Tensions between the US and China for months have reflected in policy toward Taiwan, and newly inaugurated President Biden is facing his first challenge, as Taiwan reported 12 Chinese warplanes entering the corner of their airspace Saturday.
The US has responded by rushing the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier group into the South China Sea, and reiterating military support for Taiwan. The State Department dismissed the Chinese incursion as an attempt at intimidation.
Taiwan occupies a difficult place in US-China relations. Legally the US does not recognize Taiwan as independent, but is legally obliged to support them and provide them arms to prevent China from retaking them.
Every expression of support to Taiwan from the US is treated as a provocation from China, and every move by China virtually obliges the US to make some gaudy show of military support, which keeps the war of words raging for awhile.
Such turns of events keep happening, though both the US and China feign ignorance as to why the other side is behaving this way. After years of anti-China hostility by the Trump Administration, Biden will be struggling to manage the situation.
re: ” Taiwan reported 12 Chinese warplanes entering the corner of their airspace”
No, the Chinese planes entered the Taiwan Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) which is not Taiwan’s airspace, i.e. over its land territory. In fact the US inaugurated the use of ADIZ years ago and its position on ADIZ is: “The United States does not apply its ADIZ procedures to foreign aircraft not intending to enter U.S. national airspace” . . .here.
That statement was by the US Secretary of State when he (Kerry) objected to China establishing an ADIZ: “This unilateral action constitutes an attempt to change the status quo in the East China Sea. Escalatory action will only increase tensions in the region and create risks of an incident.” IOW the US can have several ADIZ’s but you shouldn’t.
Another factor is that Taiwan is not a recognized nation, even though it play-acts as one. So how can Taiwan have national airspace.
The cost of preventing China from retaking Taiwan is zero. In order to retake something, you have to have taken it in the first place at some previous time. The Chinese regime has never ruled Taiwan.
Taiwan (AKA Republic of China) is a part of China and Beijing is determined to, if not retake it, then take it. China’s policy seems to be to use alternate methods to convince Taiwan of its determination, with force as a last resort because combat breaks a lot of China (pun intended). Actually that would be easy because Taiwan is quite weak militarily, especially its ground forces.
I have no doubt that the Beijing regime will invade, conquer, occupy, and absorb Taiwan when and if the US starts minding its own business in the matter.
But the Beijing regime has never, at any point in history, ruled Taiwan before, and it would seem to be even less a “part of China” than, say, Vietnam, which is at least connected to China instead of separated from China by 100 miles of ocean.