Taiwan amid fears of attack.

Taiwanese leader Lai Ching-te recently held discussions with US leaders to strengthen bilateral relations amid concerns in Taipei about a potential military attack from mainland China.

Writing on social media on December 5th, leader Lai Thanh Duc stated that he had just had a phone call with leaders in the US Congress , namely House Speaker Mike Johnson of the Republican Party and House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries. He also spoke with Senator Roger Wicker, a leading figure on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Taiwanese defense force reserves received training in late November.

Concerns are rising.

This move is seen as an attempt by Taipei to strengthen ties with Washington as Taiwan is perceived to face challenges under the upcoming US administration. Specifically, some analysts suggest that US President-elect Donald Trump is primarily focused on the trade war with China to gain an advantage, rather than being overly concerned with defending Taipei against Beijing.

Meanwhile, Beijing continues to view military action as one of the solutions to "reclaim" Taiwan. Since August 2022 – when then-Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan – mainland China has escalated military tensions in the Taiwan Strait to a new level with increasing pressure. Most recently, in October, China conducted a massive military exercise involving 153 military aircraft and numerous naval and law enforcement vessels, simulating a blockade of Taiwan.

Commenting on the situation in Taiwan, Bonnie S. Glaser (Asia Program Director, Marshall Fund Germany in the US), a long-time regional analyst, recently raised the issue: "Beijing has intensified its political campaign through the United Nations and in diplomatic relations to seek consensus on its claim of sovereignty over Taiwan." "Beijing is laying the legal groundwork to ultimately use force against Taiwan," Glaser stated, urging the upcoming administration of Donald Trump to "prioritize preventing Beijing from using military force to take over Taiwan."

Plan of the parties

The Wall Street Journal recently cited a confidential report revealing that China is studying Russia's case for dealing with Western sanctions following its military campaign against Ukraine. Analysts suggest that if mainland China launches a military attack on Taiwan, Washington and the West could only provide weapons to Taipei while imposing sanctions on Beijing. Therefore, China's study of Russia's case could be seen as preparation for a scenario involving the use of military force to annex Taiwan.

Meanwhile, Taiwan has recently been steadily increasing its arms purchases to bolster its defense capabilities. The island has received approval from the US for a package of equipment and spare parts for F-16 fighter jets.

Notably, Taiwan recently made a rare move by using the Taipei University campus to train reserve troops in preparation for urban warfare against the mainland. This training is intended to prepare for urban warfare, whereas the focus of previous training was on preventing Chinese troops from accessing cities in Taiwan. Taiwan's defense ministry emphasized the necessity of these preparations to ensure the ability to respond to potential attacks from Beijing.

Furthermore, in the final days of his term, the administration of US President Joe Biden has also taken steps to strengthen defense support for Taiwan. Specifically, the US recently deployed the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) to Nansei Island in Japan. This location is near the islands of Taiwan. Quite well-known in the Ukraine conflict, HIMARS is also capable of launching ATACMS missiles (with a range of up to 300 km), not just conventional rockets. In addition, on November 24th, Kyodo News reported that Japan and the US are working towards compiling a joint military plan to respond to an emergency in Taiwan, including missile launches.

The US, Japan, and the Philippines conduct military exercises in the South China Sea.

The Philippine Star reported yesterday (December 6) that the military forces of the United States, Japan, and the Philippines conducted a joint exercise in the South China Sea. The exercise involved the Philippine Coast Guard vessel BRP Andres Bonifacio, the Japanese destroyer JS Samidare, and P-8 Poseidon anti-submarine aircraft. According to the US military, the exercise aimed to enhance coordination between the three countries' military forces based on mutual cooperation.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/dai-loan-giua-noi-lo-bi-tan-cong-185241206234159476.htm