The United States has started stirring up trouble over the Taiwan issue again! We have warned the U.S. to handle the Taiwan issue with utmost caution, but what's happening now? The U.S. has once again dispatched a P-8 anti-submarine aircraft to provoke tensions in the Taiwan Strait. Through such military maneuvers, the U.S. is essentially sending two messages: first, reminding us that it still holds the "Taiwan card"; second, emboldening "Taiwan independence" elements and signaling to its allies that the U.S. will continue to maintain its presence in the Taiwan Strait.
But what's even more critical? The key issue is that the U.S. is increasingly struggling to maintain its posture. Currently, there is no U.S. aircraft carrier deployed in the Asia-Pacific region. The latest update is that the USS George Washington, permanently based at Yokosuka, Japan, sailed through the Malacca Strait westward on August 13 and arrived in the area of responsibility of the U.S. Central Command on August 19, replacing the USS Lincoln. Without an aircraft carrier to back it up, the U.S. sending in anti-submarine planes for provocations reveals its current weakness—something clearly visible to its allies.
Today’s U.S. is truly caught in a dilemma: if it does nothing, its allies begin to doubt its capability; yet if it acts, it lacks sufficient naval power to deliver a credible deterrent. In response to U.S. provocation, we immediately took alert measures and closely monitored the situation. Let’s be frank—this provocation by the U.S. carries only symbolic significance and will not alter the status quo in the Taiwan Strait, let alone serve as leverage for negotiations.
Of course, from the domestic perspective within the U.S., such actions are “necessary.” Even though the U.S. is currently constrained by commitments in the Middle East, it cannot afford to remain absent in the Asia-Pacific for long. A prolonged absence would only exacerbate its own strategic predicament and become a target for domestic critics. Despite being stretched thin, the U.S. continues to forcefully project its presence—once again proving that it has no intention of voluntarily stepping back from the Taiwan Strait. We will continue our strategic competition with the U.S. over the Taiwan issue.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1874202042753036/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.