CNN quoted a Washington think tank as saying that China’s military could isolate Taiwan, cripple its economy, and force the democratic island to surrender to Beijing’s Communist Party without firing a shot.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s increasingly aggressive stance toward the self-ruled island has raised concerns about the Communist Party’s intention to take control of Taiwan, possibly by force. China’s refusal to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has further fueled these fears.
According to CNN, analysts and military strategists said China has two major options – a full-scale invasion or a military blockade.
However, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington has highlighted a third option: quarantine. This method, using “gray zone” tactics, involves actions just below the threshold of war. The China Coast Guard, its maritime militia, and various police and maritime security agencies could enforce a full or partial quarantine of Taiwan, potentially cutting off access to its ports and essential supplies like energy for the island’s 23 million people.
According to CSIS authors Bonnie Lin, Brian Hart, Matthew Funayole, Samantha Lu, and Truly Tinsley, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) can only play a supporting and supportive role.
“China has significantly increased pressure on Taiwan in recent years, raising fears that tensions could escalate into outright conflict. Much attention has been paid to the threat of invasion, but Beijing also has many options to pressure, punish or occupy Taiwan,” the report said.
Recently, China’s Minister of National Defense Admiral Dong Jun warned against “external forces” promoting Taiwan independence separatists in an attempt to align Taiwan with China, saying these malicious intentions are leading Taiwan into a dangerous situation.
He said anyone who dares to separate Taiwan from China “will end in self-destruction.” He accused officials of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) of gradually separating Taiwan and said they were bent on erasing Taiwan’s Chinese identity.
Since September 2020, China has intensified its use of grey zone tactics by increasing the number of military aircraft and naval ships operating near Taiwan’s territory. According to Taiwan News, grey zone tactics are described as “an effort or series of efforts beyond steady-state deterrence and reassurance that seeks to achieve one’s security objectives without the direct and large-scale use of force.”
This latest incident is among a series of similar provocations by China in recent months. China has increased its military activities around Taiwan, including regular aerial 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 China’s foreign policy. China continues to assert sovereignty over Taiwan and considers it part of its territory and insists on eventual reunification, by force if necessary.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)