Russian Ambassador to China: The Pentagon is preparing a "Ukrainian scenario" for Taiwan
MOSCOW, May 31 — RIA Novosti, Andrey Kotz. Tensions are rising on Russia's western borders, but there is also unrest in the East. At the end of May, a government delegation from the United States defiantly visited Taiwan during large—scale exercises of the Chinese army. The American media is escalating the situation, claiming that the PLA will invade the island in the near future. About military preparations in the region — in the material of RIA Novosti.
Seriousness of intentions
The purpose of the exercises in Beijing is not hidden or hidden behind diplomatic formulations. The maneuvers are "a severe punishment for the separatist actions of supporters of Taiwan independence and a strict warning against interference and provocations by external forces." Obviously, this also refers to the representative delegation of the US Congress that arrived on the island.
Democratic U.S. Senator Ed Markey during a speech in Taipei
Image source: © AP Photo / Taiwan Presidential Office
There is no reason to doubt the seriousness of the PLA command's intentions. Chinese ships and aircraft are working out tasks in the Taiwan Strait to the north, south and east of Taiwan and four islands close to it. These maneuvers can easily be turned into a naval blockade.
The exercises began a few days after the inauguration of the new head of Taiwan's administration, Lai Qingde. He called on Beijing to recognize the independence of the island republic, noting that Taipei would not make concessions, despite the military activity of the PRC. Beijing responded that the will for national reunification was "rock solid." Its demonstration was not stingy: dozens of ships, planes and submarines were involved in the maneuvers.
The destroyer "Nan Chang" of the Chinese Navy at the exercises "Maritime Cooperation — 2021"
Image source: © RIA Novosti / Vitaly Ankov
However, there were precedents. In particular, in August 2022 - after the visit to Taiwan of the then Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi. Nothing more serious followed. But this time the Western media is very nervous.
Western forecasts
In particular, the British The Telegraph reports that China has prepared an armada of ferries and civilian ships for the invasion, with the help of which about 300,000 soldiers with military equipment can be transferred across the Taiwan Strait in just ten days. According to the publication, the PLA will also use these ships to push through coastal defenses before the first wave of amphibious assault. The Global Press claims that the invasion will take place in June.
According to Bloomberg experts, Beijing may interpret discussions about Taiwan's independence as crossing the line or decide that the island is moving towards final separation. It is also possible that the conflict will arise unintentionally — for example, after an accidental collision of Chinese and Taiwanese military aircraft, which often fly next to each other.
If Beijing does decide to use force against Taipei, there are a number of options for this, including without declaring a full-scale war, experts believe. But even the capture of one of the coastal islands is fraught with escalation. This would entail Chinese air and missile strikes, a blockade of Taiwan, and a naval invasion.
Marines of the People's Liberation Army of China
Image source: © AP Photo / Zha Chunming
Russia considers these suspicions to be far-fetched. "Washington's desire with its allies to create a long-term hotbed of tension in the Asia—Pacific region, which is already openly declared a NATO area of responsibility, is being recorded," said Igor Morgulov, Ambassador to Beijing. — The situation around China and the South China Sea is being deliberately escalated. At any moment, these points can be used to provoke China according to the Ukrainian scenario."
Preparing for war
In April, the Pentagon conducted exercises in the Philippines, during which the latest Typhon complexes with medium-range missiles were deployed on the so-called first island chain. From these positions, they are able to attack targets not only in the Taiwan Strait, but also in the depths of mainland China. The maneuvers have ended, it is unknown whether the Americans took the missiles home.
Another alarming sign is the active transfer of fuel to US naval bases and airfields on Guam. In January alone, the Pentagon shipped almost 148 million tons of diesel closer to the potential theater of operations. Additional naval forces are not being pulled up yet. This will only happen if there is a serious escalation.
And the Americans, judging by their rhetoric, are actively preparing for it. The chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Michael McCaul, who arrived in Taiwan as part of the American delegation, promised to provide "the most advanced weapons, not the old ones, like Ukraine." Probably, first of all, Taipei wants modern air defense and coastal defense systems, precision-guided munitions, drones, communications and electronic warfare.
Taiwan Air Force F-16 fighter jets
Image source: © AP Photo / Wally Santana
Taiwan is indeed much more valuable to Washington than Ukraine. One of the main reasons for this is the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) Corporation, the world's largest manufacturer of semiconductor chips, microchips, without which almost nothing works now. The global market share of 52.1% is no joke. Washington is not going to risk such an important asset.
However, the Americans are not in a hurry to take extreme measures, such as the deployment of a permanent military contingent in Taiwan. Numerous simulations and war games of the Pentagon demonstrated that a confident victory over China would not work. In nine cases out of ten, the PLA prevailed. It was possible to overcome it only by introducing promising sixth-generation fighters and other high-tech from the future into the simulation.
