Analysis: Beijing downplays US warships in Taiwan Strait as tensions calm

Chinese warplanes swarmed across the Taiwan Strait and the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) even fired missiles over “Why didn’t the Chinese go beyond that given their earlier strong opposition to Washington’s professed intent to continue such transits?” he said, offering three possible factors.Firstly, Beijing may be wary of “international blowback,” as any attempt to curtail US Navy navigation through the strait could be seen as threatening the rights of vessels from other nations to go through the waterway.Secondly, after the Pelosi visit to Taiwan, Beijing suspended key military communications channels with Washington, raising the risk of misunderstandings during any PLA Navy-US Navy interaction.Thirdly, there are other areas where Washington and Beijing do cooperate, and China may not want to strain those, Koh said.”It doesn’t make sense to provoke further heightened tensions that can potentially escalate into a clash,” he said.Carl Schuster, a former director of operations at the US Pacific Command’s Joint Intelligence Center in Hawaii, suggests a fourth possibility.”I think (Chinese leader Xi Jinping) is going to avoid any action that might strengthen the Republicans’ and other China hawks’ chances in the upcoming elections. He doesn’t want a House and Senate that may enact legislation that more strongly supports Taiwan, or limits Chinese investment and influence in the US,” Schuster said.Meanwhile, he said, the use of two cruisers in the latest strait transit might not be seen so much as a statement, but as reasonable military planning.”Given China’s threats and recent missile firings into international waters … it does seem prudent to have two warships transit those waters together,” Schuster said.And expect the US Navy to go about business as usual with regular transits of the strait, he said.”Under international law it is international waters and so there is no official dispute on its status,” he said. “The US Navy transit makes that statement quietly and effectively.”