South China Sea: Expert says China is preparing for war with its military modernization

Conflict remains among several countries over claims of the South China Sea. As tensions remain high, an expert has warned that China is already preparing itself for a possible military conflict and a possible military takeover of Taiwan.

University of Nottingham political scientist and China expert Dr. Jonathan Sullivan warned that China is already flexing the military muscle of the People’s Liberation Army so it can be able to launch a military takeover of Taiwan. China has insisted on having sovereignty over the island nation, despite Taiwan being a democratically-run nation for some time. The Taiwanese government has also openly defied China’s insistence, and Beijing has already looked into a possible forced takeover of the island nation in an effort to reunify Taiwan with the mainland.

“The Communist regime is obviously heavily invested in ‘recovering’ Taiwan, but it also acknowledges the above risks and so is unlikely to invade unless it feels there is no other option to prevent ‘Taiwan independence,’” said Dr. Sullivan. “In recent years it has ratcheted up the pressure on Taiwan and bellicose rhetoric and is busily readying itself through military modernization to be in a position to credibly take Taiwan.”

Last week, the PLA celebrated its 94th anniversary with a display of some of the country’s most advanced warships. The PLA Navy also released some footage of its three aircraft carriers, the Liaoning, the Shandong, and the Hainan. All three ships carried out naval exercises last week, including drills by the Shandong in the South China Sea.

China insists on having sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea. However, its claims overlap with those of the surrounding countries. An international tribunal ruled against China’s sweeping claim, stating no legal basis in international law, but Beijing has chosen to ignore the ruling.

In an effort to deter Chinese aggression in the disputed waters, western allies of the surrounding countries like the US and the UK have already deployed warships to build a presence in the South China Sea. This month, India is also set to join in building a military presence in the region as it is to deploy a naval task force in order to deter threats from China.

Four of India’s ships will be deployed into the South China Sea for a two-month mission to Southeast Asia, the disputed waters, as well as the South Pacific, according to the Indian Navy in a statement Wednesday.