According to Taiwan’s annual review of the Chinese threat, released by the defense ministry and reviewed by Reuters, Beijing is tightening its control over the air and sea around Taiwan, contributing to an escalating regional security situation. The report highlights a “rising unpredictability” in China’s decision-making, attributed to an “unprecedented” purge of senior military officers. China frequently sends its military into the waters and airspace surrounding Taiwan, ostensibly preparing for a potential invasion by disrupting the island’s external transportation routes and establishing an encirclement posture.

The review also notes that China is incorporating lessons learned from the conflicts in Ukraine, the Gulf, and the U.S.-Israel-Iran conflict into its military training and exercises. Specifically, China is studying the effectiveness of drone swarms, as demonstrated in the Ukraine-Russia war, as well as issues such as rapid ammunition consumption, strain on air-defense systems, industrial mobilization, and the fragility of allied cooperation revealed by the U.S. war against Iran. Taiwan’s defense ministry asserts that China’s exercises around the island focus on joint blockade and control of Taiwan’s external sea lanes, aiming to achieve the destruction of Taiwan’s command-and-control and air-defense capabilities in the early stages of any potential conflict. ¹

Footnotes

1. Source: Taiwan says ‘unpredictable’ China strengthens air and sea control nearby, Yahoo News, August 31, Reuters. ↩

This is a summary. Read the original at yahoo.com.