‘This is about striking fear’: China’s Taiwan drills the new normal, analysts say

China’s military drills targeting Taiwan have set a new normal, and are likely to “regularise” similar armed exercises off the coast or even more aggressive action much closer to the island, analysts have said.

China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has been conducting live-fire exercises and other drills in the seas around Taiwan’s main island for almost a week, in a purported response to the controversial visit to Taipei by the US House speaker, Nancy Pelosi.

Beijing claims Taiwan as a province. It has not ruled out taking it by force and objects to any and all foreign shows of support for its sovereignty. Taiwan has accused Beijing of using Pelosi’s visit as an excuse to prepare for an invasion.

While some drills are continuing, the big show put on last week has ended, and observers are now trying to assess how the dynamics of the region have changed, and what the future holds for cross-strait relations.

“This is about striking fear and a sense of inevitability in Taiwanese hearts and minds,” said Alessio Patalano, professor of war and strategy in east Asia at King’s College London. “There is, in the political messaging delivered through military means, a real risk that these more overtly aggressive steps might be normalised.”

Read More : https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/aug/10/china-taiwan-military-drills-the-new-normal-analysts-say