China Has 3 Carriers at Sea — Will PLA Seize Middle East Distraction to Attack Taiwan?

by Jim Morris, Warrior Vice President, News  

It’s been a big story for much of the last year. But now, with the world’s attention focused on Israel and Lebanon, could China use the opportunity to ramp up the pressure on Taiwan? 

   China now has all three of its aircraft carriers at sea for the first time. Meanwhile, the US has moved naval and air assets to the Middle East, a move which Politico says “comes at a high cost for the Navy. It also leaves the Indo-Pacific shorthanded as ships are pulled into the Middle East to protect American forces and battle Houthi missiles and drones targeting commercial shipping in the Red Sea.” 

   Earlier this week, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III ordered the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln and its escort group to stay in the region. A month ago, the carrier was diverted from a planned deployment to Pacific to head to the Middle East.  

   Another carrier, the Theodore Roosevelt, was deployed to the Middle East over the summer. It left the region September 12th and has now returned to the eastern Pacific Ocean. And the USS George Washington left San Diego this week for its home port in Japan. 

   The conventional wisdom is that a Chinese invasion of Taiwan wouldn’t happen until 2027. Reportedly, Chinese President Xi Jinping told his military leaders they needed to be ready for an attack by then.  

   According to Defense News, “2027 has exposed a rift in Washington’s China strategy. The US is more focused on the country it calls its ‘pacing challenge,” but experts disagree on whether it’s running a sprint or a marathon – and if it can prepare for both.” 

   And of course, there’s no guarantee a Chinese invasion of Taiwan won’t happen before 2027. But while Beijing has ramped up the pressure on Taiwan in the last year, with more and larger military maneuvers near the island, there are signs that the Chinese military is aware of some shortcomings.