems on alert…reports Asian Lite News

    Taiwan’s Defence Ministry on Friday said that Chinese warships and aircraft conducted military drills in waters near the island, as tensions escalated in the region following US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit earlier this week.

    In a statement, the Ministry said that China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) forces crossed the median line — the halfway point between the island and mainland China — in a move it called a “highly provocative act”, reports CNN.

    The line has previously been an informal but largely respected border of control between Beijing and Taipei.

    Taiwan’s military responded with radio warnings and put air patrol forces, naval ships and shore-based missile systems on alert, the Ministry added.

    On Friday, Taiwan’s Premier Su Tseng-chang said the island represented “freedom and democracy”, and that “the evil neighbour next door flexed its muscles on our doorstep and arbitrarily sabotaged (one of) the busiest waterways in the world with military exercises”.

    The skies and waters around Taiwan have become a focal point as Beijing ramps up tensions not only with Taiwan, but with neighbouring Japan, which lodged a formal protest with China after five projectiles landed in Japan’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

    The missiles were among a number launched by Beijing Thursday, some of which flew over Taiwan, as Pelosi made her way to Tokyo where she met Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Friday, CNN reported.

    China has previously fired missiles into waters surrounding Taiwan, a democratic island of 24 million that the Chinese Communist Party regards as its territory, despite having never controlled it, most notably during the Taiwan Strait Crisis in the 1990s.

    But missiles flying over the island marked a significant escalation, with US officials warning there may be more to come.

    ALSO READ: Tibet among issues discussed during Pelosi’s Taiwan visit

  • Did Pelosi’s visit trigger Xi to advance his Taiwan move?

    Did Pelosi’s visit trigger Xi to advance his Taiwan move?

    A show of strength at this time will bind people as well as well as disparate factions within the CPC ahead of the 20th Party Congress this autumn that will decide on a new leadership line-up for the next five years, a report by Atul Aneja

    The Speaker of the US House of Representatives has left Taiwan, but by taking the trip, she may have triggered a strategic decision by Chinese President Xi Jinping, the head of the Communist Party of China (CPC), to take over the island by force.

    The question may not no longer be “whether” but “when” to launch a massive military operation to annex the Taiwan islands.

    While Pelosi was still in Taiwan, the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) Eastern Theatre command began an exercise to blockade Taiwan, deploying warships, aircraft, amphibious forces and conventional land attack missiles, feeding off from an elaborate surveillance system that included military satellites.

    Chinese state media is reporting that the Chinese have also deployed DF-17 hypersonic missile in the exercise, adding a sharper message of intent.

    The exercise aims to substantially blockade Taiwan by exercising control over the territory’s key ports. These include the Keelung Port and Taipei Port in the north, the Taichung port, Kaohsiung port in the south and Hualien Port in the east. “If the PLA exercises take a long time, it will constitute a substantial blockage of Taiwan,” Global Times, the garrulous mouthpiece of the CPC, quoted a Chinese military expert as saying.

    The PLA’ s drills this time are “comprehensive and highly targeted,” showing the determination of resolving the Taiwan question once and for all, another Chinese military commentator Song Zhongping told the daily.

    The drill should be viewed as a war plan rehearsal, Song said, “In the event of a future military conflict, it is likely that the operational plans currently being rehearsed will be directly translated into combat operations.”

    The comment corroborates an explosive audio leak of a top-secret meeting of the Guangdong Military Region that surfaced on Lude media’s YouTube channel on May 14. The audio reveals a detailed plan of invading Taiwan. Participants advocate the centrality of safeguarding the Pearl River Delta area in the province. A densely populated area, it is the heartbeat of the Chinese industry. The province is majorly responsible for turning China into the workshop of the world. It includes Guangzhou, a world class trading hub, Shenzhen, the hi-tech capital, where giants of the digital age, such as Huawei and Tencent Industries are headquartered. Other major cities of huge importance include Foshan, the furniture capital, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Hong Kong and Macau.

