How Beijing’s ‘red lines’ over Taiwan could lead to war with US
- Unlike other flashpoints, Chinese authorities will show no flexibility and could invade if it declares independence
- The People’s Liberation Army has spent years training to retake the island, and are prepared for US intervention
This is the third in a series examining the growing tensions between China and the United States and how the situation could escalate into a full-blown military conflict. Read part one, part two, and part four here.
Taiwan looms large as one of the most obvious flashpoints for an armed conflict between China and the United States. Beijing has made clear it regards the island as an integral part of China and any attempt to change its status is a red line.
The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China has been preparing for its “reunification mission” ever since Chiang Kai-shek’s defeated Nationalist forces fled to the island at the end of the civil war in 1949. The military is well aware that an invasion could prompt US intervention.
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Taiwan military drill simulates response to an attack across Taiwan Strait
“The PLA is very clear that once a war with Taiwan breaks out, their opponent will not just be the Taiwanese military, but the US-Japan alliance and other allies in the region,” said Zhou Chenming, a researcher from the Yuan Wang, a Beijing-based military science and technology institute.
The PLA was confident that a combined force of its aircraft-carrier groups, air force and land-based missiles was a “strong shield” to prevent the US and other fleets from entering the Taiwan Strait, Zhou said.