America approved an exceptionally high $620 million arms sale to Taiwan. This can be used by Taiwan to purchase F16 missiles and intermediate-range missiles. Now that tension between China and America is rising, the question is how China will react: “Important consequences will not materialize, but the fire will certainly flare up again.”
The arms supply is part of a “slow rise in temperature” between the two countries, says Sense Hofstede, a researcher on Sino-Western diplomatic relations at the Clingendael Institute. “You will see that China sends planes to Taiwan again in response, and that Taiwan then receives new weapons.” In this way the tension becomes more and more threatening.
People’s Congress
The National People’s Congress is taking place in China this weekend, the question is whether there will be a response to the new supply of weapons from the United States. “That congress has been prepared in detail in advance, so nothing surprising will emerge.” Here, too, the gradual increase in temperature will emerge again.
“The major consequences of this arms delivery will probably not materialize, but the fire will certainly flare up again.”
Escalation
How realistic is the possibility that the situation will escalate in the short term? According to Hofstede, this possibility is very small in the short term: ‘This process is very gradual and does not involve any major shocks. We don’t need to worry until China introduces lockdowns.”
Source: BNR
Sharon Rock is an author and journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. She has a passion for learning about different cultures and understanding the complexities of the world. With a talent for explaining complex global issues in an accessible and engaging way, Sharon has become a respected voice in the field of world news journalism.
