China’s demonstration of military power on the island this Monday turned on red lights in the Old Continent. The reasons.
More than 70 combat aircraft participated this weekend in Chinese exercises around Taiwanafter President Joe Biden signed legislation to boost military assistance to the self-governing island.
A conflict between Taipei and Beijing would leave Britain and European countries no vitals for your production line: subconductors, communication chips, and drugs, such as antibiotics, that 85 percent are produced in China.
The People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command “organized joint combat readiness patrols and joint attack drillswith firepower in the airspace and waters around Taiwan on December 25,” said Col. Shi Yi, spokesman for the command.
The reason for the mobilization
Beijing’s show of force came shortly after Biden signed the National Defense Authorization Act, containing a clause to provide up to US$10 billion in military assistance to the island for five years.
Washington has a security pact with the island to deter any invasion from China. The US government opposes any armed attempt to take the island but insists that the matter be resolved peacefully.
Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said up to 71 Chinese military aircraft were detected and seven warships in “our surrounding region”, in the 24 hours until 6 am on Monday. That is the largest number of planes that China has sent in these exercises since they began in September 2020.
Taiwan said that responded by sending planes, ships, and ground-based missile systems to monitor the situation.
Shi described the Chinese exercises as “a resolute response to the increasing collusion and provocation of the United States and Taiwan.”
Of the 71 Chinese aircraft, 47 crossed the midline or its extension to enter the island’s air defense identification zone in the southwest, the Taiwanese military said. The aircraft included 18 J-16s, 12 J-11s, six J-10s, and six Su-30s.
Beijing considers Taiwan to be part of Chinese territory and has promised seize the island by force if necessary.
On Saturday, China’s foreign ministry said the US law was “exaggerating the China threat narrative,” “blatantly interfering in China’s international affairs” and attacking the Communist Party.
Effects in the West and Europe
China sent 71 fighter jets to Taiwan’s borders over the weekend.
A summer report claimed that some members of the US intelligence community believed that China it could strike as soon as 2024.
Whitehall officials say that in the event of an invasion, the West would inevitably impose heavy sanctions on Beijing and that trade with Taiwan would be eliminated. Xi Xinping and President Vladimir Putin will meet this week.
Taiwan makes 65 percent of the world’s semiconductors and almost 90 percent of the most advanced chips, used in telecommunications and computers.
This month, the government announced an agreement with Japan to improve collaboration in technology supply chains, and the US recently allocated $39 billion for domestic semiconductor manufacturing.
In Great Britain
The UK government remains concerned that many UK companies are not prepared enough for the economic disruption that any conflict would cause.
UK imports from China last year totaled £63.6 billion or 13.3 percent of all imported goods. The effect will be in the supply chain and it will be worse than during the covid pandemic.
“‘Just in time. It is absolutely wonderful in terms of economic efficiency. But in times of crisis, resilience is much more important,” said a Whitehall senior official. “Businesses need to think ahead about their supply chains. Covid showed the fragility of our supply chains in all types of areas and organizations”.
Alicia Kearns, chairwoman of the select committee on foreign affairs, said any decision to impose sanctions on China would affect every family in Britain. “If we think about the impact of the war in Ukraine on the people of Great Britain, that would be nothing compared to any conflict over Taiwan“, said.
Sir Iain Duncan Smith, the former Conservative leader, said Britain “I have never been so economically dependent on a country” that it was not an ally “as we are of China at the moment”.
Paris, correspondent
ap