** 07-Apr-2021 World View: AP: China accelerating timetable for capturing Taiwan
https://apnews.com/article/us-military- ... 8e2a5c3000
US military cites rising risk of Chinese move against Taiwan
By ROBERT BURNS April 7, 2021 GMT
WASHINGTON (AP) — The American military is warning that China is
probably accelerating its timetable for capturing control of Taiwan,
the island democracy that has been the chief source of tension
between Washington and Beijing for decades and is widely seen as the
most likely trigger for a potentially catastrophic U.S.-China war.
The worry about Taiwan comes as China wields new strength from years
of military buildup. It has become more aggressive with Taiwan and
more assertive in sovereignty disputes in the South China Sea.
Beijing also has become more confrontational with Washington; senior
Chinese officials traded sharp and unusually public barbs with
Secretary of State Antony Blinken in talks in Alaska last month.
A military move against Taiwan, however, would be a test of U.S.
support for the island that Beijing views as a breakaway province. For
the Biden administration, it could present the choice of abandoning a
friendly, democratic entity or risking what could become an all-out
war over a cause that is not on the radar of most Americans. The
United States has long pledged to help Taiwan defend itself, but it
has deliberately left unclear how far it would go in response to a
Chinese attack. ...
On Wednesday, Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu said the military
threat against his country is increasing, and while he said it was not
yet “particularly alarming,” the Chinese military in the last couple
of years has been conducting what he called “real combat-type”
exercises closer to the island.
“We are willing to defend ourselves, that’s without any question,” Wu
told reporters. “We will fight a war if we need to fight a war, and if
we need to defend ourselves to the very last day, then we will defend
ourselves to the very last day.“