China drones can counter US ‘hellscape’ in Taiwan Strait: analysts
- But observers warn that the plan signals a change in Washington’s long-standing policy of ambiguity on the Taiwanese issue
Chinese military observers said the PLA would be able to counter any US drones with larger-scale swarms of the devices equipped with advanced AI applications, but added that Beijing needs to be alert amid growing risks of a change in Washington’s strategy.
The new head of the US Indo-Pacific Command, Admiral Samuel Paparo, outlined the “hellscape” plan to the Washington Post, in an interview on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.
In the interview, published on Monday, Paparo said the plan was designed to thwart “Beijing’s likely strategy to overwhelm [Taiwan] with a massive attack, with little warning”.
“I want to turn the Taiwan Strait into an unmanned hellscape using a number of classified capabilities … I can make their lives utterly miserable for a month, which buys me the time for the rest of everything,” he said.
Beijing regards Taiwan as part of China to be reunited, by force if necessary. The US, like most countries, does not recognise Taiwan as independent but is opposed to any unilateral change in the status quo.