Experts have warned of consequences for the U.S. and its allies if China succeeds in the forceful military reunification of Taiwan.
What Happened: Dr. Aditya Bhan, a research fellow at ORF, a leading South Asian think tank, has warned that if Xi Jinping's country has significantly developed the means to execute an "invasion of Taiwan" and if this succeeds, the "Indo-Pacific states confront a real possibility of having China in their strategic backyard."
"The potential loss or the fall of Taiwan to the PRC [China] would pave the way for bringing the First Island Chain (FIC) under direct Chinese threat, along with critical sea lines of communication (SLOC) traversing the region," Bhan said in an ORF report.
"The FIC would serve as a critical gateway for the Chinese to expand their military presence in the Western Pacific," he added.
Bhan referring to People's Liberation Army's (PLA) recent "strike drills" in the Taiwan Strait, said the war games are the latest demonstration of Chinese military power, which foreshadows an "increasing possibility" of attack on the island.
The report noted that such a scenario would have significant consequences for India, which already confronts China along a highly militarised land frontier.
"Taiwan's fall to the Chinese would have serious implications because it will embolden the PRC [China] and incentivize increased PLAN forays into the Indian Ocean," it said.
Meanwhile, Former U.S. President Barack Obama‘s advisor has predicted a "calmer environment" in U.S.-China relations in the coming months as Beijing prepares to lay the groundwork for the Chinese President‘s potential visit to the U.S. in November for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders meeting.
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