Screenshot from Atlantic Council article by Marek Jestrab about a hypothetical blockade around Taiwan.
Marek Jestrab conjectures about the possibility of a Chinese blockade of Taiwan. The blockade might be a way for the Chinese Communists to force Taiwan to submit to mainland authority without provoking a strong global response to the same degree that an outright invasion would. Jestrab uses the Russian invasion of Ukraine as an example of world outrage being provoked.
The blockade would consist of various measures to the make Taiwan’s sea passages from being easily navigated: laying minefields, blocking and ramming vessels, and conducting live fire drills.
Jestrab suggests the international community should respond as a coalition to send a unified message. Taiwanese vessels could fly “coalition national flags that the PRC would be hesitant to attack.” The coalition could even deploy warships to escort Taiwanese ships. Beyond deterrence, the coalition could use “targeted sanctions against the PRC that limit its access to global financial markets and critical technology.”
And to raise the level of awareness (and outrage), the international coalition must document and publicize the ugly behavior of the Chinese Communists, “with a focus on the harm… to the global economy.”
