(Deutsche Welle Chinese website) “Neue Züricher Zeitung” commented that although those in power in Beijing have repeatedly declared that they will give priority to the option of peaceful reunification, they have been unable to come up with a reunification plan that has practical significance. At the same time, Chinese party and state leader Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized that the resolution of the Taiwan issue cannot be delayed any longer. The commentary titled “The crisis in the Taiwan Strait is about to break out” reads:
“Various experts and military leaders led by the United States have repeatedly warned that China is about to launch an attack on Taiwan. They even provided a specific time for Beijing to order an attack on Taiwan: 2035, 2027, and even as close as 2025 . Such warnings need to be taken with caution. U.S. Air Force General Mike Minihan’s warning at the beginning of the year that war would occur in 2025 was mainly for the domestic audience in the United States. It also emphasized the urgent need for strategic adjustments by the U.S. military. Warning: The focus is about to shift from the ‘war on terror’ of the past two decades to a possible great power conflict with China. These warnings are also a signal to Beijing. In 1979, the United States recognized the People’s Republic of China and terminated its relationship with the Republic of China. (Taiwan’s official name) security agreement. However, the United States continues to provide self-defense weapons to Taiwan and retains the option of military intervention if Taiwan is attacked, but does not make a formal commitment on this. This is the famous ‘strategic ambiguity’ ‘in principle.”
After analyzing several possible scenarios for the escalation of the situation in the Taiwan Strait, the author of the commentary concluded that “unexpected incidents of gunfire” are the biggest hidden dangers in triggering conflicts in the Taiwan Strait.
“In order to prevent accidents from happening, a guardrail mechanism needs to be established. In other words, there must be rules to prevent the escalation of the situation. It is entirely possible for hostile superpowers to establish such rules: In the late 1960s, the Soviet Union and the United States There were many near-collisions between warships. The two nuclear powers, armed to the teeth, were also aware of this danger, so they jointly formulated the “Agreement on Maritime Accidents.” This agreement played its due role until the end of the Cold War. But China clearly has no interest in such an agreement. Beijing’s leaders believe that the so-called guardrails are just a ploy by the Americans to prevent China’s rapid rise. And they also firmly believe that China’s rise is natural.
From the Chinese perspective, there is another way to solve this problem: Americans should get out of China’s waters as soon as possible. The internal logic is simple. If the U.S. Navy is not here, there is no possibility of conflict. Beijing considers the Taiwan Strait, most of the South China Sea and parts of the East China Sea to be China’s territorial waters. Although Beijing also participated in the drafting of modern maritime law, its ideas are very different from China’s propositions, but Beijing ignores this.
For the United States and its allies, it is vital to defend the right to free navigation in the above-mentioned waters, so it will continue to send warships to shuttle here in the future. This is precisely where the danger lies. “
After Yemen’s Houthi rebels launched attacks on cargo ships on the Red Sea route, the United States launched a maritime operation called “Prosperity Guardian” with participating countries including the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Bahrain, Norway and Spain. “Business Daily” commented that compared with the Red Sea waterway, the security of the Taiwan Strait has a much greater impact on the world economy.
“In another part of the world, the next disaster is approaching. The Chinese government is becoming more and more aggressive in the Taiwan Strait. Once the waterway here is blocked, even if it is only for a few days, it will have a negative impact on the world economy. Cause extremely serious impact.
As an export powerhouse, Germany is not well prepared for these potential conflicts. We do not have the necessary naval power to intervene effectively in the event of conflict.
Of course, normal people would not like to see national funds used to purchase warships and other weapons instead of investing in education or building bridges and roads. However, such investment is also entirely necessary to safeguard peace and prosperity. The situation in the Red Sea illustrates this point. “
Excerpts from other media do not necessarily represent Deutsche Welle’s positions or opinions.
©2023 Deutsche Welle Copyright Statement: All contents of this article are protected by copyright law and may not be used without special authorization from Deutsche Welle. Any misconduct will result in recovery of damages and criminal prosecution.
#German #media #Crisis #Taiwan #Strait #break
2023-12-20 15:12:00
