China and the US risk sleepwalking into a nuclear war

A chilling warning has raised the specter of nuclear war between the United States and China. Last week, a report released by the International Institute for Strategic Studies highlighted how a crisis over Taiwan could risk tipping the world into a catastrophe.

The London-based think tank painted a stark picture of escalating tensions in the Asia-Pacific region, sparked by a new nuclear arms race. Such a build-up threatens to trigger the terrifying possibility of a conventional conflict quickly expanding into thermonuclear strikes.

“A direct conflict between the world’s two most powerful militaries would bring the world closer to nuclear conflagration than at any time since the Cuban Missile Crisis [in 1962]. The prospect of nuclear escalation will continue to loom large,” the IISS study pointed out.

Even more alarming is that there is “little public evidence” that either side has established clear guardrails to prevent a military standoff from rapidly spiraling out of control. These might include attacks on vital intelligence and surveillance networks.

“Conflict with China would risk escalation, potentially to a nuclear level, given the strategic importance of Taiwan to Beijing,” the IISS report warned.

Force has not been ruled out in Beijing’s
‘unification’ blueprint.

Flashpoint Taiwan:

• Beijing swiftly pushed back. China’s Ministry of National Defense spokesperson, Jiang Bin, dismissed the report as “quite inconsistent” with reality, according to Reuters.
• He insisted Taiwan remains an “internal affair” and cautioned against foreign meddling. The Communist Party state regards the island democracy as a renegade province.

Delve deeper: Still, force has not been ruled out in Beijing’s “unification” blueprint. That point was made crystal clear by China’s leader Xi Jinping during the opening day of last month’s state summit with American President Donald Trump.

Between the lines: Indeed, Taiwan topped Xi’s agenda. “If it is handled properly, the relationship will enjoy stability,” he told Trump, according to a readout at the time from Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Mao Ning.

Big picture: “Otherwise, the two countries will have clashes and even conflicts, putting the relationship in jeopardy,” Xi threatened, underlining Beijing’s “red lines” over Taipei.

China Factor comment: Yet, the IISS findings were released as Trump still waivers on the approval of a US$14 billion defense deal with Taiwan. Tiptoeing around the arms sales will only reinforce Comrade Xi’s “red lines.”