US Military Raid on Venezuela Raises Speculation About China's Plans for Taiwan, Says Analysts
The US military's surprise raid to capture Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro has sparked intense debate about the implications of this move for China's plans for Taiwan. While some analysts have drawn parallels between the US raid and a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, others argue that Beijing is unlikely to be swayed by Western criticism.
China views Taiwan as part of its territory and sees any international pressure on the island as an interference in domestic affairs. "Cross-strait relations are not international relations and are not governed by international law," said Shen Dingli, a senior international relations scholar in Shanghai.
The biggest deterrence for China in launching an attack on Taiwan is the military balance in the Taiwan Strait, with Taiwan enjoying the promise of US support in the event of an invasion. However, this balance has shifted in recent years as China's military modernization continues to accelerate.
"China may feel that its advanced military capabilities can neutralize any US attempts at intervention," said Ryan Hass, a former US diplomat in Beijing and senior fellow at Brookings.
Some analysts have noted that the failure of Chinese-made arms to defend against the US raid on Venezuela highlights weaknesses in China's military systems. "Why was the US military able to move in as if no one were there?" asked Lin Ying Yu, an associate professor at Tamkang University in Taipei.
The US raid has also raised questions about the limits of Western intervention in international affairs and whether leaders like Donald Trump are willing to disregard global norms to achieve their goals. The UK prime minister's decision not to condemn Trump's actions is seen as a sign that global norms are being eroded.
Despite these concerns, many analysts believe that the US raid on Venezuela serves as a deterrent for China. "The US military's capacity for a decapitation strike ought to provide a deterrent that makes Beijing think about putting their [military] to the test against Washington," said Sung Wen-Ti, a non-resident fellow at the Atlantic Council's Global China Hub.
In Taiwan, there is growing concern about the implications of this move for the island's security. "Taiwan should not become Venezuela," wrote popular YouTuber Chiu Wei-chieh in a Facebook post that received over 30,000 likes.
The Chinese government has condemned the US raid on Venezuela as a violation of international law and basic norms in international relations. However, China's stance on Taiwan remains unchanged: it views the island as part of its territory and sees any pressure from abroad as an interference in domestic affairs.
The US military's surprise raid to capture Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro has sparked intense debate about the implications of this move for China's plans for Taiwan. While some analysts have drawn parallels between the US raid and a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, others argue that Beijing is unlikely to be swayed by Western criticism.
China views Taiwan as part of its territory and sees any international pressure on the island as an interference in domestic affairs. "Cross-strait relations are not international relations and are not governed by international law," said Shen Dingli, a senior international relations scholar in Shanghai.
The biggest deterrence for China in launching an attack on Taiwan is the military balance in the Taiwan Strait, with Taiwan enjoying the promise of US support in the event of an invasion. However, this balance has shifted in recent years as China's military modernization continues to accelerate.
"China may feel that its advanced military capabilities can neutralize any US attempts at intervention," said Ryan Hass, a former US diplomat in Beijing and senior fellow at Brookings.
Some analysts have noted that the failure of Chinese-made arms to defend against the US raid on Venezuela highlights weaknesses in China's military systems. "Why was the US military able to move in as if no one were there?" asked Lin Ying Yu, an associate professor at Tamkang University in Taipei.
The US raid has also raised questions about the limits of Western intervention in international affairs and whether leaders like Donald Trump are willing to disregard global norms to achieve their goals. The UK prime minister's decision not to condemn Trump's actions is seen as a sign that global norms are being eroded.
Despite these concerns, many analysts believe that the US raid on Venezuela serves as a deterrent for China. "The US military's capacity for a decapitation strike ought to provide a deterrent that makes Beijing think about putting their [military] to the test against Washington," said Sung Wen-Ti, a non-resident fellow at the Atlantic Council's Global China Hub.
In Taiwan, there is growing concern about the implications of this move for the island's security. "Taiwan should not become Venezuela," wrote popular YouTuber Chiu Wei-chieh in a Facebook post that received over 30,000 likes.
The Chinese government has condemned the US raid on Venezuela as a violation of international law and basic norms in international relations. However, China's stance on Taiwan remains unchanged: it views the island as part of its territory and sees any pressure from abroad as an interference in domestic affairs.
china's move to taiwan is still a mystery... but i think it's kinda clear that usa wants to contain them so they can't get closer to taking control of asia... meanwhile, venezuela thing just shows how unpredictable global politics are 
china can't help feeling threatened by usa and other western countries always trying to undermine their interests 
at the same time, china's modernizing military is a game changer - who knows if it'll really be able to take on usa in a conflict? 
I'm watching this situation closely... It's like China is playing a game of "keep calm and carry on" while the West gets anxious 
so china is still all about taking taiwan but i think the us raiding venezuela shows that china's military isn't as strong as they claim lol like if the US can just swoop in and take maduro, what's stopping them from doing the same to taiwan? 
anyway i still got faith in usa and our military 
but honestly how can they not see that us just raided venezuela like 4 hours ago 
and didn't even get caught 
? it's like they forgot about the whole "beijing is watching you" thing 
i mean, china's got some serious military modernization going on but we all know who's still got the nukes... right? 
. What really concerns me is that we're losing global norms left and right 
. China's all about maintaining its territory status quo, but it seems like the rest of us are just getting caught in the crossfire 
.
they've been working on modernizing their military for years and now it looks like that's finally paying off 
. Anyway, I'm keepin' an eye on this one, it's about to get real 
!
Their military modernization is definitely making them a force to be reckoned with. And let's be real, the US' reaction was kinda muted - not exactly the kind of deterrence we want. 
22-yr-old kid says he can take on China if US gives him a tank... meanwhile, Russia's still trying to figure out how to use the tanks they already have 
. And it makes sense, I guess - if you feel like your military capabilities are strong enough to take on any US attempts at intervention, why bother listening to criticism?
.
I mean, I get why China is all like "my territory" and whatnot, but at some point gotta wonder if they're gonna keep going on about that forever 
. And can we talk about how the US military was like a stealthy ninja in Venezuela and nobody saw it coming? 
Like, what's going on with China's military systems? Are they still rocking that ancient armor or did they upgrade to something more... modern? 
OMG this whole thing is so crazy!! like what even was the point of that US military raid on Venezuela? I mean we all know China's not going to let some Western criticism stop them from doing their own thang 