TAIPEI: Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen stated on Monday that war between Taiwan and China is “absolutely not an option.” She also reaffirmed her desire to hold talks with Beijing and promised to strengthen the island’s defences, including by deploying precision missiles.Her most recent offer was once more rejected by China, who claimed the island was an integral part of its territory.
Democratic Taiwan, which China claims as its own, is coming under increased political and military pressure from Beijing, particularly in the wake of Chinese war games that took place in early August after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taipei.Given Taiwan’s dominant position as a manufacturer of semiconductors used in everything from smartphones and tablets to fighter jets, any confrontation over Taiwan might involve the United States, Japan, and maybe much of the rest of the world. It could also devastate the global economy.
