China’s, South China Sea Show of Force: Could China Prevent the U.S from Defending Taiwan?

Video Above:Could the U.S. Stop China from Invading Taiwan?

By Kris Osborn – President & Editor-In-Chief, Warrior Maven

Conducting multi-domain air attack drills from two aircraft carriers in the areas of Taiwan and the South China Sea represents an effort on the part of the People’s Liberation Army – Navy to demonstrate an ability to project power beyond its shores and annex Taiwan.

The Chinese government-backed Global Times newspaper specifically cites the PLAN’s forward carrier presence showing it could fend off US and Japanese forces defending Taiwan.

“Chinese military observers said the West Pacific is also an important potential battlefield if foreign forces like the US and Japan interfere in the Taiwan question, as Chinese aircraft carriers could take positions here and fend off foreign forces, while also surrounding the island of Taiwan from its east,” the paper states.

US & Japanese Intervention 

Could Chinese carriers in the Taiwan strait or in striking distance of Japan successfully defend Taiwan from US and Japanese attack? Certainly a question including a number of variables. Chinese carriers and amphibs might be quite successful in any amphibious assault to take over Taiwan, if US and Japanese forces could not get there in time or simply were not close enough to intervene in an impactful way.

However, should Japanese, South Korean or US forces have sufficient indications of an imminent invasion or obtain crucial intelligence information, US Navy and Japanese assets could be in close enough proximity to challenge or stop a Chinese takeover of Taiwan.