The tension in the Indo Pacific between China and the United States of America does not seem to subside and a new battlefield seems to be in sight for the world powers. In recent days there have been several conflicting declarations.
US Army Secretary Christine Wormuth has laid out a multi-pronged strategy to deter and, if necessary, to prevail in any future war with China by declaring it will "turning the heat down in relations with China"1. On the same occasion, during a speech at the American Enterprise Institute, he stated that he did not believe in an imminent invasion of Taiwan by China, however “We have to prepare, be ready to fight and win that war". In another passage she went on to say that "our goal is to avoid fighting a land war in Asia. I think the best way to avoid fighting that war is to show China and the countries in that region that we can actually win that war".
Beijing's willingness to extend and strengthen its influence in the Indo-Pacific region is evident and this, in addition to directly interested Taiwan, Japan, South Korea and the Philippines, also worries the main Western powers.
"Our goal is to avoid fighting a ground war in Asia"2 Wormuth declared but American actions seem to say otherwise. Indeed, the US plan is to deploy more troops to Asia and arm it with updated equipment, including long-range hypersonic weapons, many of which will be installed in the region.
General Charles Flynn, supreme commander of the US army in the Pacific, also intervened, saying that a Chinese invasion of Taiwan is possible but that at the moment it is probably not ready to risk such a move.
In essence, the American duo Wormuth-Flynn exposed the purpose of the army: that is, to prepare for the eventuality of a conflict between Beijing and Taipei and to do so, the US is planning the tactical positioning of troops in the region and deploying long-range hypersonic weapons .
The Russian attack on Ukraine has probably made Americans more alert to sudden geopolitical changes and, in fact, Wormuth said that "everything we are seeing in Ukraine shows us that we need to increase the production of weapons. The supply chain model just-in-time procurement in peacetime is not appropriate"3.
The US plan includes, among other things, sending between 100 and 200 troops to Taiwan4 tasked with training Taiwanese forces not only in US weapon systems but also in military maneuvers to protect against a potential Chinese offensive.
On Monday, China said it had monitored a US Navy patrol and reconnaissance plane over the Taiwan Strait. "has endangered peace and stability" in the area. The United States said in a statement that the aircraft flew over the Strait in international airspace "The United States will continue to fly, sail and operate wherever international law permits, including across the Taiwan Strait"5.
That's not all: on Wednesday 1 March, the United States agreed with Taiwan to sell ammunition for F-16 fighters worth about 619 million dollars. The agreement includes 100 AGM-88B high-velocity anti-radiation missiles (HARM), launchers and training missiles, 200 AIM-120C-8 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM); 26 LAU-129 multipurpose launchers and LAU-118A launchers Aircraft Launcher Interface Computer (ALIC).6
These are the strategies to avert a Sino-Taiwanese conflict…
1,2,3 bbc.co.uk
4 wall street journal
5 washingtonexaminer.com
Photo: US Air Force
