All China’s maneuvers around the Pratas Islands and Taiwan

The maneuvers by the US Navy in the Taiwan Strait continue in a systematic way in order to contain and limit the Chinese hegemonic ambitions.

Precisely because geographical understanding has always been an indispensable condition to be able to plan any strategy, both defensive and offensive at a geopolitical level, Taiwan – in order to prevent and contain the hegemonic aims of China – uses the marines detached there to carry out exercises. also aerial and anti-landing especially in the face of reports from its intelligence and from the American one according to which the Chinese People's Army could conduct military exercises simulating a sort of invasion of the islets surrounding Taiwan. And it is certainly no coincidence that the US – as we have repeatedly observed on these pages – is increasinglyintensifying its military support for Taiwan.

But which islands are we talking about exactly? We are of course talking about the Pratas Islands , which are located 445 km from the southern Taiwanese port city of Kaohsiung and just over 300 km from the Chinese mainland. Despite being administered by Taiwan, they are claimed by Beijing.

In May, the Japanese newspaper Kyodo News reported that the Chinese military was planning to conduct a large-scale training exercise on the southern Chinese island of Hainan in August, which would also include a simulated occupation of the Pratas Islets. Although it is not certain that this simulation has actually been implemented, it is nevertheless certain that since mid-August the Chinese army has organized several Wargames in the Yellow Sea, the South China Sea, the East China Sea and the Gulf of Bohai for the purpose. to implement a strategy of intimidation towards both Taiwan and the United States. Precisely in this context, the Chinese army has prepared the use of warplanes in the defense zone of the south-western area of ​​Taiwan for training and reconnaissance operations, raising the concern of Taiwan and the United States of a possible attack plane from the Chinese side.

All this should not be surprising: if a Chinese military invasion of Taiwan is unlikely – but not impossible – it is certainly not unlikely that Beijing could occupy the Pratas Islands.

At this point we must ask ourselves why these islands are so important to China. The islands are located in the northern area of ​​the South China Sea and more exactly strategically located between the Taiwan Strait, the Bashi Channel and the South China Sea. In other words, the Pratas Islands are the gateway to the South China Sea for the Americans and the Philippine Sea for the Chinese army. Although officially controlled by Taiwan since the 1950s, these islands pass the essential oil trade for the countries of East Asia and are a key strategic hub for ships from mainland China coming from or heading to the Pacific Ocean. .

Furthermore, unlike Taiping Island (located in the Spratly archipelago, also controlled by Taiwan), the Pratas are disputed by Taiwan and China without however involving other suitors in the South China Sea, which means – from one point strategically – that a war between Taiwan and China over possession of the Pratas Islands could – but conditionality is a must – not trigger a military response from neighboring Vietnam and the Philippines.