Danilo Pereira fires Al Ittihad into King's Cup final with dramatic stoppage-time double    Visitors welcomed with Eid initiative at Thee Ain Heritage Village in Al-Baha    Over 1 million pilgrims benefit from golf cart service at Grand Mosque during Ramadan    Saudi Arabia considers rent cap as part of major real estate reforms    Tebuk emir reviews rain response in Tayma    Messi's bodyguard banned from touchline at Inter Miami games    Screen time in bed linked to insomnia, study finds    Death toll from Myanmar earthquake rises to 2,719 as rescue efforts continue    Russia, Ukraine trade blame over new energy strikes    Putin orders Russia's largest military call-up in over a decade    Le Pen vows to appeal political ban, calls verdict a 'denial of democracy'    Haramain High-Speed Railway transports over 1.2 million passengers during Ramadan    Albania hosts MWL chief for Eid sermon at largest mosque in the Balkans    Ministry of Education forms 425 community partnerships with SR653 million impact    Saudi Transport Authority says passengers can ride for free if taxi meters are off    Mexico bans junk food in schools to fight childhood obesity epidemic    Sweet sales surge ahead of Eid as Saudi chocolate imports top 123 million kg in 2024    Saudi creatives shine at Jeddah's Fawanees Nights with art, fashion, and storytelling    T1 CEO confirms Gumayusi's return for LCK Spring after lineup shakeup    100 Thieves claim Marvel Rivals Invitational NA crown as 2025 scene heats up    Bollywood actress vindicated over boyfriend's death after media hounding    Grand Mufti rules against posting prayers and preaching in mosques on social media    King Salman prays for peace and stability for Palestinians in Ramadan message King reaffirms Saudi Arabia's commitment to serving the Two Holy Mosques and pilgrims    Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan 'out of danger' after attack at home in Mumbai    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



China's threat to Taiwan rises
By Ben Blanchard and Ralph Jennings
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 02 - 09 - 2009

THE balance of military power between China and Taiwan is shifting toward Beijing, leaving the island few options without US aid in the event of attack, a threat that has not eased despite warming ties.
China has invested billions of dollars in its military, buying from Russia, developing itself advanced fighter jets and missiles, and slimming its once bloated ranks into a lean and high-tech military, analysts say. China is also considering building an aircraft carrier.
Taiwan's forces, by contrast, are increasingly hobbled by outdated systems, unwillingness by almost every country but the United States to sell it weapons, lest China be angered, and by troop cuts as part of a strategic reduction.
China has claimed sovereignty over self-ruled Taiwan since 1949, when Mao Zedong's Communists won the Chinese civil war and Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalists, or Kuomintang (KMT), fled to the island. Beijing has vowed to bring Taiwan under its rule, by force if necessary.
Since taking office last year, Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou has eased tension through trade and tourism deals, a far cry from his predecessor, Chen Shui-bian, who angered China with his support for formal independence.
But military suspicion remains deep. “They've always had a quantitative edge over the Taiwanese, but the Chinese have really closed if not eliminated the qualitative edge the Taiwanese had for decades,” said Richard Bitzinger, senior fellow and Asian military expert at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore.
Economic reliance
China's overwhelming military superiority, combined with Taiwan's deepening economic reliance on China and the island's growing diplomatic isolation, could force a resolution to the sovereignty issue even without a shot having to be fired.
“That's the intention — to combine growing military leverage and a stronger military, to maybe eventually just present Taiwan with some kind of fait accompli about accepting reunification,” said Bitzinger.
While Beijing's language has softened, it is in no mood to let the island go its own way, 60 years after Mao Zedong proclaimed the founding of his People's Republic of China.
In July, Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie, while noting “positive changes” in cross-Strait relations, pointedly did not offer to pare back forces aimed at Taiwan, nor renounce the use of force to bring the island under China's control.
“We will firmly hold the theme of peaceful cross-Straits development ... oppose the secessionist activities of ‘Taiwan independence' forces and firmly safeguard China's sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he was quoted as saying in state media.
China has reacted angrily to Taiwan's decision to allow Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, to visit the island this week, in a reminder, if one were needed, that knotty political problems overshadow improving economic and cultural links. China brands the Dalai Lama a separatist.
Taiwan estimates China still has 1,000 to 1,500 missiles aimed at the island and continues to expand its arsenal.
“Given mainland China's state power and military might, most people wouldn't believe Taiwan could win a war by itself,” said Wu Den-yih, secretary-general of Taiwan's ruling KMT.
The RAND Corp., a US-based policy research group, estimated in a recent report that short-range Chinese ballistic missiles could easily destroy the runways at every Taiwan airbase in a well-targeted initial strike to knock out the air force.
Taiwan's navy could fare even worse. It has just four submarines, two of which date back to World War II and still have some of their original brass fittings. China has more than 50, a few believed to be armed with nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles.
“One expects many of Taiwan's naval vessels will be destroyed very quickly. Taiwan's fighters and other aircraft would move to airbases where there are underground facilities,” said Wendell Minnick, Asia bureau chief with Defense News. “But, over time, and attrition, most of Taiwan's fighters would be destroyed or have few places to simply land and refuel.”
Standoff remains
While the prospect of war breaking out may seem remote at present, there are no guarantees that Taiwan, a boisterous democracy, would re-elect Ma in presidential elections in 2012.
The anti-China main opposition Democratic Progressive Party could get back into power with a leader who supports de jure independence from China, which is the red line where Beijing has said it would consider attacking.
In the event of an attack, the United States, which switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China in 1979, is obliged by its Taiwan Relations Act to come to the island's defense.
But how quickly it could come to the rescue, or whether it would have the stomach for a fight, are open questions.
The Obama administration is re-evaluating Taiwan's “defensive needs” as a whole, US officials in Taipei have said.


Clic here to read the story from its source.