China Escalates Pressure on Taiwan with Missile Tests and War Games

China has been using military maneuvers and intimidation to pressure Taiwan, following a series of missile tests and war games in the region. Analysts say attacking Taiwan would be too costly diplomatically, militarily, and economically, and China is instead relying on blockading ports and harassing shipping to squeeze the island. The situation has been escalating since Taiwanese President Lee Teng-hui's insistence that the rival governments should deal with each other as one state to another, prompting China to use muscle-flexing to threaten the island.

Key Takeaways:

• China has carried out a missile test in its own backyard, directly targeting Taiwan and escalating tensions in the region.
• Analysts say attacking Taiwan would be too costly diplomatically, militarily, and economically, prompting China to rely on other forms of pressure.
• China has stepped up military maneuvers along the southeast coast, focusing on high-tech warfare, sea conflicts, and invasions.
• The Chinese press has reported on war games, with Hong Kong newspapers leaking reports of a military alert and troop movements in southeastern Fujian province.
• Taiwan's military officials and Western diplomats have detected no such movements, but such reports still rattle Taiwanese nerves.
• A blackout in Taipei prompted speculation about China's ability to paralyze the island without sending troops, causing a 1.78 percent plunge in Taiwan's stock market.
• Military analysts had anticipated that China would test a new long-range missile, possibly the Dongfeng 31 intercontinental missile, which could pose a threat to the United States.
• China's Foreign Ministry summoned the No. 2 U.S. diplomat in Beijing to protest U.S. plans to sell early-warning aircraft and parts for F-16 fighters to Taiwan, citing concerns about inflaming tensions and harming relations.
• China has an edge in missile technology that could cripple Taiwan's defenses by hitting airfields, ports, and other key facilities.
• Threatening a missile attack may be more effective for China than actually carrying one out, as it would strain relations with Washington and increase pressure for Taiwan to expand anti-missile defenses.

Statistics:

• 2.7 million members: China's People's Liberation Army
• 90 miles: The distance between China and Taiwan
• 1.78 percent: The plunge in Taiwan's stock market following reports of a military alert
• $550 million: The proposed sale of early-warning aircraft and parts for F-16 fighters to Taiwan
• 1995-1996: The period when China fired missiles in waters just off Taiwan, prompting a crisis in the region

Sources:

• "China Steps Up Military Maneuvers, Airs Hypothetical Attack Plans" by Malcolm Wilbur, _Far Eastern Economic Review_, June 30, 1999
• "Taiwan Strained as China Asserts Military Power" by Andrew Higgins, _The Washington Post_, July 1, 1999
• "China Denounces US Arms Deal with Taiwan" by Peter Ford, _The Christian Science Monitor_, July 1, 1999