China’s Hegemonic Obsession: Undermining Taiwan and Regional Security

International

oi-Oneindia Staff

By Ashu Maan

Published: Monday, March 17, 2025, 19:14 [IST]

China’s
escalating
coercion
of
Taiwan
reveals
not
merely
a
territorial
obsession
but
a
broader
authoritarian
desire
to
suppress
alternative
political
models
within
its
sphere
of
influence.

Beijing’s
strategic
posture,
underscored
by
the
controversial
2005
Anti-Secession
Law-which
explicitly
authorises
the
use
of
“non-peaceful
means” against
Taiwan
should
peaceful
reunification
fail-marks
a
significant
shift
from
diplomatic
persuasion
to
sustained
psychological,
military,
and
economic
pressure.

AI-image
generated
by
DALLE
for
representational
purposes
only)

While
the
Anti-Secession
Law
reasserts
China’s
stated
preference
for
peaceful
reunification,
it
simultaneously
grants
Beijing
legal
justification
for
military
aggression
if
Taiwan
attempts
formal
independence
or
peaceful
reunification
appears
improbable.

By
defining
these
conditions
unilaterally,
China
effectively
grants
itself
carte
blanche
to
escalate
tensions
without
international
accountability,
undermining
regional
stability
under
the
guise
of
legality.

Recent
military
activities,
including
regular
incursions
into
Taiwan’s
Air
Defense
Identification
Zone
(ADIZ)
and
major
drills
such
as
Joint
Sword-2024,
underscore
Beijing’s
willingness
to
rehearse
scenarios
involving
blockades
or
amphibious
assaults,
amplifying
the
risk
of
miscalculations.

Respect
for
Taiwan’s
sovereignty
remains
crucial
to
maintaining
regional
peace
and
stability.
For
its
part,
Taiwan
continues
to
represent
an
ideological
challenge
to
Beijing’s
narrative
of
a
unified
China.

The
island’s
robust
democratic
institutions,
independent
judiciary,
vibrant
civil
society,
and
open
political
discourse
starkly
contrast
the
mainland’s
authoritarian
model.
The
January
2024
election
of
President
Lai
Ching-te
reaffirmed
Taiwanese
commitment
to
democratic
governance
despite
China’s
overt
warnings.

Taipei’s
approach
consistently
prioritises
peaceful
coexistence,
yet
Beijing
perceives
Taiwan’s
democracy
as
provocative,
intensifying
its
aggressive
posture.

Beijing’s
strategy
extends
beyond
direct
military
threats.
Cyberattacks
and
misinformation
campaigns
targeting
Taiwanese
government
institutions
and
society
have
become
routine,
deliberately
designed
to
destabilise
and
create
a
climate
of
perpetual
insecurity.

Such
digital
warfare
complements
relentless
economic
coercion.
China
has
implemented
targeted
bans
on
Taiwanese
agricultural
exports,
restricted
tourist
flows,
and
disrupted
supply
chains,
all
aimed
at
economically
strangling
Taipei
into
submission.

Diplomatically,
China
continues
its
aggressive
campaign
to
isolate
Taiwan
globally.
Through
economic
incentives
and
coercion,
Beijing
has
whittled
down
Taiwan’s
diplomatic
recognition
to
only
11
countries
as
of
early
2025.

Efforts
to
block
Taiwan’s
participation
in
global
forums,
including
the
World
Health
Assembly
and
the
International
Civil
Aviation
Organization,
reflect
a
systematic
strategy
to
erase
Taiwan’s
international
visibility
and
voice.

Nevertheless,
Taiwan
has
adeptly
mitigated
Beijing’s
pressure
by
deepening
informal
relationships
with
influential
democracies
and
global
institutions.
The
United
States
continues
arms
supplies
under
the
Taiwan
Relations
Act,
regularly
conducts
freedom-of-navigation
operations
through
the
Taiwan
Strait,
and
has
notably
intensified
diplomatic
signalling
that
underscores
Taiwan’s
strategic
importance.

Japan’s
latest
defence
policy
explicitly
identifies
Taiwan’s
stability
as
integral
to
regional
security.
Simultaneously,
multilateral
forums
like
the
Quad-India,
Japan,
Australia,
and
the
United
States-have
begun
explicitly
acknowledging
Taiwan’s
significance,
subtly
warning
Beijing
against
aggression.

China’s
military
actions
around
Taiwan
have
escalated
alarmingly,
transitioning
from
isolated
provocations
to
systematic
pressure.
Frequent
breaches
of
Taiwan’s
Air
Defense
Identification
Zone
(ADIZ),
large-scale
naval
exercises
simulating
blockades,
and
amphibious
assault
drills
demonstrate
Beijing’s
operational
readiness
for
potential
conflict
scenarios.
This
grey-zone
coercion
tactic
serves
dual
purposes:
it
exhausts
Taiwan’s
defensive
resources
and
psychologically
normalises
a
potential
invasion
scenario,
further
eroding
Taiwan’s
sense
of
security.

For
India,
observing
China’s
approach
toward
Taiwan
offers
critical
strategic
lessons.
China’s
use
of
legislative
frameworks
to
legitimise
aggression
holds
implications
for
Indian
border
disputes,
particularly
along
the
Line
of
Actual
Control.
Strengthening
cooperation
with
democracies
through
mechanisms
like
the
Quad
and
bilateral
defence
agreements
can
enhance
India’s
deterrence
posture
against
China’s
revisionist
actions.
Simultaneously,
India’s
diplomatic
initiatives
could
support
Taiwan’s
international
engagement,
countering
Beijing’s
diplomatic
isolation
campaign.

Ultimately,
Taiwan’s
situation
represents
a
larger
ideological
struggle
between
authoritarianism
and
democracy.
Respecting
Taiwan’s
sovereignty
and
democratic
self-determination
is
essential.
China’s
insistence
on
forced
reunification
through
coercion
endangers
not
just
Taiwan
but
the
broader
principles
of
regional
stability
and
democratic
self-determination.

(Ashu
Maan
is
an
Associate
Fellow
at
the
Centre
for
Land
Warfare
Studies.
He
is
currently
pursuing
his
PhD
from
Amity
University,
Noida,
in
Defence
and
Strategic
Studies.)

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China’s Hegemonic Obsession: Undermining Taiwan and Regional Security

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