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Taiwan to Begin Annual Invasion War Games
Each year the Taiwanese Ministry of National Defense runs “Wan An Drills”, to simulate a Chinese military invasion.
Tensions between the two nations have escalated into security threats over the past year, with China staging incursions into Taiwanese airways with nuclear-capable planes, sending warships into Taiwanese waters, and repeated cyber-attacks. On June 13th of this year, China sent 28 fighter jets into Taiwanese airspace, on September 4th, 19 more.
Cross-strait relations continues to be one of the world’s most contentious powder kegs, and the situation has only deteriorated. In the short term, China will continue flexing its military might to express its displeasure with Taipei’s cooperation with the US. The US, Japan, Netherlands, and Canada will likely continue joint-military exercises in the region to produce a strong counterbalance to Chinese expansionism. This is an especially dangerous situation, where fatal mistakes can easily be made. A single slip by either side in their shows of force could result in a diplomatic standoff. The likelihood of conflict increases each day, with Xi Jinping continuously establishing himself as a bold and daring leader, unafraid of consequences in the South China Sea.
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Colin serves on the current developments team as a research analyst. He has previously published research on China and UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Contributing regularly to the Daily Brief, Colin's areas of focus include China, climate change, and ASEAN.