“Although China now possesses ballistic missiles and aircraft carriers, which diminish Kinmen's strategic importance as a launching pad for any invasion of Taiwan, the island retains a symbolic significance. As tensions mount between China and Taiwan, the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party [CCP] might end up in a situation where they need a tangible win in the Taiwan Strait but are not ready for an all-out assault on Taiwan. In that scenario, seizing the largely demilitarised outlying Taiwanese islands of Kinmen and Matsu could provide a symbolic victory for the CCP; akin to what Russia did with Crimea in 2014.”
11 Aug 2022
5
2
Read More
