India will need to assess the security implications of another Taiwan Straits crisis
India will need to assess the security implications of another Taiwan Straits crisis
Taiwan military shoots down a Chinese drone September 1 marked a new phase in the already ongoing tensions in the Taiwan Strait, highlighting the growing risks of escalation, even if it is unexpected. In recent weeks, China’s army conducted unprecedented military exercise Around Taiwan, the following US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit last month, Some maneuvers crossed the middle of the Taiwan Strait and declared by the Chinese military had also taken place in territorial waters claimed by Taiwan. Taiwan peacefully decided not to engage the PLA ships. In the wake of the exercise, the Chinese military later sought to continue asserting Beijing’s territorial claims by sending drones into Taiwan’s airspace. Photos taken close to Taiwanese military personnel were later shared on social media, ostensibly to demonstrate Beijing’s capabilities, but pressure was exerted on Taipei to react in the process. Taiwan’s military said it decided to shoot down an unidentified civilian drone over its airfield in Shiyu Island after several warnings. The shooting down of a military drone may elicit a different response from China, which has so far played down the incident. While the Chinese military is reportedly deploying both military- and civilian-use drones, so ordinary residents in Fujian face the risk of miscalculation, across the strait, triggering a serious incident.
Drone deployment has added another layer of unpredictability to an already tense situation. The developments of the past month have certainly provided a reminder to the region of the fragility of the current status quo and in particular China’s willingness to change it. While most observers expect a Chinese invasion to be too risky for the leadership of the Communist Party in the near future, an unexpected escalation seems unlikely now. Most countries, including India, have preferred to stay away from the Taiwan issue given the need for one China policy and complex relations with China. But sooner rather than later, they will need to assess the implications of a serious crisis to their own security interests. An example is Taiwan’s position as the linchpin in the global semiconductor industry. whereas India’s recent reference to the “militarization” of the strait While not a reflection of a major change in its approach, New Delhi has appeared to show a greater willingness to do more with Taiwan, especially in the economic sphere, such as establishing an alternative base for semiconductor manufacturing in India. . These are long pending steps in the right direction.