Monday, June 1, 2020

Another Potential Risk from China

If Taiwan declares independence it might be enough to light the fuse because China has long declared that any such efforts would be met by force.

"More than half of the world's annual merchant fleet tonnage passes through the Strait of Malacca, Sunda Strait, and Lombok Strait, with the majority continuing on into the South China Sea. Tanker traffic through the Strait of Malacca leading into the South China Sea is more than three times greater than Suez Canal traffic, and well over five times more than the Panama Canal."

China might invade Taiwan; Taiwan might declare independence.

Nevertheless China is unlikely to invade Taiwan in the early stages of any campaign.

The Pentagon thinks China has nowhere near the resources to mount a major amphibious assault on Taiwan.

The trouble is any attempt by China to quell Taipei by such means risking a global conflict start because there is little chance of limiting the issue to a localized invasion across the Taiwan strait.

Storm Over the South China Sea, how China is restarting history in the Pacific.

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