Taiwan to play key role in U.S.' China containment policy: scholars
ROC Central News Agency
02/02/2021 09:07 PM
Taipei, Feb. 2 (CNA) As the Biden administration seeks to contain China, Taiwan's strategic location makes it likely the country will play a pivotal role, Taiwanese scholars said Tuesday during a forum.
"Against a backdrop of heated confrontations between the United States and China, the role of Taiwan, as part of the first island chain, becomes more prominent," said Yen Chien-fa (顏建發), a professor at Chien Hsin University of Science and Technology, at the forum.
Taiwan provides a "lifeline" for the U.S., Japan and Korea and its safety is naturally a common concern for them, Yen pointed out.
The first island chain refers to a series of major archipelagos extending from the Kuril Islands in the north to Borneo in the south, which are part of U.S. strategy to block Chinese expansion.
Taiwan's significance will also be felt by the U.S., and even the United Kingdom if they decide to confront China and intervene in the South China Sea or on Hong Kong related issues, he said.
The forum, organized by the Prospect Foundation, a government-funded think tank, discussed Taiwan's role in the U.S.' Indo-Pacific strategy and possible areas of cooperation between Taiwan and the U.S.
Kuo Yu-jen (郭育仁), a professor at National Sun Yat-sen University, echoed Yen's view at the same forum.
"The first island chain is something the U.S. cannot afford to give up," he said. "Taiwan is located in the middle of that chain."
From a geo-strategic point of view, Taiwan serves as a chokepoint preventing China from expanding into the East China Sea and the South China Sea," Kuo said.
He pointed out that Taiwan is important for U.S. aircraft carriers traveling in the northern part of the South China Sea, where the U.S. vessels are at risk of a "saturation attack" from China.
Regarding the frequent operation of Chinese aircraft in the airspace southwest of Taiwan, Kuo said such routine maneuvers could prompt the U.S. to include Taiwan in its integrated air and missile defense system (IAMD), which currently covers Japan and South Korea.
Both scholars also suggested Beijing is unlikely to declare war against Taiwan, at least for the next two years.
"Although Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) is expected to maintain a tough posture on many issues, his bottom line is stability," Yen said, adding that China's main concerns right now are preparations for the upcoming 100th founding anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party in July and the party's 20th National Congress in 2022.
Considering the present circumstances "a face-off with the U.S. is not necessary for the Chinese Communist Party," Kuo said.
(By Emerson Lim)
Enditem/AW
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