China Launches ‘Gray Zone’ Warfare Against Taiwan After Its President Visits US

ANALYSIS – Communist China is ramping up its ‘gray zone' warfare against Taiwan. Amid heightened tensions with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy hosting Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen in California, China has launched a three-day patrol and inspection operation in the central and northern parts of the Taiwan Strait.

This exercise reportedly will include boarding civilian ships.

China's Fujian maritime safety administration announced the provocative special operation on its WeChat account.

This would be a severe escalation by Beijing, yet, as per ‘gray zone' parameters, still – initially at least – fall short of an outright act of war.

However, depending on Taiwan's response, this could escalate into hostilities.

Reuters reported:

The [Chinese] fleet, a joint special operation with East China Sea Rescue Bureau and the East China Sea Navigation Support Center, will continue to carry out cruise inspections in the central and northern parts of the Taiwan Strait over the next two days.

It added:

The maritime safety authority in the southeastern Chinese province said on Wednesday the operation included “on-site inspections” on direct cargo ships and construction vessels on both sides of the Taiwan Strait “to ensure the safety of vessel navigation and ensure the safe and orderly operation of key projects on water”.

The news bureau explained:

Areas covered by the operation include the Pingtan Taiwan direct container route, the “small three links” passenger route, the Taiwan Strait vessel customary route, the densely navigable areas of commercial and fishing vessels, and areas with frequent illegal sand mining activities.

The “small three links” passenger route refers to boat routes between Taiwan's Kinmen and Matsu islands which sit opposite China and Chinese cities.

The People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) appears to be flexing its naval might for this intimidation tactic using various warships, including its Shandong aircraft carrier battle group to back up the purportedly civilian Chinese agencies involved.

That Chinese naval task force was spotted in Taiwanese waters off the southeast coast Wednesday and was reportedly seen in the Pacific 186 miles south of Japan's Hateruma Island Thursday.

In response, Taiwanese authorities wrote in a statement: “If the mainland side insists on taking one-sided actions, it will create obstacles to normal exchanges between the two sides. We will be forced to take corresponding measures.”

Taiwan's Transport Ministry advised the relevant shipping operators to refuse any such requests by China and to notify the Taiwanese coast guard immediately for assistance.

The Ministry's Maritime and Ports Bureau stated late Wednesday that it has lodged a strong protest with China about the illegal move.

According to Barron's: “President Tsai Ing-wen said on Thursday that Taipei was working to ‘prevent China's interference' in its territorial waters after Chinese maritime authorities threatened the boarding of cargo and passenger ships.”

“During the time I am out of the country, our national security team has been closely monitoring the situation. What we have been doing is to ensure that our ships can sail safely at sea and to prevent China's interference in our territorial waters,” Tsai said as she prepared to leave the United States.

The House GOP isn't impressed. As Fox News reported:

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Mike McCaul was asked about China's threat to stop Taiwanese ships on Wednesday, saying he was aware of Chinese naval forces surrounding the island.

“[Intimidation is] what they do,” McCaul, R-Texas, told Fox News' Aishah Hasnie. “And we're not going to be deterred by this intimidation if the PRC, communist China, decides to start blocking the Taiwan Straits, that is an act of aggression. And I believe it's not it is not sustainable or acceptable.”

“I do know that there are three aircraft carriers surrounding the island right now, and we know that they have certain plans, whether they carry those out. I don't know. But I think that would be a very unfortunate mistake on the part of the Chinese Communist Party.”

Let's see where this Communist Chinese brinkmanship leads, and how Joe Biden responds.

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.

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