Over the past year, relations between China and Taiwan have become increasingly strained against the backdrop of an already unstable political situation.
There are several reasons for the escalation of the conflict as of February 2022.
The DPRK government has dealt with protests in Hong Kong, depriving the area of autonomy. This situation diverted attention from the clash with Taiwan, but after the ‘resolution’ of the Hong Kong problem, China’s attention has once again turned to the island.
The political situation around Ukraine has also added to the heat. The Taiwanese government was concerned that the situation could follow a similar scenario. China may not be right, as it has become involved in threats to Taiwan with armed invasion. The DPRK has become increasingly involved in military exercises to invade the island, and China’s renewed military bases and incursions by its air force into Taiwan’s airspace raise questions about its plans to invade the island.
To defend Taiwan and control the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in the Asia-Pacific region, Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom formed the AUKUS military coalition.
No precise forecasts can be made at this time, but the situation is clearly evolving.