    Regarding mobilization, it reveals that Guangdong military region tasks slated by the eastern and southern theatre commands include “1,358 detachments of various types with a total of 140,000 personnel, 953 ships of various types, and 1,653 units/sets of various unmanned equipment. Other resources include 20 airports and docks, 6 repair and shipbuilding yards, 14 emergency transfer centres, and resources such as grain depots, hospitals, blood stations, oil depots, gas stations, etc.” Besides, “the national defence mobilization recruitment office will recruit new military service personnel, retired military personnel, and special talents totalling 15,500 people from our province. The National Defence Commission clearly stated that our province shall coordinate the implementation of the seven types of national level warfare resources, including, mainly, 64 10,000-ton roll-on/roll-off ships, 38 aircraft, 588 train cars and 19 civil facilities including airports and docks.”

    US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi meets with Taiwanese President Tsai ing-wen in Taipei_

    The leak further reveals that the task flow from the “the Party Central Committee, General Secretary Xi Jinping’s major strategic decision in view of the big picture of international and domestic affairs, as well as the overall strategic situation of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. It was made after carefully reviewing the timing and the situations”.

    In the manoeuvres to blockade Taiwan, the PLA is deploying the J-20 stealth fighter jets, H-6K bombers, J-11 fighter jets, Type 052D destroyer, Type 056A corvette and DF-11 short-range ballistic missiles.

    There are four major reasons as to why President Xi may have made up his mind to annex Taiwan.

    First, there is widespread support in China for such a move where nationalist fervour is running high. A show of strength at this time will bind people as well as well as disparate factions within the CPC ahead of the 20th Party Congress this autumn that will decide on a new leadership line-up for the next five years.

    Second, from a strategic perspective China’s top leadership appears to have made up its mind to break its naval containment imposed by the US and its allies under the First island chain — a string of mostly militarised islands that run from the Kamchatka in the north pass though Taiwan and end up in Borneo, with Okinawa in Japan as the fulcrum. Occupation of Taiwan by China would be central to breaking the stranglehold of the First island chain. Once Chinese submarines are based in the deep waters of Taiwan, the First island chain would be broken as there is no way that the Americans can monitor the movement of these platforms which can then roam with impunity in the Pacific.

    Third, the Chinese would like to make their move in Taiwan before the Australia- UK-US (AUKUS) grouping dedicated to China’s containment matures.

    Fourth, unlike 1996 when they were found wanting in their fracas with Taiwan, the Chinese war machine has been significantly upgraded. “In 1996, we didn’t have aircraft carriers, the Type 055 large destroyer, nor hypersonic missiles… Since then, our ability to strike, capture and kill has greatly improved and our military options and confidence have increased,” Song, the military expert was quoted as saying.

    (The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)

    ALSO READ: Japan, US vow cooperation on Taiwan

  • China starts military drills around Taiwan

    China starts military drills around Taiwan

    Nationalist state-run tabloid Global Times said, citing military analysts, that the exercises were ‘unprecedented’ and that missiles would fly over Taiwan for the first time…reports Asian Lite News

    China’s largest-ever military exercises encircling Taiwan kicked off Thursday, in a show of force straddling vital international shipping lanes after a visit to the island by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

    Pelosi left Taiwan Wednesday after a trip that defied a series of stark threats from Beijing, which views the self-ruled island as its territory.

    Second in line to the presidency, Pelosi was the highest-profile elected US official to visit Taiwan in 25 years.

    She said her presence made it “unequivocally clear” that the United States would “not abandon” a democratic ally like Taiwan.

    It sparked a furious reaction from Beijing, which vowed “punishment” and announced military drills in the seas around Taiwan — some of the world’s busiest waterways.

    The exercises, which began around 12 pm (0400 GMT), involve “live-firing”, according to state media.

    “Six major areas around the island have been selected for this actual combat exercise and during this period, relevant ships and aircraft should not enter the relevant waters and airspaces,” state broadcaster CCTV reported.

