Will China invade Taiwan?
WARSHIPS, tanks and fighter planes have been deployed to the East China coast amid fears war could soon break out over Taiwan.
While the Russian-Ukraine war has captivated the world's attention in 2022, many are now concerned China could use the Russian distraction to launch an attack.
Will China invade Taiwan?
The political status of Taiwan has been a contentious topic since the Second World War.
China has long seen the island as a province that will eventually be returned to mainland rule, but the people of Taiwan maintain their independence as a separate nation.
The island has been disputed for decades, but tensions in the region are now reaching boiling point.
Chilling footage shared on Chinese social network Weibo in August 2022 has appeared to show a fleet of Chinese military amphibious tanks lined across beaches in the Taiwan Strait.
At least two Chinese warships have also reportedly been seen lurking off the Island, as Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen has put her military on high alert.
Concerns of an imminent invasion are raised, in part, due to the , as they may feel now is the ideal time to launch a strike.
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, one of the most senior politicians in the US and vocal critic of China, has also aggravated tensions in the region by visiting Taiwan.
She touched down on the Island on August 2, 2022, in what China have interpreted as a "serious violation".
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Pelosi tweeted: "America’s solidarity with the 23 million people of Taiwan is more important today than ever, as the world faces a choice between autocracy and democracy."
In A chilling response, China's foreign ministry said: "These moves, like playing with fire, are extremely dangerous.
"Those who play with fire will perish by it."
What happened between China and Taiwan?
Taiwan's official title is the Republic of China (ROC).
The sovereignty of the string of islands off the coast of east and south-east Asia has been disputed for decades.
China has made many claims to the island over the years, including by President Xi Jinping who vowed to "unify" Taiwan.
Both ROC and The People's Republic of China (PRC) claim sovereignty over Taiwan and other islands surrounding China.
If they were to reunify - in accordance with the idea of 'one China' - ROC would have to be dissolved and would fall under the rule of the PRC Taiwan.
China - Taiwan Timeline
- 1945: The island was initially placed under the rule of the Republic of China (ROC) at the end of World War II.
- 1949: After the Chinese Civil War in 1949, ROC troops retreated from mainland China to Taiwan.
- 1971: The People's Republic of China (PRC) was established and officially replaced the ROC, however it still holds areas around China.
- 1980s: PRC proposes "one country, two systems", but Taiwan rejects offer.
- 2016: Residents of Taiwan democratically elected Tsai Ing-wen as President of the Republic of China in 2016, the first female president of the island.
- 2021: In June, Chinese defence ministry spokesman Ren Guoqiang said at a regular press briefing that Taiwan's unification with the mainland is a "historical inevitability". In October, Xi Jinping vows to "unify" Taiwan.
- 2022: PRC vows to "fight to the death" as warships, tanks and fighter planes are deployed.
Is Taiwan in Nato?
International organisations are hesitant to recognise the sovereignty of Taiwan.
The World Health Organisation, the Olympics, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Nato) do not officially recognise Taiwan as its own country.
There are currently 30 Nato members, including the UK and US, but China does not have membership.
Only 15 nations, including Vatican City, see Taiwan as a separate country to China.
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The United States did recognise Taiwan for 30 years but switched this official status in 1979.
They do still hold a positive relationship and have sent support and military assistance to the island.