https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/9/18/taiwan-urges-china-to-stop-continuous-military-harassment
China has sent 103 warplanes to execute a “military exercise” near the border of Taiwan during a military exercise with 40 of them crossing the halfway point between China and Taiwan. The Taiwanese strait is a place where Taiwan has radar to identify potential air threats. This military exercise executed by China also included the aircraft carrier named, ‘Shandong” along with several other warships. A military expert in Taiwan also says that this exercise by China could be a “cognitive warfare” strategy, designed to get Taiwan to drop their guard. This exercise by China could also be in preparation to declare war, Taiwan says that China was training for an “encirclement” of the island. Taiwan has also stated that this will only “further escalate” cross-strait tensions and de-stabilize security in the region.
In my opinion China is trying to provoke war with Taiwan while also preparing for one. By ramping up tensions between the two asian countries they can initiate a war without coming off as the bad guys, unlike Russia has with the war in Ukraine. As long as Taiwan fires the first shot instead of China the world will officially recognize Taiwan as the instigator of the war and China can avoid sanctions and consequences of the war. With their constant provocation of war, China can simultaneously prepare for the war they are instigating. By sending over a hundred fighter jets and dozens of warships (including one aircraft carrier), China can gather data, reconnaissance, and begin to strategize before the war even starts.
In class we have talked a lot about the war in Ukraine and I think that China and Taiwan are in a very similar situation. We’ve also talked about how some countries don’t recognize others as “countries” and feel they have ownership over them. We see this with Ukraine and Russia, Russia feels like they have a right to take Ukraine as they used to be part of the former Soviet Union, Russia also began the war in Ukraine claiming that the initial attacks were “military exercises” just as China is doing in Taiwan. China also feels like they have ownership over Taiwan, as Taiwan was founded by nationalist leaders fleeing China during the civil war. We can directly apply the international relations between China and the island of Taiwan to the war between Ukraine and Russia.