    The exercises will take place in multiple zones around Taiwan — at some points within just 20 kilometres (12 miles) of the island’s shore — and will conclude at midday on Sunday.

    Taiwan’s defence ministry said it was closely watching the drills and that the island was prepared for conflict, but would not seek it.

    “The Ministry of National Defence stresses that it will uphold the principle of preparing for war without seeking war, and with an attitude of not escalating conflict and causing disputes,” it said in a statement.

    Beijing’s nationalist state-run tabloid Global Times said, citing military analysts, that the exercises were “unprecedented” and that missiles would fly over Taiwan for the first time.

    “This is the first time the PLA will launch live long-range artillery across” the Taiwan Strait, the newspaper said using the Chinese military’s formal name, the People’s Liberation Army.

    Taiwan has described the exercises as “an irrational move to challenge the international order”.

    The Group of Seven industrialised nations also condemned the drills, saying in a statement there was “no justification to use a visit as pretext for aggressive military activity in the Taiwan Strait”.

    Taiwan’s Maritime and Port Bureau issued warnings on Wednesday to ships to avoid the areas being used for the Chinese drills.

    The Taiwanese cabinet said the drills would disrupt 18 international routes passing through its flight information region (FIR).

    Beijing has defended its military operations as “necessary and just”, pinning the blame for the escalation on the United States and its allies.

    “In the current struggle surrounding Pelosi’s Taiwan visit, the United States are the provocateurs, China is the victim,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a regular briefing Wednesday.

    A Chinese military source said the exercises would be staged “in preparation for actual combat”.

    “If the Taiwanese forces come into contact with the PLA on purpose and accidentally fire a gun, the PLA will take stern countermeasures, and all the consequences will be borne by the Taiwanese side,” the source said.

    Taiwan’s 23 million people have long lived with the possibility of an invasion, but that threat has intensified under President Xi Jinping, China’s most assertive ruler in a generation.

    Just 130 km wide at its narrowest point, the Taiwan Strait is a major international shipping channel and all that lies between democratic Taiwan and its giant authoritarian neighbour.

    It is now a flashpoint between the United States, Taiwan and a Chinese leadership keen to project strength ahead of a crucial ruling party meeting this autumn at which Xi is expected to be given an unprecedented third term.

    “China’s announced military exercises represent a clear escalation from the existing baseline of Chinese military activities around Taiwan and from the last Taiwan Strait Crisis in 1995-1996,” said Amanda Hsiao, senior analyst for China at the International Crisis Group.

    “Beijing is signalling that it rejects Taiwan’s sovereignty.”

    Nevertheless, analysts have told AFP that China is not aiming to escalate the situation beyond its control — at least for now.

    “Clearly they recognise that there are some limits to what they are willing to do,” Chong Ja Ian, an associate professor at the National University of Singapore, told AFP.

    And Titus Chen, an associate professor of political science at the National Sun Yat-Sen University in Taiwan, said: “The last thing Xi wants is an accidental war.”

    A top US official on Wednesday called China’s military drills in response to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan irresponsible and warned of the danger of the situation spiraling out of control.

    “We believe that what China is doing here is not responsible,” said National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in an interview with National Public Radio.

    Southeast Asian foreign ministers urged restraint Thursday as China readied massive military drills off Taiwan, warning the situation risked spiralling into “open conflicts”.

    A furious Beijing is planning its biggest-ever exercises around Taiwan in response to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to the self-ruled island.

    Ministers from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting in Phnom Penh warned against “provocative action”.

    The situation “could lead to miscalculation, serious confrontation, open conflicts and unpredictable consequences among major powers,” the ministers said in a joint statement published Thursday.

    Beijing, which considers Taiwan a part of its territory to one day be reclaimed, by force if necessary, was enraged by the trip by Pelosi — the highest-profile elected US official to visit the island in 25 years.

