While the failure of Western nations to support Ukraine has raised concerns regarding a possible Chinese invasion of Taiwan, it is not easy for Beijing to invade the island nation, which has already started taking measures to build up its military power to counter China, said a media report.
Amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Taiwan has started to prepare itself for a war with China and has warned "authoritarian" Beijing of a fierce fight if a military attack occurs. Further, with Taiwan's natural advantages and China's ambitions of gaining the ambitious status of the largest global economic power, invading Taiwan might not be as easy as the Ukraine invasion.
While Taiwan's military power is no match to China, it has already started to prepare its citizens for a possible invasion by issuing a war survival handbook. Further, Taiwanese citizens are also learning basic army training to avoid relying on others in the backdrop of the strategic ambiguity maintained by the US and the lack of international response to Ukraine's frantic calls for help, reported The Singapore Post.
Preparing itself on the non-military front, Taiwan is taking a slew of measures such as cyber protection and digital spying as it has proposed a tougher law to protect its semiconductor industry from Chinese espionage. The move is important as earlier, a group of Chinese hackers supported by the Beijing government had wedged a month-long attack against the financial institutions in Taiwan.
Further, the mountainous terrain makes Taiwan's defence strong as there are 258 peaks over 3,000 metres in elevation. If China risks moving thousands of tanks, artillery guns, armoured vehicles and rocket launchers along with infantry in the difficult terrain, Taiwan is sure that there will not be a smooth landing as in Ukraine's case.
"The nation's military has the advantage of the Taiwan Strait being a natural moat and can use joint intercept operations, cutting off the Communist military's supplies, severely reducing the combat effectiveness and endurance of the landing forces," the media outlet quoted a report of Taiwanese Defence Ministry.
Moreover, China will also face resistance from Taiwanese people who abhor being identified as Chinese. While Beijing is using new tactics to cajole Taiwanese youth into identifying more with China, Taiwanese people called the Chinese government "authoritarian" and have vowed to fight for their country's sovereignty as well as its democratic way of life.
Notably, the US will also be a hindrance in China's plans of invading Taiwan as it would meanthe end of its military might, which is already shaken after the Afghanistan fiasco. Further, China would also not like to risk aggravating political tension in the region and pitting major military powers against itself.
( With inputs from ANI )
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