[International] Decoding International Affairs / Taiwan and the South China Sea are Closely Related; Any Incident Will Impact the World
RtiTalk 小編1d ago
During a Republican primary debate in South Carolina, U.S. Senator Darline Graham Nordone, a Republican, was unable to answer questions about whether the United States has national security interests in Taiwan and the South China Sea, admitting, "National security is not my strong suit," which drew criticism.
The Associated Press (AP) today (20th) specifically wrote an article explaining why Taiwan and the South China Sea are crucial to the United States and the world.
The AP reported that Taiwan and the South China Sea have long been important issues in U.S. foreign policy, and in recent months, tensions involving China have brought these two areas into the headlines frequently. Beijing claims Taiwan as part of its territory and asserts sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, which puts China in conflict with the United States and its allies and partners in the region.
Given the importance of Taiwan and the South China Sea to global trade, events in these two locations will not only affect the region but also the entire world.
The South China Sea is a vast body of water surrounded by multiple countries, including China, the Philippines, and Vietnam, and is one of the world's vital maritime trade routes. Taiwan, on the other hand, produces most of the world's advanced semiconductors.
Hunter Marston, Director of the Southeast Asia Program at the Australian think tank Lowy Institute, said, "These two places are closely related." He added, "If China blockades Taiwan, or attempts to forcibly reclaim Taiwan from the mainland, the South China Sea could quickly see spillover effects."
The AP interviewed scholars who examined the importance of Taiwan and the South China Sea and their strategic connections:
Taiwan, a Key Issue in U.S.-China Relations
Lowy Institute's Marston stated, "If China controls Taiwan, or if the United States clearly indicates it will not defend Taiwan in the event of a conflict, China could project its military power (especially submarine capabilities) deep into the South China Sea, even beyond the first island chain into the Pacific."
Conflict surrounding Taiwan would have a direct impact on Southeast Asia. Marston pointed out that nearly one million citizens of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states would need to be evacuated. Conflict could also lead to a confrontation between U.S. and Chinese forces in the South China Sea, forcing regional governments to navigate between the two superpowers.
Continued Tensions in the South China Sea
Despite an international arbitration in 2016 that rejected Beijing's expansive maritime claims, China continues to assert sovereignty over most of the South China Sea.
In July of this year, on the 10th anniversary of the South China Sea arbitration, the United States, the United Kingdom, and 12 other countries reiterated that China's expansive claims lack a legal basis. Beijing responded by stating that it neither accepts nor recognizes the arbitration ruling.
Confrontations in the disputed waters have become more frequent in recent years, particularly involving the military and fishing vessels of China, the Philippines, and Vietnam.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a Washington-based think tank, has noted that because the South China Sea is one of the world's most important maritime commercial routes, "conflict could cause significant disruption to trade flows." The South China Sea is connected to surrounding waters through several strategic passages, including the Strait of Malacca, which connects to the Indian Ocean, and the Taiwan Strait, which connects to the East China Sea.
What are the United States' main interests in the region?
For Lowy Institute's Marston, "The primary goal is to prevent China from achieving regional hegemony and dominating the Pacific."
He said, "The security of Taiwan and its allies, such as the Philippines, and the defense of the first island chain are indispensable parts of this overall objective."
However, the U.S. military's ability to maintain a presence in the Western Pacific is being tested by demands from other regions.
The aircraft carrier USS George Washington is leaving the Pacific to relieve the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Middle East. The Lincoln's deployment there has been extended to support U.S. military operations against Iran. This leaves the Western Pacific without any U.S. aircraft carriers at a time of escalating U.S.-China tensions, as the Trump administration is withdrawing from the Asia-Pacific region to focus on the Western Hemisphere. (Editor: Liu Xianghua)
Source Link: https://www.rti.org.tw/news?uid=3&pid=227460
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