I just read Ian Easton’s book “The Chinese Invasion Threat” on how a Chinese invasion of Taiwan would likely play out. It’s an excellent book. You can find him on Twitter under the handle @Ian_M_Easton.

Here are my top ten take-aways from the book:

1. China has had a plan to invade Taiwan for many years

Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense reported in 2013 that the Chinese leadership planned to invade Taiwan by 2020. The new leadership under Xi Jinping apparently entered into a pact at the 18th National Congress in 2012 to build up operational capabilities to use force against Taiwan.

PLA literature describe a future invasion of Taiwan as “probably inevitable”. The Communist Party sees an invasion as the only way to weed out “separatist” forces that could one day challenge its grip on power. It also sees control of the island as vital to safeguard against foreign blockades. Xi Jinping has said that “these issues [Taiwan’s independence] cannot be passed on from generation to generation”.

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10 things I learned from Ian Easton's book…

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