Washington:
Citing a Washington think tank, CNN reported that the Chinese military could isolate Taiwan, cripple its economy and force the democratic island into submission to Beijing’s Communist Party without firing a single shot.
Concerns that the Chinese Communist Party will try to seize Taiwan by force have grown as President Xi Jinping has adopted an increasingly aggressive stance toward the island, and have been further fuelled by China’s refusal to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
According to CNN, analysts and military strategists said China had two main options: an all-out invasion or a military blockade.
But Washington’s Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) highlights a third option: “quarantine,” which employs “gray zone” tactics and involves actions bordering on war. The China Coast Guard, maritime militia, and various police and maritime safety agencies could implement a full or partial quarantine of Taiwan, cutting off access to ports, energy, and other essential supplies for Taiwan’s 23 million residents.
The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) may only play a supporting and supporting role, according to CSIS authors Bonnie Lin, Brian Hart, Matthew Funaior, Samantha Lu and Truly Tinsley.
“China has significantly increased pressure on Taiwan in recent years, stoking concerns that tensions could escalate into all-out conflict. While much attention has been focused on the threat of invasion, Beijing has options other than invasion, including coercing, punishing or annexing Taiwan,” the report said.
Recently, Chinese Defense Minister Tung Jun warned against “external forces” that are trying to contain China in Taiwan and embolden Taiwanese separatists, saying their malicious intentions are dragging Taiwan into a dangerous situation.
He said anyone trying to separate Taiwan from China would “be self-destructing.” He accused Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities of gradually pushing for Taiwan’s separation, adding that they were trying to erase the island’s Chinese identity.
China has stepped up its use of gray zone tactics, including increasing the number of military aircraft and naval vessels operating near Taiwanese territory, since September 2020. According to Taiwan News, gray zone tactics are described as “an effort or set of efforts to achieve security objectives without resorting to the direct and large-scale use of force, beyond routine deterrence and assurances.”
This latest incident joins a series of similar provocations in recent months by China, which has stepped up military activity around Taiwan, including regular air and naval incursions into Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).
Taiwan, officially known as the Republic of China, has long been a contentious issue in Chinese foreign policy. China continues to assert sovereignty over the island, considers it part of its territory and insists on eventual unification, by force if necessary.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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