    It vowed “punishment” and announced military drills, including live-fire exercises, expected to begin at 0400 GMT in several areas encircling Taiwan.

    ALSO READ-China launches military drills around Taiwan

  • China launches military drills around Taiwan

    China launches military drills around Taiwan

    Under the Eastern Theater Command, the exercises involved troops from the Navy, Air Force, Rocket Force, Strategic Support Force and Logistic Support Force…reports Asian Lite News

    China on Wednesday commenced military drills around Taiwan’s main island, according to Chinese state media, hours after US House Speaker departed from Taipei following a visit that has rankled Beijing.

    Live-fire drills began in six identified zones around the island at noon local time, Al Jazeera reported citing China state media.

     According to Xinhua News Agency, the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) on Wednesday organized joint combat training exercises in the northern, southwestern and southeastern waters and airspace off Taiwan Island.

    Under the Eastern Theater Command, the exercises involved troops from the Navy, Air Force, Rocket Force, Strategic Support Force and Logistic Support Force.

    “The exercises focused on key training sessions including joint blockade, sea target assault, strike on ground targets, and airspace control operation, and the joint combat capabilities of the troops got tested in the military operations,” Xinhua added.

    Responding to a question about the PLA’s decision to kick off the drills two days after Pelosi’s arrival, a military expert said that the arrangement shows the army’s rational and responsible attitude as it leaves time for domestic and foreign civilian ships and airlines to evacuate their ships and adjust their flights, Global Times reported.

    Zhang Junshe, a senior research fellow at the Naval Research Academy of the People’s Liberation Army, said that the drills include long-range live-fire shooting and conventional missile test launches.

    As per the international conventions, areas of military drills have to be disclosed three days in advance and 24 hours in advance under an emergency situation. “

    That is mainly to leave enough time for domestic and foreign ships to evacuate as well as for related civilian airlines to adjust their routes to avoid the areas. The move is intended to avoid hurting ordinary people during the drills, showing the rational and responsible attitude of the PLA,” Zhang said as quoted by Global Times.

    Taiwan’s defence ministry said that an unidentified aircraft flew above the Kinmen Islands, Taiwanese territory off China’s southeastern coast, on Wednesday night and it had fired flares in response.

    Major General Chang Zone-sung of the military’s Kinmen Defense Command said that the Chinese drones came in a pair and flew into the Kinmen area twice on Wednesday night, at about 9 pm (6:30 pm IST) and 10 pm (7:30 pm IST), Al Jazeera reported citing Reuters News Agency.

    “We immediately fired flares to issue warnings and to drive them away. After that, they turned around. They came into our restricted area and that’s why we dispersed them,” he said.

    The Group of Seven developed nations has expressed concern at China’s response to Pelosi’s visit, calling for calm and saying the moves by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) risked unnecessary escalation.

    Pelosi’s visit, which is also the highest level of US visits in more than two decades, left China heavily infuriated and the communist nation warned the US that it will “pay the price”

    Pelosi’s trip has heightened US-China tensions more than visits by other members of Congress because of her high-level position as leader of the House of Representatives. She is the first speaker of the house to come to Taiwan in 25 years since Newt Gingrich in 1997.

    The Chinese military had announced holding live-fire naval exercises in the Taiwan Strait after Pelosi’s visit which is mainly seen to build security and economic momentum for the Indo-Pacific and is also seen as a move by the US to build pressure on China over its claim on Taiwan, responding to which the Pentagon also sent an aircraft carrier to the South China Sea.

    Earlier, China sent 27 aircraft to Taiwan’s air defence identification zone (ADIZ), the island’s Defence Ministry said on Wednesday hours after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi left Taipei.

    China which claims Taiwan as its territory and opposes any engagement by Taiwanese officials with foreign governments, announced multiple military exercises around the island, issued a series of harsh statements and even summoned the US ambassador to Beijing, Nicholas Burns, to protest against Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan.

    Moreover, China has decided to avoid meeting US Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Cambodia. (ANI)

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