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NEW Fox News articles can now be heard on audio! Read this article. Taiwan’s KAOHSIUNG CITY Taiwan may be invaded by China. Although its military surpasses that of the island nation, any invasion would probably be more analogous to the brutal Allied landings in Normandy during World War II than to Operation Desert Storm’s quick success in the 1991 Gulf War.
The island of Taiwan, which is about 100 miles from China and about the size of Maryland, is protected by a watery moat and has topographical characteristics that make it a very poor option for invasion, regardless of how large the invading force might be.
According to observers, the U.S. military abandoned Operation Causeway, a plan to invade Taiwan (at the time a Japanese colony known as Formosa), in 1944 because it was thought to be too expensive. According to American military plans, a total of 500,000 troops would be needed for the American assault force to invade and hold Formosa. According to calculations by the Pentagon, up to 150,000 American lives may be lost during an invasion and the ensuing mountain, jungle, and urban battle.
Since the 1950s, Taiwan has been preparing for an invasion from China, and as a result, it has a strong intelligence network, soldiers who have been specifically trained to repel Chinese forces, lots of strong modern military equipment, and formidable defenses in place along every potential landing area. The Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) troops would encounter devastating weaponry raining down on them from strongly built defensive positions due of the uneven terrain.
Although cruise missile attacks on Taiwanese military targets are a real concern, it is believed that Beijing would much prefer to keep Taiwan’s infrastructure, particularly anything connected to the semiconductor industry, relatively unscathed. Video observers believe it is unlikely that China would simply bomb Taiwan into submission.
Taiwan is the world’s largest manufacturer of semiconductors, which are essential components of everything from military systems to automobiles. According to market intelligence company TrendForce reports , “Taiwan controls 48 percent of the foundry market and 61 percent of the global capacity to produce at 16nm (nanometer) or better,” Taiwan leads the semiconductor manufacturing sector globally.
Furthermore, China’s military authorities are aware that indiscriminate airstrikes will unavoidably result in the deaths of civilians, despite being effective as a fear tactic. A return to the “embrace of the Motherland” may easily transform generations of Taiwanese into mortal adversaries as opposed to individuals who might even unwillingly come to accept it. Taiwan also has missiles, some of which, according to Taipei, can reach Beijing.
Apart from the terrain and the fact that there is only a brief window when the Taiwan Strait is calm enough for a navy to reasonably safely cross, Kitsch Liao, a military and cyber affairs consultant with Taipei’s Doublethink Lab who has also examined China’s invasion scenarios, told Fox News Digital that people frequently overlook simple logistics. Any military force typically only carries enough supplies for three days, according to Liao, thus they must either be resupplied or scavenge what they can from the environment.
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Liao observes that ammunition is big, heavy, and quickly consumed. Except seldom, the PLA is prohibited from using ammunition taken from Taiwan. According to Liao, “this means they’ll have to bring over a tremendous amount of equipment.”
“A successful landing would be for China a Pyrrhic triumph. In order to provide onshore forces with supplies, the amphibious landing ships may end up being forced to repeatedly cross the Taiwan Strait (becoming extremely susceptible and valuable targets), according to Liao.
The fact that an invasion of Taiwan would be a terrible idea does not exclude China from trying it, but some experts think that given the reality of such an invasion, it is more likely to be China’s last resort than its first.
Numerous military analysts and observers of China concur that “strangulation” plans like a quarantine blockade would be far more successful than killing probably hundreds of thousands of Chinese soldiers and then sending perhaps a million troops to pacify Taiwan.
“Xi Jinping may have a deity mentality that prevents him from seeing the grave dangers posed by an invasion of Taiwan. According to Taiwan specialist Ian Easton, a logical strategic leader would opt for a different course of action, such as a protracted campaign of pressure to isolate and blockade Taiwan.
When asked if Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the House, ought to travel to the island country, Easton told Fox News Digital that the United States shouldn’t let Beijing’s threats frighten it. He argued that it is crucial for American officials to go to Taipei to show support for democracy that are in danger.
“Refusing to attend if under duress would play perfectly into the hands of the Chinese Communist Party.”
The Chinese Invasion Threat was written by Video Easton, senior director and research fellow at the Project 2049 Institute in Virginia.
His book provides illustrations of both concrete and abstract minefields that the People’s Liberation Army, Navy, and Air Force would come into contact with if they attempt to free Taiwan. Easton and others go on to say that there would obviously be no chance of surprise because invasion preparations are impossible to conceal.
Taiwan has remarkably few islands considering that sandy beaches are frequently associated with island coastlines. According to National Geographic magazine, more than 200 of Taiwan’s peaks reach heights of well over 9,000 feet, and over 75 percent of the island is mountainous.
Despite listing 14 beaches in Taiwan that may be used for an invasion, Easton says that the island’s 770-mile coastline is “remarkably inadequate for amphibious operations.”
The Taiwan-controlled islands of Matsu and particularly Kinmen (formerly known as Quemoy), both of which are situated just off the coast of China, present another difficulty. Before launching an assault on the Taiwan mainland, it would be necessary to seize control of these small strongholds, which would not be simple to do.
Trip of Pelosis to the area started on Sunday. She has declared that she will head a team to Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, and Japan, however Taiwan was not one of those destinations.
Fox News Digital correspondent located in Taiwan is named Eryk Michael Smith. Follow him on Twitter at @ErykSmithTaiwan.
