A Scapegoat Called Taiwan.

As if the trade war between China and the US under the banner of the China containment policy and the prevailing tensions in the South China Sea were not bothersome enough for the world to get apprehensive about a cold war turning into a possible military nightmare. As if the Ukraine war was not worrisome enough for the world that another wargaming room has been fashioned. Or, perhaps the Generals got bored and wanted some real-time excitement again. Here, one would avoid bringing in the conspiracy theory that revolves around the interests of arms-producing multi-billion-dollar companies. Conversely, it might just be a barometric move to test the extent of China's sensitivities about its 'own' territory being overtly intruded. Whatever the case may be, a high-level dramatic visit from Washington to Taiwan was certainly telling, defiant and provocative, to say the least.

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan last week must have alarmed a few geo-strategists around the world. Perhaps, it also laid the foundation for another potential war zone capable of engulfing peace and security in and around the island. Worse, it might actually prove to be the stepping stone for a long-drawn battle between the Titans. All said and done, the stage was set for a possible showdown. The inevitable had happened...!!

The tension started mounting after China sharply reacted to the visit by promising 'punishment' and making an example of it. According to China's Foreign Office, 'in the current struggle surrounding Pelosi's Taiwan visit, the United States are the provocateurs, China is the victim'. Soon China started revealing the contours of the said 'punishment'. Besides imposing unspecified sanctions on Pelosi and her family, China suspended or cancelled several meetings with the US relating to cooperation in the fields of defence, security, immigration, transnational crimes and more importantly, bilateral Climate Change talks.

Up till now, the Chinese military would avoid coming too close to the island, apprehending retaliation from the Taiwanese or for that matter the US military. But the military drills announced by China coinciding with Pelosi's visit apparently provided a kind of raison d'etre to gradually coming closer to Taiwan, particularly down South and up North. Soon, China is likely to make it difficult for any outside forces to reach the island. Military experts believe that by cordoning off Taiwan, Chinese forces would seemingly be in...