https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2021/10/decoding_chinas_brazen_aggression_on_taiwan.html
Though it may merely be a symbolic display of muscle-flexing, the rapid escalation of Chinese military activity around Taiwan over the last few months has raised concern around the world.
That tensions were heightened when a total of 149 Chinese aircraft invaded Taiwan’s air space all through last week. Experts suggest the purpose of the exercise is merely to cause disturbance prior to Taiwan’s national day that on the 10th of October.
YouTube screengrab (cropped)
The US State Department said it was deeply concerned and accused China of carrying out “provocative military activities” that “undermines regional peace and stability”, adding its commitment to Taiwan was “rock solid.”
Chinese state-run paper The Global Times responded with the following
“The strategic collusion between the US and Japan and the DPP authorities is becoming more audacious, and the situation across the Taiwan Straits has almost lost any room for manoeuvre teetering on the edge of a face-off, creating a sense of urgency that the war may be triggered at any time,”
President Tsai Ing-Wen of Taiwan penned an article for Foreign Affairs asserting reiterating Taiwan’s staunch commitment to democratic values and vowing not to bow before Chinese pressure. The Defence Minister of Taiwan said that this was the worst situation in 40 years.
Earlier last week, Joe Biden said that he had spoken to President Xi Jinping and they had agreed to abide by the “Taiwan agreement” (an unspecified, somewhat mysterious reference).
However, a few days later, China’s President Xi Jinping said, “reunification” with Taiwan “must be fulfilled peacefully”, however, he also warned that the Chinese people had a “glorious tradition” of opposing separatism.
The core of the problem is that the Chinese continue to view Taiwan as its province. While Taiwan sees itself as a democratic sovereign nation.
The Chinese are also aware that their actions can easily lead to a full-on military conflict but they don’t seem to be too concerned at this juncture. However, this isn’t the only act of military aggression that the Chinese are involved in.
A few days back, Indian and Chinese soldiers were involved in an armed confrontation in the Indian border state of Arunachal Pradesh, along the International Border, i.e. the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Sources have said the Indian troops intercepted around 200 Chinese soldiers.
India and China have had a history of military standoffs since they entered into a full-scale war in 1962. Since last year, Chinese aggression has escalated as the Chinese army repeatedly attempts to trespass India’s borders and even build infrastructure in India.
China has also continued its military build-up in Tibet. There are reports of the Chinese Air Force building an airfield in the Tibetan Autonomous Region. This airfield is located just north of the Lipulekh pass which is around 20 km from the LAC.
China has developed a significant outreach on the economic front.
Over the past decade, China has invested or committed more than $150 billion in the economies of India’s neighbors Bangladesh, the Maldives, Myanmar, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
China has become a key political and economic power in the African continent within just a few decades by a series of shrewd investments and financial aid. Experts have called this the most important development in Africa since the end of the Cold War.
China has invested in Europe in both the public and private sector in countries such as the UK, France, Germany, and Italy. Analysis by Bloomberg last year showed that China currently owns or has a stake in, four airports, six maritime ports and 13 professional soccer teams in Europe.
China had already overtaken the U.S. as the world’s top destination for new foreign direct investment last year.