All signs point to the country preparing to invade Taiwan by 2027, Bloomberg reported, citing top U.S. Adm. John Aquilino.
"All indications are that the Army is carrying out President Xi Jinping's directive to be ready to invade Taiwan by 2027 if ordered to do so," Aquilino said.
He added that the Chinese military is practicing sea and air blockades of the island during the exercises.
According to the publication, despite Beijing's economic problems, its official defense budget has increased by 16% in recent years and exceeded $223 billion.
In addition, China has built several large military bases on three islands around Taiwan in the South China Sea.
"China has already established huge military bases in the South China Sea on three islands surrounding Taiping - Subi Reef, Firey Cross Reef and Mischief Reef - all of them quite close to our Taiping," Taiwan's Foreign Minister Joseph Wu said.
The unprecedented re-election of Chinese General Secretary Xi Jinping to a third term and his tough and uncompromising rhetoric toward Taiwan leaves little doubt that mainland China plans to resolve the "Taiwan issue" by force. Earlier, Taiwan's presidential election was won by pro-Western politician Lai Qingde, who has said he is committed to protecting the island from threats and intimidation from mainland China.
Qingde intends to maintain the status quo in the Taiwan Strait and use dialog to replace confrontation, but will China be satisfied with such dialog? It is worth noting that no one wants a major war, but Putin was not deterred by possible economic problems when he decided to invade Ukraine.
China is watching the war in Ukraine, largely probing the West's reaction to a large-scale military conflict. If China becomes convinced of the weakness and ineffectiveness of the West, it may decide to embark on a Taiwan adventure. What would that lead to? A change in the way we are used to living our lives.
A potential war between the China and Taiwan would be a real catastrophe for the whole world and cause enormous damage to the world economy. The invasion of the Chinese army in Taiwan will cost the world at least 10 trillion dollars, Bloomberg wrote earlier. This amount corresponds to about 10% of the entire world GDP.
One of the most serious consequences of a potential war could be related to the production of semiconductor chips. If China were to blockade Taiwan or invade the island, it would lead to problems with semiconductor supply.
Taiwan is one of the world's largest producers of these chips, without which it is impossible to manufacture the electronic devices we are accustomed to. Taiwan is responsible for the production of more than 60% of the world's semiconductors, including more than 90% of the most advanced ones.
